How's Potty Training going?

Are you sticking with it, moving forward?  Have you stalled and took a step back?  Remember to keep moving forward, children need rules, they need consistency.  Don't confuse them with 'today we will potty train, but tomorrow I don't have the time'.  Start when you know you have a week to dedicate to helping them get it down into their routine and then they can succeed. 

If you are having trouble commenting on a post, feel free to send me an email if you have any questions or comments and I can try to post them or just answer them.

brownebutt@hotmail.com 

~Wendy aka thepottytrainingqueen  :)

Do you have a crier?

One of the main questions or concerns I hear about is the child that cries when he or she is about 'to go' while sitting on the potty.  One thing to remember is that they are just unsure of this thing their body does, is doing or about to do.  These functions have been hidden behind the diaper for so long and it can be a bit scary.  When I started training my daughters the first day was about everything hitting the floor basically.  You are playing catch.  You are trying to catch them and get them to the potty in time so that they can see that what just came out of their body is now in their potty(so keep your play area limited and potty in the same area).  And then when they see YOUR reaction and how it pleases you, well, they will come back for more.  If they are timid and scared then it is our jobs as mommy's to soothe their fears and to reassure them that it is ok and no harm will come to them.  My daughters never really cried to pee, but the first poopoo was always the scariest.  You kinda have to take a firm stand and keep things moving forward, but don't turn it into a battle.  I remember just sitting there next to them, hugging them and telling them "it's ok I know you are scared but Mommy does it, Daddy does it, Grandma and Grandpa do and now you will be a big girl just like us".  You name everyone they know and admire including their favorite characters.  And by doing so, then maybe you can change the subject to their favorite character and have a conversation about them.  Or read the potty books you have that shows the poop in the potty.  Distraction at this age is a wonderful tool! I always gave a special treat for poopoo.  Not everyone agrees or some worry that they will have to do this forever.  You don't, that eventually passes.  I just thought there was no harm in it.  People reward their animals w/treats for doing pointless tricks, why can't our children get rewarded w/treats for doing something that affects their life in a positive way.  At some point, Yeah it might be bribery, but for the most part it is rewarding!  And remember once you decide to start you have to keep moving forward.  We don't pee and poop in a diaper once in a while, so why would we ask them to.  It just sends mixed messages.  And they are toddlers they always try to see how long it'll take before you break and give in, that's why you can't!   

Potty Training Adventures

Last night my 14mth old had a rash from pooping too much that day.  So I left her diaper off after changing her so the air could help it heal... Well we were upstairs and the two little ones were running around while I was poking around in the attic.  All of a sudden my 2yr old says 'Mommy, what's that?  Deeder's pooped'.  Well yep she sure did on the floor, so I picked her up and put her on the potty just in case there was anything else.  She was a little taken back by the incident and was a little upset so I got her down wiped her up, diapered her and cleaned up the mess.  She normally likes to sit on the potty either naked or with a diaper on.  I'm not officially potty training her right now, but with two older sisters she is aware of it and finds it interesting.  I've noticed she is about a month ahead of my other two.  I noticed at @ 15mths they became increasingly interested in me going so I would pull out the potty at that time and let them sit on it when I go.  At that time I also would start looking at the books so that they can start making some associations and become aware that 'babies' and 'mommy's' both use the potty. 
So it's a good idea to look for cues from your children to see when they peek interest... then it shouldn't be a power struggle!

Potty Training Materials

Do you have your potty training materials ready?  It's a good idea to have everything ready for the big event.

• Do you have books?  Once Upon a Potty was always a favorite in my house as well as the one that has the button to flush!
• DVD's? Bear in the Big Blue House was a big hit!
• A Sticker Chart and stickers for peepee
• Some sweet treats for poopoo
• A Plan of Action....

Starting my book

Hi there, I'm finally starting my blog on potty training.  I've been wanting to create a blog for a while now, but being a busy SAHM to 3 girls my time always seems to slip away.  I have been writing a book/pamphlet on potty training for about a year now (on & off).  I started my book while I was potty training my second daughter a little over a year ago.  And after she was potty trained I went out of that mindset and walked away from it.  I am a bit of an advocate on potty training your child at a early age, like 15-18 months of age.  All of my mommy friends know this and often come to me for advise.  So with the encouragement of them I finally set up my blog and hope to have my book done and for sale within a few months.  If you ever have any questions please feel free to ask.  And if you ever need to vent about a frustrating potty training day, please feel free to talk to me.  We can work through the issues together. 
Thanks for following me,
Wendy
aka - pottytrainingqueen