Yes, we are a little late to jump on the bandwagon on this one.
We were really in no rush to potty train Blake. However, with his third birthday approaching soon, we thought it was time to start encouraging a little more independence. He was showing all of the "readiness" signs, so we cleared our schedule (as much as possible) for an entire week to embark on this new adventure.
The process is going a lot better now than it was at the beginning stages. We aren't completely there yet, but we are having more and more success with potty training every day.
I have to share one aside before going into the details of our system. We really tried to psyche Blake up in advance for potty training. We made a huge deal out of buying big boy underwear. We wrote "potty train" in huge letters on our family calendar and counted down how many days we had until the big event.
In the midst of all the hype, we talked to my parents on Skype. Blake proudly exclaimed, "I'm going on the potty train! It goes choo-choo!" We all nodded and agreed even though we had no idea what he was talking about or where he got that idea. He kept mentioning "the potty train," until Grandpa figured out that he was taking the word "train" quite literally! He interpreted the word "train" as the noun train (a locomotive), not the verb train (to develop a behavior).
That opened a whole new can of worms, eventually transforming our living room into a play train so that he could "potty train" with the satisfaction of riding on a "potty train."
And so it went. As with any new parenting feat that I approach, I studied different potty training methods and read up beforehand to come up with the best system for us. So, I'm not saying that this is the one way to potty train, but it is working for us, s-l-o-w-l-y but surely. Here is our system:
Sorry, but I'm still laughing. It's just SO Blake and also I've heard bits and pieces of this from him over the phone. The pictures and narration are great!
ReplyDeleteso cute :)
ReplyDeletegood luck!!
As usual, you went way over the top:). Such a cute idea, though. Maybe if I had tried that, we wouldn't STILL be having problems 6 months later....
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about you! Can't wait for the potty training to dwindle down so we can have our phone dates back! I'm glad to hear things are going better! It's so NOT my favorite part of parenting, but oh so worth it once they're trained!
ReplyDeleteP.S. C'mon, no bloopers to share? I think we'll be telling the turd in the hand legend forever...
I'm laughing so hard right now. You have the greatest sense of humor, and you are the BEST MOM IN THE WORLD.
ReplyDeleteYou made me want a potty train.
This gives me some great ideas and inspiration for when I potty train Daphne (my new year's resolution for 2011). I love the use of the baby doll. That's so smart.
ReplyDeleteChoo choo!!! Or should I say Pooo poooo!!
Lindsey, you have inspired me. We are going to get started next week! We have tried to get him to go on the potty, but he just keeps saying no. Did you just put the underwear on and deal with the accidents if he didn't go in the potty? I like your ideas, we are going to try them!
ReplyDeleteMan you are such a fun mom! You put me to shame! When we potty trained linc, we just took his clothes off for three days and let him go! I mean it worked for us but I wish I had a been a little more excited and creative about it!
ReplyDeleteYikes, elaborate and motivating! Thanks for the good ideas. It seems like 3 is the potty training age for boys, as 2 can be for girls. I don't feel the pressure yet but that is because Ryland turns 3 in March. Our goal is by our vacation in June. I'm glad you are making progress in your potty training experience.
ReplyDelete