If you have screamed with frustration at or near your sweet child over dirty diapers and potty training this post is for you. Actually, if you have a child in diapers, this post is for you. Parents, you aren’t the only one who is eager to get your kid into underpants....they want to be ‘big’ too!
We had great success twice with Booty Camp Potty Training but only borrowed the video. Both of my girls were in cloth diapers and at 2 1/2yrs Portia would pee on the potty...but poop she liked to put in the cloth diaper and I was pretty upset and frustrated. I never wanted to do a potty training bootcamp because I thought the idea of accidents on the floor or sitting in one room for days would be awful.
At last I was desperate, we tried it and it worked. We loved it and were surprised how simple it was. I did a detailed timeline you can read and learn from for the first day. Then I did the same thing for Day Two!
With Libby, as soon as she seemed interested at 18 monthsish we did the boot camp. The first day was awful and we thought maybe she jsut wasn’t ready...but I didn’t spend all day in our dining room focused and working to just let it go..and day two was the charm. I started a timeline but it was too much trouble...just read the two day timeline I kept when we potty trained Portia. No matter how Day One appears to go...STICK WITH IT! Day two was awesome...and Libby has had fewer accidents and was out of an overnight pullup even faster than Portia. I wish I had known about the Potty Training Booty Camp when Portia was 18 months.
Lots of people ask about how it worked for us so I typed the basics out here. This is the most detail I can offer without typing my fingers numb. Stuff in quotes or italics is the SPECIFIC language or process they say to use.
Choose two days you can lie low and focus. Kid in underpants only, potty 'station' in one room. They say kitchen we did dining room and just blocked off smaller rooms.
Wake kid up raving about underpants day etc. Have THEM put a bunch of underpants in a bag and take it to the potty station. Have THEM place the potty too.(They are taking responsibility for their own poop and pee almost 100% is the gist.) Then THEY set toilet paper, paper towels and wet wipes at their potty station. You explain they are not wearing dipes/pull ups anymore. Today they learn to take care of their own poops and pees.
You say "You listen to your body, and if your body says it has to pee/poop you say STOP PEE! STOP POOP! and you run run run to your potty, you pull down your underpants and you sit down, then you say OK PEE Ok POOP! I am on the potty you can come out now! You are responsible for your own poop and pee, so be sure to listen to your body."
( You will use this 'sentance' often the first few days. We still ask PK if she is 'listening to her body' instead of 'do you have to go potty?" LATER We chose to explain to her there are FOUR times we won't ask her to listen to her body, we will ask her to sit and try regardless: after sleeping, after eating, before sleeping and before leaving the house.)
You tell them they can help themselves to snacks or drinks as often as they want and as much as they want. I took PK shopping and she picked out all her own junk food. I didn't even know where juice boxes were in our grocery store! The sugary drinks make them thirsty and so do the salty and sweet foods. She was over them midway through the next day. You do not really stop for meals, just offer all you can eat junk food for two days. I think we kind of offered meals but didn’t require them.
You do a pants check pretty soon after you start and REGULARLY maybe 15 minute increments and have them feel their panties too. "Oh Good your pants are clean and dry, feel that, doesn't that feel great? You should be so proud of yourself for keeping your pants clean and dry by listening to your body! I can give you a treat for that!" (M&M or such. )
IF they have an accident you say "STOP PEE! STOP POOP!" You DO NOT have them sit on potty then. You cup your hand over theirs and have them touch the wet or poopie pants and go on and on about "Gross! Oh we do not poop/pee in our pants...isn't that gross?" UNTIL THEY PULL THEIR HAND AWAY. Then you direct them to remove and throw panties in a dirty bag, wipe up mess, put new panties on etc. If it is poop you clean first, then let them "clean" up the floor and their bodies. SHE HAS YOU STAY BEHIND THEM. If they will not do something you put your hands over theirs FROM BEHIND THEM and 'make' them do it. I think this is so the visual imprint for them is that THEY are still doing the actions, even if you are directing/'forcing' them. Of course your voice is calm all through out. Then you give the speech:
"I love you very much, but this is unacceptable behavior and I will not tolerate it. You are responsible for putting your poop and pee in the potty. You listen to your body, and if your body says it has to pee/poop you say STOP PEE! STOP POOP! and you run run run to your potty, you pull down your underpants and you sit down, then you say OK PEE Ok POOP! I am on the potty you can come out now! You are responsible for your own poop and pee, so be sure to listen to your body."
Check again in five minutes for dryness and reward with "dry and clean speech".
When they sit on the potty they get a treat even if nothing happens. You talk a lot about "Oh you should be so proud of yourself!!!!"Lots of M&Ms.
NO NAP the first day. They can lay on a blanket on the floor if they get that tired. When they go to sleep you are supposed to slip a pull up on them AFTER they fall asleep, and wake them up a little earlier so you can hustle them to the toilet right away. She wants you to have them set up a potty station in their bedroom when they are there too. They wash hands with a wet wipe throughout this process too.
They earn a toy or tv time (15 min) for every success in the potty. There should not be any toys or books in the room(s) you are using to start with.
I hope this is enough info and I am not forgetting. We watched the video once and maybe there is stuff online. I found this great article on toilet training in one day.
Every baby is different, but every parent wants the diapers to end! I wish you luck and would love to hear about your experiences potty training your child.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Oh boy! we are chatting now!