After receiving lots of helpful feedback, we've decided to take Operation Potty Train to the next level. In fact, boot camp started this morning! As of 8:00am, diapers are out and undies are officially in. Of course, she'll wear pull-ups to bed. As a defense tactic, I rolled up the rugs and lined the sofa with towels. No, I didn't cover the floor with newspapers (although the thought crossed my mind).
I'm taking Liliana to the potty every 30 minutes. In the past, she's always responded positively to a timer (because it's not Mommy telling her what to do). However, she's been protesting loudly, saying "There's nothing in there!" or "No way I can do it right now!" I'm hopeful that her attitude will become more positive as the day goes on. After following our strict regimen for two hours, she has refused to let even a trickle fall in the water.
At 10:30am, the score is: Potty: 0 Floor: 1
Yes, this is quite the riveting situation. I know everyone is on the edge of their seats with Liliana's potty-training efforts, so I'll try to post regular updates.
Keep the great ideas coming! Since potty training isn't my area of expertise (and since all of the articles and books contradict one another), it's nice to get so many helpful hints!
6 comments:
Good! It is a process and can be challenging for sure! The first few days will be the hardest for both of you. (I did the same thing, taking my son in there every 30 minutes and he would get upset because he didn't always have to go)
She WILL get it, maybe in a few days, or maybe in a couple of weeks, but you have to be persistant and in charge of it. You two will find what works best for her. Keep us posted!
Have Liliana help clean up the mess and take her undies to the wash machine. She needs to see that going on the potty is more rewarding than going in her pants. Right now she thinks diapers are a whole lot easier. She can go when she wants and it doesn't disrupt her fun/play. You need to make going on the potty a lot easier than going in her panties. So make her work a little and while she helps clean up mention in a very nonchalant(not correct spelling:)) way she could be playing if she had gone on the potty. This way she makes the decision to go on the potty herself and you can avoid the control issue.
Hang in there. It's hard but so worth it.
Jane
PS Sign up for the pool starts in 9 days. Yeah!
O.K Ramona,
I couldn't stay quiet any longer, since I do teach this very concept to many families.
You are right, if Liliana has met the signs of Toilet readiness, you must continue to "go for it!"
Here are my ideas!
1. Have a throw away the diaper party and have her help you make a underware/pants basket to keep in the bathroom for easy changes.
2. Make a picture schedule of the potty step using Liliana sitting, wiping, flushing and washing hands. We mount ours on a velcro strip with words beside them. This will help her to stay on task when in the bathroom.
3. Play waterfall music to remind Liliana to go to the potty.
4. When accidents occur, do not scold, but make a silly phrase up with her stating next time she'll remember.
5. When success happens in the toilet, be happy and tell her it is great to have dry pants. Do not use, "good girl" or "bad girl" remarks. IT is her job to use the toilet and doesn't need bribery with "treats." Your praise and having dry pants is reward enough! The idea is that Lilian is doing this for herself, not for you (She wants power and control). This dialogue (good girl) is used agaist paretns later when the child doesn't want to cooperate.
6. When encouraging her to go sit on the toilet, be careful to look for the "dance" and say, "lets go." Be careful not to ask her to go too often, she will resist! This has to be an around the clock positive potty experience without power struggles. A child can hold it up to 2 hours is they have met the bladder control prerequiste for toileting!
7. Potty training to a child is no different from any other early childhood learning experience such as; using a fork, zipping a coat) it requires a combination of mental an dmuscular coordination. Unless the parent's anxiety makes the process "special", toilet learning will be viewed by most children as just another learning experience.
Look at this as Potty learning that is a process, not a product and not Potty training in a week. Successful potty training that is positive can take 3-6 months if done right, but regression is less likely to occur.
Best Wishes! We have been on the toilet learning phase for 8 weeks with only up to 6 times requested by Marybeth to urinate a day. We stay in diapers during our learning until 3 BM's in 3 days occur. We then will set a day on her potty calendar to have our "diaper throw away party" and wear diapers! Hope one or two things helps!
April Curtis
The plastic underpants they sell at Target and other places work great. During the day, put them on over the regular underwear. It helps in clean up and saves you a lot of washing.
Well, we just returned from Costco where we had a MAJOR accident! My dd insisted on wearing underwear and not a pullup on this trip. I decided to let her try it. OOOPS! Even these accidents help her to recognize the urge to go and to understand the necssity to tell Mommy so that we can make it to the bathroom on time!
I remind myself often that my dd did not learn to walk by me deciding one day that it was time for her to walk and thus she walked. But rather that I helped her and coached her with all the necessary steps. Then when I saw that she had accomplished part of the process (i.e. standing up and walking around things, walking holding my finger) I then "pushed" her to walk without the aid of my finger. So yes we do "push" a little.....our little ones do rise to meet the challenge.
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