Wednesday, January 10, 2007

The Tools of the Trade

I think I can consider Oliver successfully potty trained.
phew.

If any of you are contemplating a similar endeavor at your house soon, here are some things that worked for us.


The Potty Clock
When we first made the switch from diapers to underwear, I would set this timer in 30 minute increments. When it dinged, Oliver would sit on the potty. I think it takes a little while for kids to know when they actually have to go, so the potty clock makes sure they are sitting down often enough to prevent any accidents. If I knew we would be leaving the house soon, I would set it for a few minutes before our departure to make sure Oliver had a chance to use the potty before we left.


The Prize
Oliver is obsessed with candy. So when he started refusing to go potty, I started offering a reward. Now he happily sits down when he has to go and is rewarded with M&Ms or his favorite, mini peppermint patties.

To those of you with soon-to-be potty trained toddlers, good luck!

13 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tips. One of these days I'm going to have to potty-train Summer. So far she has shown zero interest, but if M&M's are involved she might change her mind.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Steph, you are sooo smart. The timer is a great idea. Congratulations!!!!!
    Love you
    Grammy

    ReplyDelete
  3. i didn't know it was possible, but i'm actually looking forward to potty-training miss dub. a potty clock! genius!

    ReplyDelete
  4. i had two totally different experiences with the two boys so far, one wore pull-ups for about a year (just at night.) the other said on the first day of wearing underwear that he didn't need pull-ups and has never had one night time accident. i hope the third boy doesn't give me too much grief, i like the clock idea. i'll be sure to use that one for the next boy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You are so awesome!
    It's been so long since I potty trained Ryker that I am facing the "I'm not sure where to start..."
    I'd love to have Jak potty trained before the baby gets here. He just turned 2-- should I start now?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I remember hearing in my Food Science Nutrition Class that you never want to bribe kids with food. But potty training calls for desperate measures. I used Ice Cream with Charlie. Good for you with the M&M's idea. Fabu!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great tips. I think we are going to start next week!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hooray for Olibo! Big Boys are so cool!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yes. I think candy will work for Tanner! And I will do the timer thing too because I just forget to take him to the toilet. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. he looks so cute! i think it is hilarious that his favorite candy is peppermint patties just like his mom! mom

    ReplyDelete
  11. What good ideas, I'm sure we'll be needing those before we know it! Enjoy this time with no diaper changes, Natalie is into screaming every time I even hint at a diaper change, oh so fun.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The potty lock is a great idea!

    Emma has been potty trained for about 6 months now, but every once in a while she will still say to me, "mom, I did a poop, now I get two hershy kisses!"

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yay! I loved having no diapers for a while.

    ReplyDelete

Hello! Thank you for your comment. I'd love to respond, and it is much easier if your account is linked to your email address. Or, you could just email me at barefootstephanie@gmail.com. Thank you!