Potty Training Benefit From Daycare
One of the benefits of having Snuggle Bug in daycare is that his teachers are working with all the 2 year olds on potty training. Every hour they take the kids in to try to use the potty. They all stand in a line and wait their turn to go. I suspect that the success rate is pretty low, but the teachers are establishing the routine and for that I'm thankful.
Mommy & Daddy Need Motivating
Oronzo and I have finally decided to get motivated to reinforce the daycare's potty training efforts while we're here at home. Snuggle Bug has been going potty in his potty chair off and on for about a month now but not on a consistent basis. I know this is in large part due to the fact that we haven't been consistent about encouraging him to go. We've been the lax ones, not him!Pull-Ups, Big Mistake
Last week Oronzo and I decided to purchase pull-ups and planned on phasing out his diapers. We made a big deal of these pull-ups to Snuggle Bug, calling them his "big boy pants." He was all for wearing big boy pants and was happy to give up on his diapers.
Let me just say that I think pull-ups are a BIG mistake, at least for us! They're considerably more expensive than diapers and, to Snuggle Bug, they're really not much different from diapers, except that he can pull them on and off on his own.
What we found out is that Snuggle Bug treats pull-ups just like his diaper. I think it's because when he pees in them he doesn't feel wet. Pull-ups are too expensive to be used as diaper substitutes!
Age-Old Rite of Choosing Underpants
Yesterday, I decided to take him to Target and purchase him toddler underpants, thinking that if he could feel himself being wet he'd be more likely to want to use the potty.
I let Snuggle Bug pick out his own designs. He agonized over Cars, Thomas, Sesame Street, Nemo, and Diego themed underpants. He chose the Cars and Sesame Street underpants. When we got home, I washed them and immediately put a pair on him. He didn't like them. He wanted his pull-ups back on. I let him run around the house naked instead.Let the Bribes Begin
After speaking to many parents, I heard over and over again that you basically have to bribe your child into becoming potty trained. I tried bribing Snuggle Bug with a stamp on his hand (he loves stamps) but that lost it's appeal over time.
Now, it's all about presents! I decided to wrap up little gifts (cars, bubbles, stickers, books, and a wee bit of candy...all stuff I already had around the house), put them in a basket, and let Snuggle Bug pick a present each time he successfully uses the potty. Unexpected bonus, I'm using up ugly wrapping paper that I didn't know what to do with!
Bribing is working out pretty well so far. Snuggle Bug loves unwrapping his presents almost as much as he loves seeing what's inside. He's even decided that his underpants are neat too (pull-ups will only be used at night from here on out) and today he wore them at home and at daycare.
Today he went pee twice for me in the potty in the morning and went again for Oronzo this evening. He had no accidents at home and had only one accident at daycare. He actually often tells us when he has to go pee!
I think now that Ornozo and I are making an effort, potty training Snuggle Bug won't be so horrible! We're making progress on the peeing portion of potty training, but haven't made much headway with pooping. I've been told that takes a bit longer.
** Edited to Add **
It's 3 p.m. my time and I've got good news to share! If you're not a parent dealing with or having dealt with potty training, please disregard. :)
This morning Snuggle Bug went pee in his potty four times! Better yet, on his fifth time to the potty, he actually went poop! This is the first time he's pooped in the potty. Hooray! He and I were both excited!
The presents are working like a charm to motivate him! He got 5 presents before I even took him to daycare at 11:30 a.m.
Ornozo just picked Snuggle Bug up and was told that he had a great afternoon. He went potty for them once in the bathroom and his underwear stayed dry the whole time. Oronzo is being brave and put Snuggle Bug down for a nap in his underpants, rather than putting a pull-up on him. Let's hope he stays dry while sleeping.
I think we are officially on our way to really potty training Snuggle Bug!
So, anyone else out there in the midst of potty training? If so, what's working for you?
Labels: parenting, potty training, Snuggle Bug, toddler
21 Comments:
We were a cloth diapering family when my kids were potty training, so that made it alot easier in the sense that when they became old enough to notice they were wet, they potty trained themselves :)
I will tell you that my autistic daughter took the longest (she was 5 when she was fully potty trained). We did everything you are doing right now, and it did the trick!
I would be ashamed if I had to admit all the times I bribed my children!!
-H
Bribery is sometimes the only thing that works. I just went through the whole potty training issue with Little Man who turned 3 in July. He HAD to be potty trained before starting school on Aug 3 or he'd have to go in the baby class and I so didn't want to do that and have him regress to doing baby stuff.
He HATED being wet. We bought the underwear and put it on him. As soon as he'd pee in it and have it running down his leg, he'd stand perfectly still and scream. Only took a few days of this for him to get the hang of it. We also had the luck that he thought it was 'neat to make bubbles in the potty'.
The pooping part came pretty easy too for us - but there were several accidents. He still took his paci (I know, it should've been gone long ago) and I told him every time he pooped in his pants, HE had to throw a paci away. That was all it took. And we only threw one paci in the trash! (Then I really had to break him of the paci the hard way - go to grandma's and 'forget to bring one for the WEEK'.
Good Luck - and by the way, tagged you for a meme yesterday. What's the business name status?
Good luck! I too believe pull ups are a big mistake, during the day, they do work for over night.
What worked with my son, was we bought a book called Big Boys use the potty, we read it every time we went in the bathroom.
And my experience with potty training boys, do not do it standing up, they are to little. My SIL taught her son that way, and he is now 3, and he just makes a mess all over the bathroom..to me thats just to much work.
I am about to embark on my youngest's training. He is 2 years, 4 months. What worked for us with our others was making THEM wash out the messy underwear. They hated the thought and feel of soil on their hands, so they trained in about 1-2 days! Stock up on the anti-bacterial soap!
Momma
We are potty training too. It has been a huge headache. My son is too busy to use the potty even if we bribe him. SO I gave up on bribes. I also rarely use the pull ups because of the reasons you said.
I feel that one day, he is just going to be 100% ready and do it all himself. At that point, I will get underwear for him. I know he knows how to do it, when to do it, etc. I have tried all the tricks so now I'm going to just wait until he is ready.
That worked really well for moving to the big bed.
Oh, yes, we'll be tackling this little milestone when we return from vacation in a couple of weeks. We aren't doing the Pull-Ups either. We're going to make a BIG deal about buying big girl panties and take it from there. Good luck to us both!
Would you mind an unsolicited advice?
When I was potty-training my 4-year old, I always made sure that
1. I told him when I wanted to go potty
2. The bathroom, even when I was using it, was always open; he can come in and watch me.
Gross, if you ask me but two things happened
1. My son learned to use potty and learned the words to tell me (or my wife) when he felt like going
2. My son learned that, to make sure I smell good, I was using my wife's perfume.
:)
Mike
http://somethingaboutparenting.typepad.com/
I'm all done with that - my youngest is 19! Good luck to you - when it is done, you will feel so accomplished.
We never did the bribery thing, it just never worked for us. Being a way of life and no other option worked better. Oh and Books. She has books in the bathroom to look at for pooping. She wants to be a big girl, so that was motivation enough for her.
Oh the memories.
And yes, even "back in the day" bribes were the key.
Yeah and Amen.
I'm a great believer in the bribery and corruption method of child rearing.
Best wishes
I'm all about the bribes, babe. :)
sounds like it is going really well! WTG Snuggle Bug!
Hello my name is Jacquie and I am a BRIBER ;-) Never tried presents though that is an awesome idea!
I had the brain wave to try Jillian, it's not going well.
She pee'd on the potty the other day, I was all excited for her and went YAAAAAY. She looked at me and CRIED! She hasn't sat on the potty since. Bribe or no bribe.
Praise I guess doesn't work with her? Out of the 3 girls I have never had one cry when they had success.
Good for Snuggle Bug!
We are not in the middle of potty training but are cautiously dipping our toes in. Evan asked to sit on the potty while I was on demonstrating how cool it was to go on the potty and he has also started telling me when he has a poopy diaper. I bought him an insert for the toilet so he can sit on it comfortably. I sit him on it after diaper changes and he gets to wipe and flush the toilet which he thinks is pretty cool. I am thinking I will get him some special candy for the times when he actually does go in the potty. I am hoping that some day before he heads off to college he will be potty trained. lol
I have heard from so many Mom's that "pullups" delay potty training because the kids don't feel wet. You are solid proof that this is true.
One thing my sisters and I did for our boys (we were pregnant and had three boys in three months) was put cheerios in the potty and they would aim for them. It does help teach them to shoot straight and not make a big mess! Plus, it was fun and encouraged them to use the big or little potty.
The sad thing is, your baby is growing up!
My kids are older and past their potty training days but I do remember those days! I did all that you are doing and if it takes bribery...go for it! Sometimes, it's the only thing that works!
My daughter was just over two and I threw my back out and couldn't move, I informed her it was time to sink or swim. Daddy took her to Wal Mart and she picked out the Cinderella electric car and he told her if she had 30 days of no accidents the car was hers. He then took her to dollar general where she got a zillion pairs of underwear for $5.00, 30 days later she got her car......
I can't complain because it did work, I just think he set the bar high for the rest of our kids! :)
we're trying M&M's -- we were on track for a couple of weeks, but the past week, my 2 1/2 year old daughter has shown NO interest in the potty and actually enthusiasticallly REFUSES to even try!
We decided to take a break...
Congrats! Isn't it funny we congrat each other on first poops!?
I babysat for a little girl who got 1 m&m when she went peepee and 2 when she pooped. She was super motivated by that! They also used a sticker chart and put a sticker up every time she went potty. After so many stickers, she would get a small treat (like you are doing). Sounds like things are going well! :)
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