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How To Potty Train Your Kid (Boot Camp Style)
Published 01.16.2009 | Permanent Link | Comments (16)
By Issa of Issas Crazy World
This Boot Camp Style Potty Training course is a four-day process. Be prepared and be scared (not really!).
1. Your child has to be ready.
Yes, I mean your child, not you. I don't care if your goal is to have your child potty trained by a certain date for whatever reason, school or a new baby...it never works unless he is ready. My rule of thumb is if he tells you when he just pooped and asks you to change him or does all his business in a corner and then comes to hang out right near you, because he knows you'll change him, then! he is ready. Also, he must be able to communicate with you to a certain degree. Some kids stand in a corner when they poop, but will not come and tell you. When you ask, and he says, "nopes, not poopy." But then, he starts to giggle, you know he is starting to understand.
2. Make Potty Training an Event.
Potty Training should be done over a week or on a long weekend when you can be at home with your child to monitor the process. Buy little underwear with your kid's favorite cartoon character on it and buy jellybeans too! If your kid likes something besides jellybeans, go for that instead. (I don't buy chocolate, just because it seems unfair to only give out one measly M&M. But that's just me.) If you're against candy, go with stickers. If you have a an especially willful child, invest in both. Whatever works for you.
3. Go cold turkey. No more diapers. Do not buy Pull-Ups.
This is very important. There is no place for these things in Boot Camp Potty Training. They are a waste of time and they ruin the process. Pull-Ups are still diapers, just ones that leak after a while. Yes, I know this is harsh, but it works wonders. Then there is no confusion. But please for the love of all things sane, warn her for a few days beforehand. Talk about being big and using the potty like mommy and daddy.
Instead, buy a little kid seat that fits over a regular toilet seat cover. It prevents you from cleaning out an itty bitty potty and in my non-professional opinion, it works better and faster. Kids like the idea of doing what we do. Why in the world should we buy a different version of what we already own? The little seat will teach your child to use a real toilet without falling in and not think of it as a toy. This is important since toilets are not toys.
4. Put your child in underwear right away.
The first morning, put her in underwear. Let her help you put a stool in front of the toilet and the little seat thing on it. Be specific and explain to her that she is now bigger and that she needs to use the potty and not pee or poop in her underwear. Tell her to let you know when she needs to pee and if she does she will earn a jellybean. Show her the bag of jellybeans, as she needs to see the prize to really understand that you mean it. Just remember you have to be willing to give her a jellybean every single time, including first thing in the morning. The first day, ask her every 20 minutes if she needs to go potty. Make her try at least once an hour. If she pees even the teeniest bit in the potty, give her two jellybeans. Two is important, because she is probably two years old at this point and understands that the number two is important. When/if she has an accident, stop everything to change her, no matter what. Don't make a big deal of the mess, but tell her, oh when you don't pee/poop in the potty, we have to stop everything we are doing. Trust me, your child won't want that. Continue this for two days. If you have a willful child, you will have a hard time getting her in a diaper for sleeping. Either put the underwear over it or really go cold turkey and put a plastic sheet under her bedsheets.
Over the following two days, you will see improvement. Your child will want those jellybeans, I promise. You will be doing a lot of cleaning up that first day. Sorry, but it has to be done. Kids will quickly learn that they hate being wet and having to be changed so often. After you change your child, make her sit on the potty again, even though you know she won't do anything. It makes a point.
5. Take your show on the road.
Make that the plan for the third day. Pack one and ONLY ONE pair of extra clothing and underwear. Remind him that if he pees in his clothes, he will have to be changed. Go to the park or the zoo. Do something fun. Kids like to check out new potties. As often as you can stand it, make him try to pee in a regular potty. I know it can be gross. Some people take a little portable seat potty with them. The first time he has an accident (if he does), change him. Afterwards, make him try to use the potty. Warn him a few times next time, you will have to go home, because we have no more clothing with us. Please continue to go about your day. If he doesn't pee, great; but if he is still having a lot of accidents, you need to wait until he has one again. It makes a point. Kids hate having to leave places when they're having fun, especially the park.
The fourth day is the most crucial. Take your potty-training son somewhere he LOVES, even if it is Parental Hell** and you hate it. Warn him that you brought no underwear and no extra clothing. Be specific and explain if he does not come to you and tell you when he needs to pee and has an accident, you will need to go home, even if they are not ready to leave. When you get to the location, make sure he uses the bathroom. Ask him frequently, because it will not be fun to make him leave. Remind him nicely about "the leaving policy." If he has an accident, leave immediately. He will most likely scream and throw a fit. Ignore it. Take the long way home. Whether he is not screaming or not, tell him how sorry you are that you had to leave and remind him why it had to happen. Ask him whether it is uncomfortable to be wet or poopy and to have to sit in it.
________
At this point, you should have a mostly potty-trained kid. Go about your normal routine. Keep reminding him to use the potty, I mean they are toddlers. But by this point, most kids will come and tell you a lot of the time. Keep up the jellybeans or stickers for a week or two, but start to phase it out. Go down to one jellybean and then start telling her, next time.
Now have a drinking party for you, yourself and um...me. You deserve it. Congratulations. Now make them get a job. Just kidding.
**Parental Hell is what I call places like Chuck-E-Cheese.
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Comments (16):
Molly said:
Um, awesome. I have been so looking for exactly something like this for my pullup-wearing, potty-training-resistant 3 1/2 year old. I've been thinking a boot-camp approach was going to have to be the thing to do, but I had not a clue how to tackle it. Thanks so much for the advice.
Posted on January 16, 2009 14:12
Jaden said:
I love this idea! I am so printing this article and trying to do this, because she is definitely ready. Do you have any suggestions for how working parents can do this? We can't be home four days in a row to monitor her the entire time, but she does go to daycare... The only thing about that is that I'm not sure daycare would follow the same potty training rules as us? Thanks!
Posted on January 16, 2009 14:27
Issa said:
@Molly Girl, good luck. At three, if your kid is resistant, I'd definitely try cold turkey. But um, throw the pull-ups out in from of him/her. Makes a statement.
@Jaden Try it on a three day weekend? There's a few coming up. President's day maybe? Talk to your daycare though, because some of them are really willing to go with whatever you are doing. Mine was, because honestly, they get tired of changing diapers. Or start it on a Friday night and see how much headway you can make by Sunday night.
It's all about consistency. You can't fold when they get irritated with you. I told my kids, this is not a choice. A lot of things are choices in my house. But I'm very firm and consistent on the things that are not a choice. This was just one of them. Good luck.
Posted on January 16, 2009 15:50
Diaper Cake Becca said:
This is PERFECT. I have marked my calendar for next Tuesday as the start date. My almost three year old is so ready but needs encourgement.
Your tongue in cheek humor truly cracks me up!!!
Posted on January 16, 2009 19:11
wallaby said:
Here is a really good book that is similar in some ways to the above, but REALLY detailed on the actual training part (the "how to teach them to actually USE the potty" part).
I had very good success with it. My oldest (who still is a very willful child) went from no interest to totally potty trained in 2 days when he was two years and eight months old. My middle one(much more easy tempered) was potty trained in a day when he was two years and two months. He was at that stage going off to poo in a corner and then BRINGING me the wipes and diapers to change him. I totally went "If you can do THAT you can go in the potty!"
The book has tests you can do to see if your child is ready, they say not to do it if your child cannot pass their simple tests.
http://www.amazon.com/Toilet-Training-Less-Than-Day/dp/0671693808
Posted on January 17, 2009 10:17
amy said:
love this!!! I am right there with you on this! Great post! xo
Posted on January 17, 2009 11:43
Cass said:
I totally agree with the cold turkey thing. Worked for both my boys. Though one thing that I did different was to get a separate potty. Then I would just let them sit naked on it while coloring at a small table and give them lots of juice. Eventually they would pee and then much praise was given. After that they totally got what "going potty" meant.
Posted on January 22, 2009 14:12
iMommy said:
Oooh, if I was going to go boot-camp style this would be a huge help. We'll be taking it a little more slowly in our house, but thats just our style. Well written!
Posted on January 24, 2009 13:00
Veedah said:
I had to learn the hard way. I used pull ups which I think delayed us a few months bc she thought they were just cute diapers LOL so we went to just panties with Dora and the princesses. Worked great, she felt like a big girl and wanted to use the toilet like a big girl. Its been a week now we have had one or two accidents but its working YAYYY!
Posted on January 30, 2009 12:39
laurellee said:
I did a similar cold-turkey method, but with no treats. Her only reward was to see how happy I was each time she peed. I was so happy I was crying after the first time she went. She thought I had lost my mind!
I think the diaper industry invented pull-ups just to keep us buying their crap for a little longer. They are truly worthless.
Posted on February 4, 2009 17:03
Diana Rael said:
HI, Im a preschool teacher, so as you can imagine i run in to every problem possible w toilet training. One of the big issues I have is, I am not allowed to give the children a treat as a reward, the treat thing works great, but they asked me to stop. I have a sticker chart, and have moved to a dry erase board w/ smiley faces they like it they draw it themselves. If any of you moms have any advice I would love to hear it. Thanks
Posted on March 4, 2009 23:55
Molly said:
So, I am all for this, I have been all for this for months now. My son is 3 yr 5 mos now and I cannot even get him to go NEAR the potty. I have tried the little potty and I have tried the potty seat you put on top. I've tried every reward, every bribe, refusing to put the diaper back on, making him wear only underwear and I cannot for the life of me even get him to sit on the darn thing, without physically holding him there, and that just doesn't seem right. I'm at my wit's end, any suggestions?
Posted on March 15, 2009 21:26
lalala said:
Molly - I'm in the same boat. I started serious potty-training with my daughter a year ago (she just turned 3.5) and we were almost there when she decided she was over it after having a poo accident. I, too, have tried everything...except dumping the pull-ups! I've picked my d-day and I'm doing it. I know every child is unique, and I certainly don't want to be controlling by doing this, but I can't take it anymore! This is a great plan - I'm psyched!
Posted on May 5, 2009 21:29
Sara said:
I love this idea. I have been researching for a little while on how to get down to business right away. And this seems to be the most efficient method out there. I have worked in day cares, preschools and now just watch kids at my house M-F. So on our next four day weekend,this month, Isaiah is loosing his diapers!! I also saw suggestions for covering the carpeting and furniture until the child can make it to the potty on time. I love the idea of 'making a statement'!
Thanks
Posted on December 11, 2009 15:51
1st time mom said:
I followed this over about a 5 day period and it worked GREAT! 3 weeks later my 2 1/2 yr old boy is going all by himself and hasnt had a single accident in over a week.
Posted on January 15, 2010 11:55
Crystal said:
I did exactly this and it worked on my 2.5 yo son in 2 days! Nobody believed me but all or nothing is awesome! I even did bedtime and naps with undies!
Posted on March 1, 2010 21:14