Potty Training

I’ve been meaning to write this post now for months. Literally.

See, we did all our potty training almost one year ago when Cody turned 2. Actually just a couple days before. But I guess this does seem to be a good time since he is now 100% diaper free as of a few weeks ago and in time for his third birthday!

How I did it:

Once I decided to start potty training I made the decision that what we started would not be stopped. I was not going to revert back to diapers. So I went out and bought a little potty at Target and about a dozen ‘big boy’ underpants. It was just a simple little potty, no bells and whistles.

It soon went right back to Target.

See, umm…boys pee out. Not down. And there was no way in tarnation that he could sit down on that thing and actually go into it! So I did some searching online and it seemed moms of boys liked the Baby Bjiorn potty as it had a higher guard in front. Plus it’s a very basic potty and of good quality for only a few dollars more, so I highly recommend it as well!

One morning after breakfast I took off his last diaper and we put underpants on both him AND his teddy. We walked downstairs to the potty, where I had already put a bit of water in it, and placed teddy on it. So teddy got to be the first one to go potty and get a potty snack. (I had some organic m&m type candies) We then talked about what he was supposed to do.

Then I got him some juice. Yup, juice. He rarely ever gets juice so for him this was HUGE. And he drank and drank and drank it all day. Why? Well, when they have to pee more often it gives them more of a chance to learn when they feel the urge to go.

At first he had shorts on and let me tell you, this did. not. work! After the 3rd time of him just peeing and barely getting wet, I put on his cotton pj pants that fit quite snugly. And this was the ticket for him! The first couple times he got wet, he lost it. He did not like getting all wet.

By the end of the first day he was starting to hold it much longer and by the second night he actually started telling us he had to go potty! (I had taught him the sign for potty previously) Every time he went, he did get a potty snack and of course we made a big to do about everything as well. And I did a ton of laundry!!

Sure he had accidents, but for the most part he was trained #1 within a few days time. But then after a couple weeks, the newness wore off and he started having accidents multiple times a day. So I decided to take all of his hot wheels away when he wet himself and he could get them back by going in the potty chair.

Worked like a charm! In no time flat he was staying dray all day again.

Then we got some sort of stomach bug and let me tell you, this really did not help for training #2! Because of the cramping he felt and the pain while going, I’m pretty sure this scared him away from going on the potty. And then I got pregnant. And was so tired I just couldn’t train anymore than what he already was. So he ended up scheduling himself to go during naptimes where he still used a diaper. I guess all I can say is that I’m glad he at least wasn’t going in his pants during the day as he only wore underpants then.

A few months go buy and I make it my goal to get him to go #2 on the potty by the time baby comes. And I knew it was my fault he wasn’t fully trained as I was being a bit inconsistent with the training. So we try the treats again. And we try the taking the toys again. Nope, still going at naptime.

So then I started putting him down naked. Yes, you heard me right. Naked. Cause I knew he wouldn’t go unless he felt the security of the diaper. And while we had a few wet sheets here and there, it worked like a charm! Until he held it for days and then hurt himself again while going in the potty.

So while we finally had naptimes down, he then started going in the morning.

Ugh! I talked to a few of my friends and got a few different ideas. But when talking about rewards with one friend I finally got the idea to use hot wheels as a reward. So I went out and spent 10 bucks buying some new cars for him.

The next morning I had them all lined up on the counter and we discussed what they were for. And you know what? Two hours later he told me he had to go!

Bingo!

I had finally figured out how to break his habit and within a week he was fully trained except for bed time.

And last month I figured it was as good a time as any to start night training when he started peeing in his diaper right after we put him to bed. Actually it was the “just a minute mommy. I have to pee in my deeper first” when I went to take it off one morning! I knew then he was ready!

I just told him if he woke up dry he got a treat. Of course it didn’t work for the first couple of nights and I was up changing wet sheets. But of course I was already up with the baby so it wasn’t that big of a deal! After 2 weeks he stayed dry. And has been dry since.

Now, we aren’t without accidents. I mean he’s not quite 3 yet. But all of those are due to the fact that he get’s lazy or to busy to go.

So if I were to give any advice (yea, I know you didn’t ask, but I’m gonna give it anyways!) I’d tell you to:

• Buy more underpants than you really need. Like 2 dozen so you don’t have to do laundry as much!
• Use a favorite doll or stuffed animal to show them what to do
• buy treats or prizes for each time they go (I only gave them out when he went, not just when he tried)
• Make sure you have a week at home with out interruption
• Give them lots to drink the first few days!
• Unless it’s before naptime or bedtime, don’t tell them when to go. Wait until they feel the urge themselves. Yes, it makes more laundry, but at least they’ll be trained, and not you who’s trained.
• Don’t use pullups. All it really is is a diaper and will give them the same feeling as wearing one.
• Be consistent! I know that the reason it was drawn out for a few months for us was because of me. I was being inconsistent and that translated into untraining.
• and most of all, expect your kids to get the hang of it. It seems no matter what you say or do, if you somehow don’t expect your kids to ‘get it’ or if you think it’s gonna take forever, somehow they feel that and only live up to your true expectations.

Well, that’s what has worked for us thus far. And I know my way of doing things definitely isn’t for everyone, but I thought I’d share just in case there’s a mama out there who’s only told that boys take forever to potty train. It is possible!

Signing “Eat”

This sign was always a life saver for me. See, when we go visiting friends or family I tend to lose track of time. The great thing about this sign is that Cody could tell me when he got hungry. Without pulling on me or whining and crying. Definitely a sanity saver!

Baby / Toddler sign for “Help”

Some resources for learning how to sign with your baby:

• Signing Time – My favorite resource for signing. If you’ve never seen the videos, I highly recommend them! Not only are they fun for young ones to watch, but they have catchy songs that really keep them interested. They also have a couple of “Baby Signing Time” videos that are great for a lot of those firts signs. Just make sure you watch it with them, otherwise you’ll be in the same boat as before – you won’t know what they’re talking about!
• My Baby Can Talk – Has a nice dictionary of signs to browse through. I’ve found it helpful to teach signs fro things that really interest my kid and they have videos to show each sign.
• You Tube – So easy to put in a search for a certain sign you can’t seem to find online! It’s also great if you don’t have any other signing videos so your little one can see another little one actually doing it. A lot of times (especially with toddlers!) it’s so much “cooler” if another kid does it first!
• Babies and Sign Language – Has a good signing dictionary as well, but uses only photos.

Baby / Toddler sign for “Thank You”

Just a few of the benefits of signing with your little ones:

• Allows them to accuratley communicate their desires and feelings.
• Reduces frustration, especially when they are just beginning to talk! Having a way for your child to communicate with you decreases the amount of tantrums.
• Becomes a great bonding experience as you can “talk” with your little one.
• You can figure out what they are trying to say, by what they sign. My little guy said the word “ba” for about 5 different things, each very different! Since he knew the signs for each one, we could easily figure out what he wanted. No more playing the guessing game.
• Signing actually jump starts language skills and comprehension.

Baby / Toddler sign for “More”

“More” was one of our first few signs as well. This one is not only easy to learn and use, but beneficial during dinnertime. It’s also so nice to see that during the toddler Sunday School class, while the other children are yelling and hollering for more crackers, my little guy just sits quietly and signs for more. (plus I think he’s learned he gets a few more crackers from a couple of the teachers doing it that way!)

Baby / Toddler sign for “Milk”

Quite a few moms I know in real life and in the internet world here, use the sign for “milk” for nursing as well. Very small infants have been known to be able to both understand and use this simple sign. Although we didn’t start signing when he was this little, we started using it to differentiate between milk and water. (nope, no juice over here!) And even though he can now say milk, he still uses the sign quite often when I can’t hear him due to a kitchen appliance running, or the dog, or some other type of commotion that always seems to happen around here.

Our first Sign “Please”

I’ve been meaning to start this series ever since I did a guest post about it way back in August over at Keeper of the Home. I know….I’m a bit of a slacker! But teaching my kiddo to sign has been one of the best things I’ve done so far in the area of “teaching”.

Awhile back I was chatting with a friend, who also uses some basic signs with her young ones, about how great it was for communication. Both of us came to realize that as soon as a baby learned a sign, it seemed to open up a whole new world to them. All of a sudden they could comprehend better, follow instructions better, and communicate without crying and screaming!

You see, before sign language all my little one could do to tell me what he wanted was to yell. And then it was a guessing game to figure out what he actually wanted! If he wasn’t pointing directly at it, the yelling could go on forever. Plus theres the whole fact that you don’t want to teach your children to yell and whine every time they want something. And if you allow that behavior from the get go, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Teaching them that it’s o.k. to scream.

I actually put off teaching any signs until he was about 14 months old. One because I had no idea where to start. Two because I thought it would be to much work. And three, my husband thought it was silly. So if your fears tend to be the same as mine, let me put them to rest.

• One: All you have to do is start! You don’t need to be fluent in ASL in order to teach it. Begin with just one word. When you master it, move on to the next.
• Two: It really isn’t that much work. The younger the baby, the longer it may take to get them to sign it back, but they will. Take just a couple minutes out of your day to learn your first sign and use it every time you say that word.
• Three: Don’t care what anyone else thinks! Todd was easily won over as soon as he realized how well it worked. Just be sure to clue others in to the new signs you’ve learned. We had an issue once when we learned a brand new sign and I had to leave for a few hours. Todd knew he was trying to say something, just didn’t know what! Whoops!

Our very first sign was “Please”. And he learned it very quickly (at about 14 months) as I was munching on some chocolate chips. If he wanted one he needed to ask.

To teach a baby, use the sign before you give them something. Eventually you can show them using their own hands and they will in turn start using the sign.

To teach an older baby, show them how it’s done and then, patiently, take their hands and move them where they are supposed to be. Then hold out the object they want and have them ask using the sign. It worked very well with snacks for us!! Although he got a bit ambitious and started using both hands instead of just one! Which leads me to one more short point; it’s not imperative that they move their hands exactly how they need to. You will know what they mean, and as long as you keep using the correct sign, they’ll pick it up.