Put the pot in potty training!

I realize that many children are potty trained well before the 2 1/2 years Bug was when she up and decided that she wanted to use the potty exclusively, making potty training fairly painless, but we were led to an expectation that surely Jem would follow suit. Either way, we obeyed the trendy wisdom of the potty training experts who say that we should wait to see certain behaviors and cues to know when Jem is ready. Thing is, the cues aren't coming and I'm getting quite impatient, so screw the experts. I'm taking matters into my own hands. I don't mean that literally.

Yesterday afternoon upon our arrival home from school, I changed Jem into a pair of training panties. We then hung out in the kitchen cleaning up and making dinner. It wasn't long before she wet herself. She announced to me that she had a poopy. She didn't have a poopy, and I'd hope she'd know the difference by now. She's been asking to see the contents of her diapers for some time, so we've definitely covered this. ACK - the frustration! Anyway, we got her all cleaned up and in another pair of training panties. After dinner, during which she ate a copious amount of food, I was sure she'd be pooping soon, so we went to the bathroom to hang out. Even though we were in there forever while she insisted she was finished sitting and needed to put a diaper on and we'd read enough books and she didn't want me to sing EVER, she did eventually pee in her potty. And I have reached the point of being so desperate to expedite the process in the future that I gave her M&M's for the deed.

::M&M tangent::
I've read/heard of many parents doing this and had chosen not to take that route. The whole food as reward/emotional eating thing is a habit I'm trying to break for myself, so I'd rather not get the kids into the habit of expecting a candy treat. With Bug we used bubbles during potty training. I'd already used the bubbles last night, though, and couldn't think of a good alternative after losing that option.

Oh, and I should also make another note to myself to NEVER mention a reward to Jem as a bribe. She will get so fixated on having whatever has been suggested NOW that there will be a lot of crying, slumping to the floor, yelling, hand flapping, and other nastiness. There's really enough of this in protest to my singing so it's best to avoid irritating her more. I should know better already; it's been hard to keep Bug quiet about after-dinner desserts, as such mention will cause an immediate halt to Jem's dinner eating in order to get a bowl and spoon or whatever the dessert necessitates.
::end M&M tangent::

Tonight was a little hectic and I forgot to follow the panty plan, but we'll be working on this more throughout the weekend. I have a stash of puppy pads from when Bug was in training; they shall be used so we don't have to spend the entire weekend in the kitchen.

Please pray for my sanity and sobriety.

Comments

[Susie]

"Screw the experts" is often a wise parenting plan. I thought from the title that the process had driven you to smoke. Just a thought.

[Amber]

So are you going to tape the puppy pads to the floor to negate any wiping up? I have a huge smudge of poop on my rug this very minute. I'm in denial. I can't look at it. I think I'll read another post and then get out the bissel.

[Bente]

K is showing no signs of being ready, either. We decided the best idea would be to wait until we move anyway since the last thing we need is someone who hasn't gotten a complete grasp of using a toilet on a very long flight.

[Jen Hanson]

Try singing this song derived from Yo Gabba, Gabba --- There's A Party in my Potty ... Guaranteed to get you ridiculed from toddlers and other adults.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007/08/13/arts/1194817114069/clip-from-yo-gabba-gabba.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink