We officially started training today. By officially I mean I started it twice before and gave up. And last week I planned on officially starting it on Black Friday and I was going to rename the day Bleak Friday, but Josie woke up having uh....incontinence issues so I postponed it until today.
Things I've learned so far....
Even if you've potty trained before you don't really know if its going to work again. (I've potty trained 2 of my younger siblings and Kendyl. Means nothing.)
Everything I learned in college about the evils of rewarding behaviors goes out the window. Stickers, praise, bribes, candy, money, cars? Sorry Alfie Kohn--whatever works goes.
Some kids will do anything for a jelly bean.
Some moms will do anything if it means their household budget will expand by a diaper box worth of money.
Always pick a candy reward that you won't eat. The chocolate chips and marshmallows didn't last long here. Just keep Dad away. Dads like everything.
It's easier to train them when they have a bigger sibling who also gets a jelly bean every time the 2 year-old is successful. They start being extremely encouraging.
After a few hours all of a sudden your child is in love with wearing diapers. (Mine keeps bringing me them begging to put it back on her.)
For every child I potty train I should earn one trip to a place of my choosing. (And I don't even ask that for going through a pregnancy and labor.)
Just don't mess with Momma.
(Or please, please just don't mess your pants!)
But really how did the pioneers do it? In all the hundreds and hundreds of journal entries we have, I don't believe anyone recorded a single potty training mishap they had on the trail. Makes you wonder...
So far the training is hopeful. I'm highly motivated to get it done before we move into our new apartment with rooms and rooms covered in new clean carpet.
P.S. If anyone has the manual How To Train Your Three Year Old To Go To Bed Before Ten Thirty I'd love to borrow it!
2 comments:
I totally agree about the bribing thing. I used to roll my eyes at parents who would use bribes. Now I totally get it... sometimes my sanity comes before what I know are the mommy no-no's.
i appreciate this post because it's highlighted a few of my mistakes:
1. i bought m&ms
2. i didn't buy jelly beans
3. chase isn't getting treated for savannah's success=he's not encouraging her at all
4. i wasn't born in pioneer times--obviously, such trivial things like potty training didn't matter to them
brittney (SIL) was telling me she would pay someone $500 to potty train her child. i think most people would do the same.
may the force be with you...
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