Potty Training update, part 2

Well, by now you may be tired of the potty training topic. Unless, that is, you're in this stage yourself or are about to "go there". But it's a free world, so if you're not interested come back in a few days!

I wanted to share some of the cool things I've been gleaning from all my reading. Seems wrong to keep it to myself.... :)

I've often heard of parent's using stickers or candy to reward their child when he was successful going to the potty. But we weren't quite there. One of the signs of readiness for toilet training is that your child stays dry for a couple of hours at a time, or wakes up dry after naps. Ian had never EVER had that kind of duration of dryness. UGH!! He always seemed to be constantly wet. So first, I wanted to teach him to stay dry!!

When I read Potty Training in a Day, I was intrigued with their reward system. Instead of rewarding just for using the potty, they set a timer to check the child's diaper for dryness. When the diaper was dry, the child got some kind of reward. So I told Ian that we were going to try to stay dry and I began doing the diaper check every half hour. I gave Ian two M&M mini's whenever he was dry. Pretty soon he started telling me himself when when he was dry or wet. Hallelujah!! And miracle of miracles he would go a couple of hours without wetting now it's almost SCARY how long he can stay dry for. Yeah!!

So the verdict seems to be that this practice seems to have raised Ian's awareness of the bladder control mechanism. He's not too anxious to use the potty, but he is able to stay dry for long periods of time and that's half the battle in my mind.

Sundaes on Friday

Went to my second SAHM Meetup yesterday. It was actually a "Make your own Sundae" social. We had 5 moms and 10 little rugrats under 6 all meeting at our brave hostess' brand new home. :)

Our hostess, Sharon, was pretty smart about it too. She bought the little ice cream cups, all in vanilla, so there were no arguments about how much ice cream and what flavor. Then we each got to add our own toppings... YUMMMY!!

Best of all was that I had been craving ice cream for DAYS! :)

Plunging in to painting

I've been thinking for awhile now about delving into the fingerpainting realm. Seems so mean to not let my crafty boy dabble in this wonderful medium. But it is with great trepidation that I even pause to consider it.

So I was delighted and intrigued recently when I read one mom's suggestion of using plain old water, a paintbrush and a sheet of construction paper to make-believe paint! WELL!! I was all over that idea. And I'm recommending it to you!

Ian loves using a paintbrush, and when the construction paper gets wet, it changes colors. It's quite a thrill for him! Plus, cleanup is a breeze and once the paper's dry it can be used again!

And the benefit of this is that it taught me that I was not wrong regarding the fingerpainting famine! The first time Ian got the paintbrush wet he stood at the table waving it in the air, sprinkling water hither and yon!! Praise the Lord, no paint, or my curtains would've been spattered with his exuberance!

Potty Training update

Well, I kind of felt I should give a brief update on "potty training" for any who are interested. After my last post on the subject, I got a few emails and phone calls on the subject saying "let me know what you find".

Aside: Why are people so reluctant to leave comments? Any opinions? Leave a comment! :)

Back to the adventure at hand... Here's some books I've read that were worthwhile:

• Toilet Training by Vicki Lanski - By far the easiest to read, with interesting tips from REAL MOMS and suggestions on books and websites to check out. Some of this stuff I would NEVER have thought of in a million years. Well, okay, maybe when it was too late! The tips are what stand out in my mind. The actual advice from the author was okay, but very basic.


• Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Natha Azrin - Interesting book, goes step by step thru their method, and their method is VERY specific. They focus on the importance of independence for the child and the parent. In other words, if my child has to tell ME he has to go to the bathroom, and I have to HELP him, then he's not fully trained. They talk about training the child each step of the way... practicing how to take pants down, practicing walking rapidly to the potty, practicing dumping the "product" in the toilet, flushing, washing, etc. Needless to say, to pull this off in less than a day, you can do nothing else. I won't be using their method, but it really made me think about a lot of things differently, so I have already been incorporating their ideas, and I'm going to mention them below.
  
• Toilet Learning: The picture book technique for Children and Parents by Allison Mack - Interesting concept. The first half of the book is written for parents, the last half is a picture book for kids. I have to confess to not getting very far into the parents' part of the book myself, because Ian discovered the picture book part and LOVES it! The part of it he likes best shows different people on the potty... A fireman, a mailman, a doctor, a babysitter, mommy, daddy, Grandpa and Grandma. Plus it emphasizes that there are bathrooms pretty much anywhere you go, which I imagine is a comforting thought to a child. I know it is to ME!!

Books and Videos Ian has really liked:

• Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi - Going to a baby shower anytime soon? Get this book!! It's hysterical and kind of gross, but kids love it
• Toilet Learning by Alison Mack
• The Potty Book for Boys by Alyssa Satin Capucilli - Just got this from the libray, but Ian seems to like it already. It shows a boy (and his teddy) learning about going potty.
• Winston's Potty - By far the most requested video he had for the week we had it. It was in rough shape though, so I need to get it from a different library. Again, I thought it was lacking, but he LOVED it and it was definitely registering.
• Once Upon a Potty For Him by Alona Frankel - Theres a video and a book. He likes the video, doesn't care for the book too much. Go figure!

I also found an activity book about going potty that we just started using. It's called My Potty Activity Book +45 Potty Training Tips by Tracy Foote. I bought it because the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, but I'm a bit unimpressed by it. It's basically a coloring book for the kids that explains the whole potty training process. I guess the true test is whether it helps Ian get from point A to point B.