First of all let me say, I hope this story I'm about to tell helps a mommy somewhere that is having trouble with potty training. If I can just give you an idea to try that you hadn't thought of yet, that will be worth it all to me. Bear with me, here it goes........
Sharing this with everyone is very exciting for me. I have tried so many things to get Colton potty trained with the "number two" stage or as I call it, the "poo poo" stage. It's not even funny the things I've tried. To get him to go in the potty, I've rewarded him by giving stickers, letting him call and talk to "his Patrick" as he calls him, over the phone. Patrick is his cousin that lives in Oklahoma and he really thinks his cousin is "IT". I've tried giving him M&M's, I've sat with him and read him a book to try and get him to go. We've listened to the potty videos with songs and dancing on them. I mean you name it, I've tried it. Nothing was working.
I was so frustrated, I didn't know if he would ever be trained. This was driving me crazy. I mean he is going to be turning four years old close to the end of July. What kid is NOT trained by then? People think you are not doing your "motherly" duty if your child isn't trained by four years old. They don't come out and say those words to your face, but you know they are thinking it. You can just tell by their expression on their face when they realize your child is NOT yet potty trained. A mom just knows these things.
Anyways, I had received advice from everyone on how to accomplish this "potty training" thing. Their ideas just weren't working either, so thank the good Lord above..........it just wasn't me! I was beginning to think all hope was lost when my mom a.k.a. Nana, had an idea. She said let's try this...........we'll reward him with a mini size candy bar of his choice. If he will go "poo poo" in the potty like a big boy, then he will receive a mini candy bar each time he does the deed. I agreed that she had a good idea. We talked to Colton to "offer the deal", he accepted, so the challenge was on. We went to the store, Nana bought him the candy bars of his choice, which were Twix. The boy loves chocolate!
The experiment was on. I asked him if he had to go several times that evening, but he would just say no. I kept asking and he kept saying no. He would say "NO" with such a tone too. He would say it with an attitude like, "why do you keep asking me when I don't have to go!" It was several hours later when you will never believe this, but he told me he wanted to sit on the potty and try to go "poo poo". I was thrilled, I sat him on the potty and low and behold..........who would have thought it was possible............he went "poo poo". I was dancing, I was giving him praises of what a good, big boy he was, I was clapping my hands............I was doing everything to enjoy this moment! The only words out of his mouth were the following, "Call Nana, tell her to bwing me my candy baws." Now if that wasn't motivation, tell me what was? I found it hilarious, he knew exactly what he had done and he wanted his reward and he wanted it right now. Who says kids aren't smart? PLEASE! They are geniuses, pure geniuses.
He has done really well after that day. He's only went "poo poo" in his pull-ups on accident one time so far. Every time now, he goes "poo poo" on the big boy potty! I couldn't be prouder of him and more thankful for my mother and her idea. To me...........I believe if you find anything that works for your child, whatever it is, how silly others think it is, STICK WITH IT! Every child is different and if you figure out what their motivation is to go "pee pee" or "poo poo" on the big potty, you better jump on it.
Showing posts with label potty train. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potty train. Show all posts
Friday, March 23, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Potty Training - Take One
If you've had children, then you know what I'm getting ready to talk about.
When I first started out trying to potty train, it felt like Colton would never understand the concept. I've heard I don't know how many moms say that they had their children trained by age two or even before age two. Oh my goodness, are you serious? If you are one of those mothers, then you are one of the LUCKY ones. You should be thanking the good Lord above that your child was ready so early to be trained. I have to say, I'm still working on that with Colton. It's a work in progress for us.
I sometimes think, wouldn't it be awesome if there was just a magic button somewhere that I could push and viola............he would be trained? I think I would even pay for that button, but it does NOT exist. Trust me, it doesn't.
I've been on what seems like a roller coaster ride with huge hills and many twists and turns along the way. I started trying about six months ago because I thought he seemed interested. WRONG! He wasn't, that didn't last very long. I then thought I would wait until he was ready and showed more interest, because I have the philosophy of why push your kids before they are ready? I feel like they will show you signs when they are ready to learn. Colton was NOT ready to learn.
When he had started showing interest, I switched over to putting him in pull-ups. Every time I would change his pull-up, we would talk about being a big boy and going in the potty is one of the things that big boys do. He really seemed interested in our conversations. He seemed like he understood what we were talking about. I thought we were getting somewhere. He would tell me over and over again, "Yes, ma ma, das what bi boys do. I a bi boy." I would then proceed to tell him, if you are a big boy, then show me that you are. Next time you need to go "pee pee", tell me so I can take you to the bathroom and you can go "pee pee" on the big boy potty. We were all set, I was pumped, he was pumped...........I knew the next time he had to go "pee pee" that it was going to be in front of the big boy potty. It was gonna happen, we had talked about, we didn't shake hands on it, but trust me on this, it was a done deal.................I knew next time, it was gonna happen.
Oh good Lord...................WHAT WAS I THINKING? You are right, "IT" didn't happen.
Several times that conversation happened, but no different outcome........still no "pee pee" in the big boy potty. Well a few months went by and all of a sudden, he's showing more interest again, he's wanting to at least stand in front of the big boy potty. OK, there is no "pee pee" but he is at least wanting to stand there and try! This is it, this is great, I am once again pumped and on the band wagon to work more consistently with him.
He now starts wanting to stand in front of the big boy potty a couple times each evening, I keep thinking, this is a good sign. One evening he tells me "Ma ma, I hat to go pee pee." By now, this is just another ritual we do in the evenings. NO BIG DEAL. I tell myself, "Jen, you have to keep being consistent with him. Keep taking him to the big boy potty. This is the only way he's going to get it." So this one night, this glorious night, in which he has said the exact same thing he has always said to me about having to go "pee pee".........we go to the bathroom, pull down his pants, stand there and wait..........when all of a sudden............... I actually see "PEE PEE". Oh my goodness, it is really happening this time.............I start screaming for joy! I'm dancing, rejoicing, praising him, giving him stickers, offering him chocolate. It's whatever he wants..............THIS IS BIG! ! ! ! !
I feel like we've passed over a big hurdle. It's a great feeling of being so proud of your little one. We are now finally to the point of (knock on wood) where he is consistently going to the potty for "pee pee". It's been a long haul to get here, but we are here and it is AWESOME! I'm not saying he doesn't have an accident here or there, because he does. I'm not saying that he wakes up with a dry pull up after every nap time or for that matter, that he wakes up with a dry pull up every morning. I'm just saying that he has done a wonderful job in letting me know when he has to go "pee pee" in the potty when he's awake. He's so big that he even goes all by himself sometimes. Then here and there, he just wants me in the bathroom with him so he can show me how big he is. I love that and I am so proud of him each and every time.
I better stop and take a breather now while I'm ahead. I will continue next time in the gripping saga of my potty training extravaganza with Colton. I didn't write anything about the "poo poo" stage..........well, let me tell you, it has not yet been conquered, for that matter, not even attempted very many times. He doesn't seem to want to do that consistently yet. Being honest about it, he doesn't seem to want to do it at all, it's still a work in progress. So stay tuned for the next adventure of ............."Potty Training - Take Two".
When I first started out trying to potty train, it felt like Colton would never understand the concept. I've heard I don't know how many moms say that they had their children trained by age two or even before age two. Oh my goodness, are you serious? If you are one of those mothers, then you are one of the LUCKY ones. You should be thanking the good Lord above that your child was ready so early to be trained. I have to say, I'm still working on that with Colton. It's a work in progress for us.
I sometimes think, wouldn't it be awesome if there was just a magic button somewhere that I could push and viola............he would be trained? I think I would even pay for that button, but it does NOT exist. Trust me, it doesn't.
I've been on what seems like a roller coaster ride with huge hills and many twists and turns along the way. I started trying about six months ago because I thought he seemed interested. WRONG! He wasn't, that didn't last very long. I then thought I would wait until he was ready and showed more interest, because I have the philosophy of why push your kids before they are ready? I feel like they will show you signs when they are ready to learn. Colton was NOT ready to learn.
When he had started showing interest, I switched over to putting him in pull-ups. Every time I would change his pull-up, we would talk about being a big boy and going in the potty is one of the things that big boys do. He really seemed interested in our conversations. He seemed like he understood what we were talking about. I thought we were getting somewhere. He would tell me over and over again, "Yes, ma ma, das what bi boys do. I a bi boy." I would then proceed to tell him, if you are a big boy, then show me that you are. Next time you need to go "pee pee", tell me so I can take you to the bathroom and you can go "pee pee" on the big boy potty. We were all set, I was pumped, he was pumped...........I knew the next time he had to go "pee pee" that it was going to be in front of the big boy potty. It was gonna happen, we had talked about, we didn't shake hands on it, but trust me on this, it was a done deal.................I knew next time, it was gonna happen.
Oh good Lord...................WHAT WAS I THINKING? You are right, "IT" didn't happen.
Several times that conversation happened, but no different outcome........still no "pee pee" in the big boy potty. Well a few months went by and all of a sudden, he's showing more interest again, he's wanting to at least stand in front of the big boy potty. OK, there is no "pee pee" but he is at least wanting to stand there and try! This is it, this is great, I am once again pumped and on the band wagon to work more consistently with him.
He now starts wanting to stand in front of the big boy potty a couple times each evening, I keep thinking, this is a good sign. One evening he tells me "Ma ma, I hat to go pee pee." By now, this is just another ritual we do in the evenings. NO BIG DEAL. I tell myself, "Jen, you have to keep being consistent with him. Keep taking him to the big boy potty. This is the only way he's going to get it." So this one night, this glorious night, in which he has said the exact same thing he has always said to me about having to go "pee pee".........we go to the bathroom, pull down his pants, stand there and wait..........when all of a sudden............... I actually see "PEE PEE". Oh my goodness, it is really happening this time.............I start screaming for joy! I'm dancing, rejoicing, praising him, giving him stickers, offering him chocolate. It's whatever he wants..............THIS IS BIG! ! ! ! !
I feel like we've passed over a big hurdle. It's a great feeling of being so proud of your little one. We are now finally to the point of (knock on wood) where he is consistently going to the potty for "pee pee". It's been a long haul to get here, but we are here and it is AWESOME! I'm not saying he doesn't have an accident here or there, because he does. I'm not saying that he wakes up with a dry pull up after every nap time or for that matter, that he wakes up with a dry pull up every morning. I'm just saying that he has done a wonderful job in letting me know when he has to go "pee pee" in the potty when he's awake. He's so big that he even goes all by himself sometimes. Then here and there, he just wants me in the bathroom with him so he can show me how big he is. I love that and I am so proud of him each and every time.
I better stop and take a breather now while I'm ahead. I will continue next time in the gripping saga of my potty training extravaganza with Colton. I didn't write anything about the "poo poo" stage..........well, let me tell you, it has not yet been conquered, for that matter, not even attempted very many times. He doesn't seem to want to do that consistently yet. Being honest about it, he doesn't seem to want to do it at all, it's still a work in progress. So stay tuned for the next adventure of ............."Potty Training - Take Two".
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