The newest conundrum: motivation for potty training. With my oldest two I used M&Ms. I also used "pretty big girl undies" for my oldest. My son just loved the idea of "boys can go standing up and girls can't". Yes, I know the dangers of using food to motivate, etc, but it worked. For some reason, my kids don't really eat a lot of sweets. I have had many cakes, cookies, and candy go bad in my house. I did go through a stage of thinking it was my cooking since baking is not my thing. But then I realized even at birthday parties, my kids are the ones who will say the cake is "too sweet". (I have an interesting story about how one lady heard my daughter say that and attempted to bond with me over what she assumed were our shared interest in 'all natural' holistic diets for our children. It was made particularly awkward since I had told the kids they could have McDonald's for dinner and they of course reminded me. Right.There.In.Front.Of.Her.)
So back to my two year old - I am sure when she is older the disinterest in candy will be a great joy but for now its causing a bit of frustration for me. She doesn't care about the M&Ms that she gets for using the potty. She got really excited for those two pieces of candy coated persuasion yesterday when she saw that she was getting them for using the potty, but apparently not excited enough. All day today and yesterday I kept offering it to her again, in an effort to get her to return to the potty. She looked at the candy, said, "I don't want" and went back to watching Elmo. I have an Elmo video that talks about going to the potty. She sings with him, points to the potty, but refuses to go. I explained that Elmo went potty and she took her Elmo doll and put him in the potty.
I give up. She will go when she is ready and I will have plenty of M&Ms on hand when that time comes.
Oh wow another SAHM blog! I have been searching for other SAHM blogs for so long and so glad that you posted on my blog.
ReplyDeleteToilet Training! Oh I'm glad my boys are past this stage, but one never forgets. One little trick we used that a friend suggested is to turn the water off to the toilet (generally at the tap at the toilet base) then tell your child that "Mr toilet is sick, he is sad and he can't flush anymore! Poor Mr Toilet, but I know what can make him better, poop! That is what he need's poop and not my poop but your poop." It took about 2 days, my son went back and forth to the toilet, even talking to it, testing the flush, then he went and pooped and we all went to see and whilst we were all cheering over the toilet (which only a parent will do) I slowly reached down and turned the water back on and cheered "Listen, listen! Mr toilet is happy, his filling up, he wants to flush!"
The things we mothers do!
I agree. She'll go when she's ready. Of course, I was really lazy about training my oldest, but when he was ready, he was ready and we never had an accident.
ReplyDeleteboringsahm - I may try that. On one hand, I am not rushing her, but on the other hand... Its like she is getting some kind of kick out of the emotional up and down I go through. LOL
ReplyDeletechris - That's exactly why I need to wait. They need to be truly ready to eliminate the accident possibility.