After several tries at this, I came to realize that it is actually MOM who is being trained...trained to say, at approximately EVERY HOUR of the day, "Do you need to go potty?" or "Let's go potty!", or any other variant of that, ad nauseum....
Make sure that your child is close to at least two years of age before you begin this, especially if you have other children and a busy household.
I finally came up with the idea to make a "ster" chart. You can even use a large calendar on which the days are clearly visible.
EVERY time the child pees in the potty that day, place a star on the chart. If you are lucky enough to catch a B.M. in the pot, then place a sticker on that day for each one. Get some stickers that your child likes.
Of course, you praise them up one side and down the other when they are successful! Plus, the chart is a visual record of their success!
When I started to do this, the child in question was trained in less than two weeks....
2012(approximately 31 years since I trained my last child)
Parents are still agonizing over this subject, if the questions and posts on mamapedia are any indication! Eleven of my twelve grandchildren are trained, many of whom had a "star" chart, I am proud to say! I have shared the idea with many moms over the years...but with the number of questions about it on the mamapedia website, I often wonder if these people ever read the advice that is given to others!
Today, in some cases, bribes are not uncommon, such as, "When you get ? stars/stickers on your Potty Chart, I will take you to the Dollar Store!" Special BIG girl/boy underwear has been purchased, potty books have been read, and, in many cases apparently, the age of training
has been extended into the three's and sometimes four's! Good grief! Thank God that daycares and pre-schools have requirements!
OK...it is a "star" chart! Now, I am going to the beach!
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I love this one! When our second son Jim was two, and #3 child was due I reaaaaalllly tried to NOT have 2 in diapers but to no avail. Finally, when Jim already was talking, and of course walking, I kept 'only the baby's diapers' downstairs and expected Jim to go upstairs to fetch his 'change' of clothes, inside and out, then come back downstairs where I would change him, and then have him accompany me to carry the wet clothes down to the washer--lots of effort and way too much time away from hotwheels and other important stuff. Thus, with a deep, deep sigh, when the daunting 'chores' faced him, he announced: "OK--getting underwear. Diapers are dumb." Never had an accident again. Guess when they're ready, they're ready! Another 'I remember' re advice someone gave me: Imagine that a person proportionatly as much 'bigger' as you are than your child, lifted you under the arms, sat you on a pot and said, GO!. Probably not an on demand activity!! And very few kiddos go to first grade wearing diapers. Now...about that shredded blanket piece that one of the boys tucked in his cordoury's so he could hold it instead of sucking his thumb in front of kindergarten classmates, that's another blog you should write.
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