"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan

Monday, June 23, 2008

Oh The Horrors!

Alternate Titles: Soaking Wet - Let's Play 'Find the Puddle!' - What They Don't Tell You Before You Have Kids

Today is the day. I got the Boy all excited that today he was going to start using the potty! Hooray! So very exciting! Aren't we all so thrilled?

After taking nearly a year for da Boo to get the hang of the whole potty business and trying every single method I could find, I thought the Boy wouldn't be nearly as hard. After all, he had a solid role model in his big sister. He's been practicing sitting on the potty for months (we won't mention the screaming fits that took place whenever something actually came out into the potty) and he waking up from naps still dry. No biggie, right?

Yeah.

Here's what I am doing:
  • Potty seat on the big potty and little kid training potty right there. He gets a choice! Lucky kid!
  • Took him to the dollar store where he picked out some cool prizes and such. They are in their own special basket in the bathroom, just waiting for him to have success, then he can pick one.
  • Before, I would give him a chocolate chip any time he sat on the potty. Then he found my stash. We're not doing that anymore.
  • I hid all the pull-ups in another room. Now, he cannot insist on those instead because look! They're gone!
  • Every 20 minutes, we stop what we're doing and sit on the potty. I've even got a timer going.
  • He would barely press his cheeks to the seat before insisting that he was done and it was time to get off the potty. So I got some of the magic growing capsules - the kind with little sponge things inside that you have to dissolve in warm water. Now, when he sits down, he gets to pick a capsule. He sits on the potty, happily flicking the capsule around until it opens fully. Then he can get off and can play with his new little sponge thingy.
  • He gets to choose his underwear for today. He was rather disappointed to find that when he put on his Lightning McQueen underwear, his favorite race car was on his bum and he couldn't see it. So he's been wearing the backwards. Fine with me! It's not like little boys use the "trap door" all that well anyway!
  • After the first week of potty training, whenever he has an accident, he will have only plain white underwear. This was the big moment for da Boo...after peeing on Dora a few times and having to wear plain panties, she finally got the concept. We'll let the Boy get the basics going before we throw this one at him.
  • When he has an accident, he puts his wet clothes in the washing machine and then uses a kid wipe to clean himself off. I'm the one scrubbing the carpet but depending on how this goes, he may have to help me.
  • He gets a pull-up during naps and sleeping through the night. He gets changed out of them almost immediately and eventually, we'll phase these out.
So far...it's not going well.

What worked for your kids?

11 comments:

Kenney Crew said...

We're dealing with this at the moment as well. Ry is getting it...he just strips down to only a shirt everytime he uses the bathroom and forgets to put his Mickey underpants back on when he's done. So he's running around naked 90% of the time. We really do try to keep our kid modest...now instead of getting Smarties for going on the potty, he gets them when he puts on his pants! BOYS...I've learned that they are all different! Good luck!

Kristie said...

Good luck!!! With my boys, I taught them to go standing. Because seeing the bubbles is just LOTS of fun for boys!! I hope that the boy gets trained very quickly. :)

Kelly said...

OMG Jess GL girl. I know I need all the advise that I can get. I know this is around the corner for Kyla. She hasn't shown any interest just yet, but she's only 21 months.

Popcorn House said...

We JUST started training Joseph. I hate potty training. My last potty training experience was Anna and she seriously trained in a day and never wet the bed. Joseph I can already tell will be MONTHS of this. Like my sweet Elizabeth. Good Luck, no advice besides candy, candy and more candy!!!

Nat said...

I hate potty training. Remember the baby I had a few weeks after The Boy was born? We've been working with him since JANUARY!! It's still hit and miss with him. My five year old has also started wetting the bed again. Any suggestions for that?!

Nat said...

Oh, my boys love making the blue water green! So, I use those toilet bowl cleaner thingies you put in the tank that make the water blue. I've taught all of them to go standing up. Is thingies a word?

Jo said...

Wow! You sound the best potty training mommy ever. The only other thing I could add is to get those targets or cheerios and see if you can get him to "bomb" them with pee.

Kenney Crew said...

Jess...we just ate some pizza with Q & Allen. So much fun to hang out for a little bit...wish you were here!!!
Miss you!

Jillybean said...

With our three oldest kids, we used mostly bribery. They all wanted something, and we used that to our full advantage.
Max, on the other hand, is so laid back, that he really doesn't care.
We went to the store, and I had him pick out two little cars, and I told him he could play with them after he did #2 in the potty.
Weeks went by, and I would show him the cars, but he didn't care. Finally, one day he decided he wanted the cars, and he sat on the potty until he did the deed.
Once he got the prize, he decided that he didn't need to use the potty anymore because then he already had the cars.
We've tried to bribe him by promising ice cream, gummi bears, and letting him watch "My hands are bananas" on you tube.
He just doesn't care. Apparently, his life is complete without all the fun stuff we offered.

I think the secret to potty training is getting them to WANT to do it.
When you figure out how to do that, let me know.

Amber said...

I suck at potty training kids. I'm still working on my 5 (almost 6) year old and my 4 1/2 year old. My youngest did great for about a week- then decided it wasn't fun anymore. Booger. I'm waiting until she's about to enter high school to stress about it too much. ;)

Tim and Angie said...

It sounds like you really set the boy up for success. You could try lots of salty snacks and sugar drinks so he will have more successes (because he will have to pee more). The down side is if he doesn't make it in the potty it is more to clean up. I also hate potty training. My 4 year old still has accidents fairly frequently, like even today. All I can really say is good luck and maybe stock some treats for yourself for being a great mommy.

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