Well I finally decided it had to be done.
After several failed attempts at potty training I determined to buckle down last week and get er done. I'm no potty training expert. In fact I'd say I'm probably the farthest thing from an expert on the topic, but here's what I have learned so far during the whole ordeal.
1. Don't decide to potty train your kid unless YOU are 100% ready and committed. This may seem like a strange thing to say, but if you have potty trained a kid you'll probably understand what I'm talking about. I tried several times and gave up. I definitely wasn't ready. Marshal didn't do bad the first couple times we tried and maybe he would have gotten it if I'd pulled through, but there were a lot of accidents and pooped underpants, and well let's just say my patience was wearing thin. I just put him back in diapers because I simply didn't have the patience to deal with all the mess. This time around has been way different. Perhaps because of the earlier attempts he has a bit of an understanding as to what is going on, but he has been WAY better this time. So just make sure you are ready because potty training is a real commitment.
2. Bribery works. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I have a jar full of candy and every time he goes pee or poop on the potty he gets to pick a treat out of the "potty treat jar." This first few times we attempted we just gave him one skittle each time he went, but that didn't seem like good enough incentive. Now he just gets to be sugar high all day long, but as long as he's using the toilet I'm happy. I figure I can cut back on the sugar high later.
3. Your kid needs to know you are on board to help them. As I've mentioned my earlier attempts were difficult and really seemed like a chore that I did not want to do. I'm completely sure Marshal could sense this. This time I've really been trying to be positive and encouraging and super supportive of him and his success. Again I'm certain he can sense this and is much more willing to work with me rather than against me. He is proud when he has a success on the potty and comes straight to me if he has an accident. So far only 1 or 2 pee accidents each day and that's ok by me!
4. There may be a serious change in your potty training success a week or so into it. I wrote the first 3 points a week ago when Marshal was doing great, but just this past week we've had a serious reverse in progress! While still doing amazing with peeing on the potty, pooping isn't going so well. In fact he has pooped his pants 4 times since Friday! It has been a major frustration to me especially since he clearly can go poop on the potty. I'm currently at a loss as to what to do!
5. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I need some serious help please! Any words of advice on the reverse in progress or how to deal with the poopy pant situation would be greatly appreciated.
6. Try to be patient This is probably the area I need the most help in. I'm not sure why I find this so difficult but potty training is seriously killing me. I'm having such a hard time doing it and being patient about it. This is by far the greatest challenge in parenting for me so far. You may laugh because maybe potty training was easy for you, but I truly find this SO difficult. If I could pay someone to get this done for me I think I would. Sigh. Hopefully this will make me a better person in some way but I'm not sure how because it seems every day I am just struggling to be patient enough to do it.
I'm hoping we get there sooner than later or I'll be putting pullups back on Marshal because I don't know how many poopy pairs of underpants I can deal with!
Jordan
With Henry we did a cold shower every time he had a accident. You full on have to put them in the shower right after you find the accident and take their clothes off. I would say little boys that poop in their underwear have to have a cold shower. I would let the cold (when I say cold it is cold and they will scream) water hit them in the head a good 10 seconds. He will not be happy with you. Then proceed to cleaning him off quickly with warm water. Don't let him sit in the bath or play. Its a punishment not a reward. It took about 2 times for it to click for Henry that he did not want to have a cold shower and he started going on the potty. He did have the odd accident and when it happened he got the cold shower just to remind him. Its not for everyone but it worked great for us. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteJust be patient! Don't feel bad about bribery...Sarah was trained with bubble gum! Realize that controlling pee is different than poo so they happen at different times. I used reward rather than punishment.He will get it! This may be a great opportunity for you to grow...nothing wrong with praying for help to potty train your child it is just another aspect of raising your child
ReplyDeleteDon't give up!! He can do it and so can you. I have been there and it sucks, but he will get it. I had the best success when I did not leave the house and I made it a full time job - brutal, I know, but a few days of success can go a long way. How about a bigger incentive? A toy? Or a potty in the living room for easy and fast access? Or no underwear at all? Is he into reward charts? Wyatt's best reward was a freezie. If I could tell that he needed to poop I would give him a mini freezie with the condition that he had to eat it on the potty. That way he was sitting there for a few minutes, instead of just bouncing off. Also, I got special library books that were only for when he sat on the potty.
ReplyDeleteMotherhood is not always glamorous!