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Pooka · 05-10-2010, 08:12 PM

It took awhile with Morgi... we started at a year and off and on tried the potty. It wasn't until I took the pullups away, dedicated a week to staying home with her just spending the time with her (no cleaning, no cooking... just hoovering over her) and told her that we Were going to do this and she finally did... it helped that I took her to the store and filled a large bowl with treats and stickers and goodies from the dollar section and let her pick out a "prize" every day that she did better than the day before. I realized in retrospect I could have done lots of things to improve the process.

With Flintsy I keep the potty in the bathroom and at first I took him every 20 minutes. After the first day I let him start wearing big boy underpants... I have 24 pair... just in case. I normally put shorts or pants on him too because I want him to feel like this is normal clothing... but I don't always. I don't let him run around naked because then I won't know if he had an accident until I step in it... if I do. After 3 days, I gave him 10 extra minutes if he didn't want to go when the timer went off. Everytime we sat on the potty he got a sticker on the chart wether he produced anything or not. He gets a little sticker for sitting and a big sticker for pooping or peeing. We read as many books as he wants while he sits. He loves this time. I try to make th books as interactive as possible. Sometimes I have him bring a toy to the potty and tell the toy what he is going to do and how to do it. We act out what is going to happen then he does it himself and holds the toy. This keeps his hands off his wiener which makes peeing more likely and accidents less likely ;-). Then I started taking him for trips and told him he had to stay dry and not make his car seat yucky or he'd be yucky all day. I also remind him every 10 min or so to "Stay dry". He hasn't had an accident yet when we weren't home. When he has an accident I tell him "Oh, you had and accident... where does the pee pee or poopoo go?" I say this very comly and without emotion. He answers and I say "OK, next time let's try to get it in ther ok?" I say that with a smile and a concerned look while rubbing his back... then I give him a big hug and pat him and tell him how proud I am of him and all his good pottying. He also gets "High 5s". Also we laugh about the sounds it makes... the plop or the sound of the stream. He gets pretty excited. We've read the Everyone Poops book and he cracks up. For both kids I have a car potty that goes with us everywhere. They go before we leave the house... I ask them if they need to go potty before we leave the car and upon returning to the car... sometimes we have to leave where we are to go potty in the car and then return to our business. I feel like a familiar potty at first helps.

My niece and nephew weren't pottied trained (and no attempt was made prior ) until they were 5 and 6... my daughter was pottied trained before them... at 26 Months. These kids supposedly got into the gifted and talented program at school...

One of my best friends whose daughter is the same age as mine ( 3 1/2) is just starting the process now after seeing that Flintsy is doing it...

Every kid is different... having the time to dedicate to it for about a week solid and sticking to it makes a huge difference. The structure and development of a potty routine are really helpful for any child... some take longer... some get it the first day... some don't fully until they are old enough to wash their own sheets.

05-10-2010, 08:12 PM	#9
Pooka Your Invisible Rabbit Friend Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Betwixt and Between Posts: 528	It took awhile with Morgi... we started at a year and off and on tried the potty. It wasn't until I took the pullups away, dedicated a week to staying home with her just spending the time with her (no cleaning, no cooking... just hoovering over her) and told her that we Were going to do this and she finally did... it helped that I took her to the store and filled a large bowl with treats and stickers and goodies from the dollar section and let her pick out a "prize" every day that she did better than the day before. I realized in retrospect I could have done lots of things to improve the process. With Flintsy I keep the potty in the bathroom and at first I took him every 20 minutes. After the first day I let him start wearing big boy underpants... I have 24 pair... just in case. I normally put shorts or pants on him too because I want him to feel like this is normal clothing... but I don't always. I don't let him run around naked because then I won't know if he had an accident until I step in it... if I do. After 3 days, I gave him 10 extra minutes if he didn't want to go when the timer went off. Everytime we sat on the potty he got a sticker on the chart wether he produced anything or not. He gets a little sticker for sitting and a big sticker for pooping or peeing. We read as many books as he wants while he sits. He loves this time. I try to make th books as interactive as possible. Sometimes I have him bring a toy to the potty and tell the toy what he is going to do and how to do it. We act out what is going to happen then he does it himself and holds the toy. This keeps his hands off his wiener which makes peeing more likely and accidents less likely ;-). Then I started taking him for trips and told him he had to stay dry and not make his car seat yucky or he'd be yucky all day. I also remind him every 10 min or so to "Stay dry". He hasn't had an accident yet when we weren't home. When he has an accident I tell him "Oh, you had and accident... where does the pee pee or poopoo go?" I say this very comly and without emotion. He answers and I say "OK, next time let's try to get it in ther ok?" I say that with a smile and a concerned look while rubbing his back... then I give him a big hug and pat him and tell him how proud I am of him and all his good pottying. He also gets "High 5s". Also we laugh about the sounds it makes... the plop or the sound of the stream. He gets pretty excited. We've read the Everyone Poops book and he cracks up. For both kids I have a car potty that goes with us everywhere. They go before we leave the house... I ask them if they need to go potty before we leave the car and upon returning to the car... sometimes we have to leave where we are to go potty in the car and then return to our business. I feel like a familiar potty at first helps. My niece and nephew weren't pottied trained (and no attempt was made prior ) until they were 5 and 6... my daughter was pottied trained before them... at 26 Months. These kids supposedly got into the gifted and talented program at school... One of my best friends whose daughter is the same age as mine ( 3 1/2) is just starting the process now after seeing that Flintsy is doing it... Every kid is different... having the time to dedicate to it for about a week solid and sticking to it makes a huge difference. The structure and development of a potty routine are really helpful for any child... some take longer... some get it the first day... some don't fully until they are old enough to wash their own sheets.