Potty training 101

I now have a potty trained 23 month old. We began training 3 weeks ago this Tuesday. The little guy is doing just wonderful and has only had 6 accidents. I thought I would make a list of training hints.

1. There must be a lot of hype leading up to training day. I am talking "super bowl" hype. I started talking about potty training about 2 weeks before we started. We looked at his favorite underwear at the store. We talked about how these underwear could not be dirty and he must keep them clean. All of these discussions were done in a very upbeat and positive way.
2. More hype : we talked about how fun the potty chair would be and he watched older brother and sisters use the potty.
3. The day before we bought a new potty chair for him. (Our old one would be used in the upstairs bathroom but there would be a new one down stairs.) Hey, if $6.99 helps train a boy why not pay the money.
4. We bought the Superman underwear that he had been looking at for a few months at the store. He carried them through the store and we made a huge deal about them being kept clean and dry.
5. He got to the unwrap the potty chair and underwear when we got home.
6. He sat on the potty without a diaper and reminded what would happen when he woke up.
7. Before bed we (he was involved) set out his pile on clean underwear (I always have at least 12 pair on the back on the toilet) and we also got both potty chairs in position and ready.
8. Right before he went to bed, we went to the bathroom and looked at the potty. We put his favorite superman underwear by the potty and I told him that tomorrow he would not ware any more diapers. He would go pee on the potty as soon as he woke up in the morning. After that he would get to wear his underwear.
9. I made him repeat the words I just said, "Tomorrow I will not wear diapers, I will pee and poop on the potty."
10. Then bright and early as soon as I heard him we hurried to the potty and he peed on the potty. Huge HUGE excitement is them showed by everyone in the house and the little guy was given a small (one smarty) piece of candy. This reward is then given every time he pees for about a week.
11. That whole morning until noon you talk to the child about keeping their wonderful underwear clean and dry. You remind the child every five minute about staying clean and dry and have them sit on the potty chair every ten minute at least.
12. Chips, popcorn, drinks and snacks are given as bribes for sitting on the potty chair. He can see the snack but will not have it until he has sat on the potty chair.
13. When the child has an accident then you must be disappointed and he should feel bad about messing up his underwear.
14. Practice time. From ten location in the house he will practice saying "I have to pee" running to the potty chair, being placed on the potty chair and standing up. I say the same exact thing every time we practice and talk him through the whole thing. Your job is to teach and you must tell and show them everything.

This is how your life will be for about three days. Mom and Dad must be wonderful actors and make this very fun and exciting. On the first day of our training with Wyatt my wonderful husband came home and ran a bath for me then said" Go enjoy your bath, I will take over." Of course he also knew the whole training routine. Believe me, I needed a break by that time. At the end of that day we had over twenty picture book and other various toys in the bathroom from spending so much time in there. My older two spend the day reading to and playing with my four year old and letting the dog out so I focus on training Wyatt. Meals were also very simple that week and we did not go anywhere until church on Sunday.

Here is another resourse that will aid you in training your child. I found this book very helpful.