How I did it: My daughter seemed really ready and had had many potty chair successes in the past where she was able to "produce." I decided that we weren't going to get a better opportunity, armed myself with M&Ms and stickers, used the Pull-Ups video and every book I could find. I told her she was done with diapers. She really did not like that and kept begging me for a diaper. I tried to make being a big kid sound super awesome.  She loved the potty dance song and wanted to listen to it 300 times a day. We made a giant deal about every success, boasted about it to friends and relatives in her hearing, told her she was just like her big cousins, whom she really admires, and rewarded her for even trying. I checked with her every 15 minutes the first day! She was basically trained in three days. (Don't kill me -- her OTHER challenges make up for this, I think.) The big hurdle was going poopoo on the potty. She didn't want to be "like Prudence" and do it in the potty. I think she was scared her feces would touch her behind, which is funny considering a diaper smeared it all over her behind! So she wouldn't do it in the potty chair, only on the toilet. Once I figured that out, and threatened her that we couldn't go to the library until she made a poopoo on the potty, she was well motivated and did it. She didn't like being wet and already was aware of her functions. She's two and a half. She still has occasional naptime accidents and we haven't tackled nighttime yet but she is really doing great!

Lessons & tips: Figure out what is going to motivate them, and hopefully do it at a time in their lives when they don't like to be wet, and have good control of their functions.

Resources: Once Upon a Potty book and video, the Pull-Ups DVD, Ni Hao, Kai Lan stickers

Aug 13, 04:01AM PDT | 0 comments | 8 cheers