GoMommyGO® POTTY TRAINING
Potty Training can be a JOY, and NOT a CHORE
– IF YOU MAKE IT A GAME!
DON’T CROAK!
If you look around you, you’ll notice that most adults walking around today managed to get potty trained somewhere along the line . . .
So don’t worry – you’ll get through it!
This is what worked for my 7 kids: Make a ladder like the one to the LEFT, (from adding machine paper, etc., or download the one at the end of this article to print out), and tape it on the wall right near the potty. Choose an inexpensive prize to buy that you know your child will enjoy (a small toy, a lollipop, a candy, etc.) plus a pack of small stickers in advance (and HIDE IT!). Draw or paste a picture of the prize in the square above the ladder. Each time your child goes potty in the RIGHT PLACE (on the pot), make a big deal over it, smile and give him or her a sticker, starting at the bottom of the paper ladder. As you praise him enthusiastically, mention how each time he does, he will get another sticker, and when he gets to the top of the ladder, he will win the prize!
-> >> If the prize is candy – DO NOT give him ANY Candy AT ANY OTHER TIMES UNTIL HE HAS EARNED IT by doing his ‘JOB’!
Many kids enjoy placing their earned sticker on their chart by themselves – and show them where it goes. That in itself will be a temporary satisfaction for their good behavior until they have earned their ‘big’ prize on top.
If he has an accident outside the bathroom, instead of scolding, just say, “I’m sorry, I can’t give you a sticker this time. But next time, when you do it on the potty, I can give you a sticker!” And smile as you say that! Make another chart after they complete it and win the prize, and before long it will be a habit, even without the prize!
Click on the picture below to download the free printable chart plus instructions!
Question: What if they pee on the pot but poo in their pants and then hide it?
Be calm, don’t mind the mess, and never shame your child for natural functions. Someone along the line has made them feel bad about pooping.
You don’t want your child to hold it in and get constipated. “Constipation is the thief of HEALTH!”
Let them know it’s quite natural to poo and you can’t wait till you see them going on the pot! Sit with your child while he is trying and use it as a chance to chat for a while. It will make it fun and not something to be ashamed of. Thank them when they do it in the right place. Usually after a meal people have the urge to eliminate. Give ’em more liquids and watch ’em go! Above all, never shame them for ‘accidents’. What makes any ‘technique’ work is the love and cooperative spirit that you show in being attentive to their efforts. You are on their side, and they can feel it, see it and know it for the great support it gives. How could they NOT want to cooperate with that?
Question: What about while they are learning? Should I use ‘pull-ups’ or regular underwear?
HEIDI (a fantastic mother of FIVE) made this wise observation ABOUT ‘pull-ups’:
“Pull-ups = a diaper ; a DIAPER = go ahead and pee.”
I agree! SMART MAMA, HEIDI! THANKS for your contribution to the mom’s and kids of the world! I could never afford pullups anyway and thought they were probably invented to get more of my hard-earned money! Some ‘experts’ believe that children actually learn faster when they can feel their ‘mistake’ running down their legs, but you do have to be able to afford the time and handling more mess to allow it! But what about kids DOESN’T involve mess? There’s no avoiding it – JUMP RIGHT IN FOLKS! Join the FUN!
What about teaching them to WIPE? Here are some great links to help kids learn to wipe:
LINK 1: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Pediatrics-1429/teaching-child-clean-BM.htm
LINK 2: http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/8/586186
—From this site I read a cute ‘game’ you can make of wiping skills:
“We make a game of how many wipes it will take, so I will say, ‘I think it is a 3 wipe poo’ and he will say, ‘nope it is 5’, and promptly wipe and check, wipe and check and see who had the best guess before his bottom is clean!”
LINK 3: http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/potty/wiping.html
LINK 4: http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/how-to-teach-your-child-to-wipe-while-learning-to-use-the-potty/
Question: What about CONSTIPATION?
The one thing that always seems to be the problem in that area is a need for more more water in the diet, (grape juice works wonders too, plus fiber and probiotics (good yogurt works for that too).
To show the kids how drinking more water helps them go to the bathroom easier, I would show them a little demonstration using an empty toilet paper tube, toilet paper and a glass of water. Stuff a wad of toilet paper into the empty tube, hold it over the sink and try to shake the paper out the bottom of the tube. Tell them, “Imagine the paper is the food we eat and the tube is our intestines.This won’t come out, because it’s dry, but if I pour water into the tube, it will come right out the bottom.”
The kids are amazed at the trick and understand the concept immediately!
There is a lady named Brenda Watson who tells all about FIBER and it’s benefits: – she does the HOPE method to improve health.
HOPE stands for:
H= High Fiber
O= Omega three oils
P= Probiotics
E= Enzymes
I’ve learned a lot from watching Brenda, I lost 10 lbs without trying, plus never have constipation if I follow the diet that way.
I heard someone say long ago:
“CONSTIPATION IS THE THIEF OF HEALTH” and it seems to be true!
Though it is a rather ‘crappy’ topic to discuss, it is important. Learn what you can, do your best and don’t worry – everything will come out all right in the end!
