The Wonderful World of Potty Training

I've been Od-ing on potty training tips, advice, items, and paraphernalia lately, and have more questions than I did before I started this quest. Not the least of all, which approach is better for baby? Should I have a potty that plays classical music, thereby possibly subconsciously relating the act of voiding with Beethoven forever in my sons mind?

Or would a better idea be a step-ladder fashioned piece of equipment to allow him to climb up onto the toilet, with a snuggie ring to ensure he doesn't fall in - thereby avoiding any possible psychological damages related to confined spaces, water, or drowning.

Or perhaps, as a dear friend of mine pointed out, I'm over thinking it altogether... She is 68 years old and swears that all I need is an empty pea can. You know what I mean - a big tin can that has a picture of peas on the front of it. She swears that if I keep it under my kitchen sink and every time I notice the 'gotta-go' cues, grab it and have my baby pee into it; he will be potty trained within days! She successfully trained her two boys this way, and both are successful and happy.

I guess that it has to be a personal choice based on the Childs' personality... I think I'm leaning towards the step ladder/snuggie combination because Aldrick is very independent. (He tries to change his own diapers). I think that he may be empowered by taking the challenge of potty training into his own hands. (With Mommy standing by for support, if needed.)

But - then again...
The Jury is still out.

1. Target Practice - This game only works for boys (obviously). What you do is drop one, two or three Fruit Loops into the toilet and challenge your little one to aim for it. The way that I did it was if he hit the purple one I'd do a dance, and if he hit the orange one I would do something else to make him laugh. It worked fairly well with my oldest son.

2. Blue and Yellow make Green - This one is pretty self explanatory. Add a few drops of blue food colouring to the water in the toilet, and watch your baby be amazed when the water changes colour like magic!

3. I always make sure that there are a couple of books on hand in the bathroom for the kids. It helps to ensure that they won't get bored in the middle of a poop, and decide to go do something else before they are all the way done.

4. Never underestimate the important of parental praise! No matter how hard you have to bite your tongue, don't reprimand when there is an accidental mess made, because even though it is a logical reaction from a parental standpoint, it doesn't come across that way to your little one. All they know is that Mom or Dad is unhappy with them, and it puts unfair pressure on them. This is a steep learning curve for one so small, and Mom and Dad has to be their biggest fan.

5. I found that my oldest two kids learned to pee in the potty fairly easily, but when it came to poop - that was a different story altogether. I've read that it's the 'fear of the drop', and the sound that is so terribly intimidating... to overcome this my husband and I invented our own "Poop Dance"... Without any warning at all, company or not, for a couple weeks if your timing was good, you could witness us in the bathroom or hallway dancing like lunatics while Rowan (or Chloe) laughed their little heads off because they managed to poop in the potty. Good times!

6. Don't forget that parents have the ability to use bribes on occasion as well! Stickers, treats, special games or outings, pretty much anything that they would consider a reward is fair game... as long as it's done in moderation. After all, you want this to lay a good groundwork for hygienic practices for the rest of their lives, not just a way to get junk food.

7. Always play to their vanity! They love to impress you, so when you tell them how good they look on the potty, and how proud of them you are, it goes a LONG way!

8. When trying to get them to feel comfortable with the potty for the first time, be sure to try to see it from their point of view. Put yourself in their booties. Is the plastic cold on their little bums? Is it placed in an intimidating place? Is the floor cold on their feet? Is there something disconcerting in their line of site, maybe a teddy bear that is bigger than them, that they can see through the open bathroom door? Really take the time to see and feel what they are experiencing.

9. Something that I am planning on doing this time around, is buying a special soap dispenser and hand towels for after the business is successfully completed. The day that I pick it up, it will be just him and I, and he will pick out the one that he likes best so that when he gets to use them he feels special. Afterall, proper handwashing is SO important for staying healthy.

For our personal experience with potty training go to my blog. It is also a work in progress, and as I've only just begun experimenting with blogging every day, I expect it to be a little rocky at first... but as with anything, it will only get better with time.