How To Potty Train In Two Days
Ah, potty training!
Go to a local bookseller and you will find dozens of books on
the subject. Search the Net and there are thousands of websites
with information on how to do it stress free. There are even
people who are capitalizing on a parent's frustration with potty
training by offering to do it for you, for a hefty sum! I
honestly can't imagine anything more unseemly than paying
someone to teach my child to "go".
Ewwww!!!
I have successfully potty trained 3 kids so far using this
method. I seem to be the envy of the playgroups when other Moms
see that my 3 year old son has been in whitey tighties for over
a year. My oldest was also 2 when he potty learned.
For me, potty training starts with a newborn. Now don't get me
wrong...I do diaper my babes (unlike the native African mothers
who wear their babies on their backs and who, to avoid being
soiled on, learn to read their babies' cues so well that they
know when their newborn needs to be held over a bush...no, I'm
not kidding!) but I have always used cloth diapers, which
encourages babies to train early. I'm not a longhaired,
barefoot, off-the-grid hippie (not that there's anything wrong
with that, but you're more likely to find me in Doc Martens than
Birkenstocks!) but I have been cloth diapering since the
beginning.
It has saved me hundreds and hundreds of dollars, but I also
like the fact that my babies begin to make the association with
the uncomfortable wet feeling and the knowledge that they can
prevent it. Most babies will wake up dry in the morning at
several months of age, demonstrating that they are physically
able to "hold it". In my opinion, Pull Ups are evil and yet
another invention that some clever businessman came up with that
parents now think is a necessity. Along with formula, baby
swings, and the like. Pull Ups just enable a 5 year old to keep
soiling himself. Research has shown that cloth diapered babies
potty learn several months earlier than disposable diapered
babies.
So here's Grandma's recipe (and I do owe it to my Mother, like
most of the good stuff I know about parenting) for easy potty
training, even if you choose not to cloth diaper.
Let your baby come into the bathroom when you go. That way, they
know what's going on in there. You don't have to get graphic,
just talk to them about what toilets are for. If you are a woman
at home all day with boy children, encourage Daddy to show 'em
how it's done. You don't want them thinking that if they go on
the toilet their equipment will fall off, like Mum's obviously
did. Strange, but true...some tots will come to this conclusion.
Buy 3 or 4 of those cheap little molded plastic potties and put
them around the house. At least, one in each bathroom and one in
the kitchen or the room where you spend the most time with your
child. Stick a towel underneath for the sake of your carpet if
said child is a boy. Speaking of boys...you can take advantage
of nature here by keeping an open mind. I know at least one boy
who was trained when his Mom let him go off the side of the deck.
The summer that your child is closest to two, take two days and
don't leave the house. Let your child run around naked from the
waist down, with a big tee shirt on top so that private parts
stay private.
Every 10 minutes, place the child matter-of-factly on the pot.
DO NOT ASK inane questions like "Do you need to go potty sweetie
pie!?" We are talking about dealing with a two year old here!
Just do it like it's the thing to do, and don't ask permission.
Don't force it, and if he/she wants to get up right away, let
him or her.
If you have a resistant child, set a timer to go off every 10
minutes. It's amazing what a child will do when the power
dynamic is taken away. When the "potty timer" goes off, it's
time to sit on the pot!
Use praise but don't go overboard. Act like this is the expected
thing. Be cool. Say "You put peepee in the potty, just like
Mommy and Daddy (and big brother, and your older play group
friend...3rd parties are gold here!!) do.
Don't make a big deal out of what's happening. Don't spend hours
reading potty training books or videos to the child. Again, be
cool. If you make it into a big deal, your child will be more
likely to dig in and resist.
Have some "big boy shorts" or "big girl panties" that you know
your child will like, perhaps that you have picked out together,
ready for the end of the two days. Your child will be less
likely to have accidents if s/he is going to mess up their new
undies.
When the inevitible accidents happen, don't scold. Be patient
and gracious. This is part of the job. Remember that even if you
decide to spring for carpet cleaning, you will still come out
ahead if you don't have to buy diapers for another year or two!