I'm Busy Potty Training

You parents out there know what I'm talking about. The moment you become engrossed in something, your potty training toddler forgets to run to the bathroom and has an accident. So I'll step away from the computer for a while and get back to blogging when he's reliably carting himself off to the bathroom on his own.

For those parents who haven't yet faced the potty training challenge, let me quickly tell you how I'm training my 2 1/2 year old son (this is the second child I've potty trained):

On Day 1, I put him on the potty as soon as he woke up. (I use one of those rings that you place directly on the potty, with a step stool. I don't bother with the intermediate step of using one of those little floor potties. Too much cleaning.) I then popped him into big boy underpants (with much pomp and circumstance!). I put plastic diaper covers over them to minimize mess if he had accidents. Dressed him in comfortable pull-on pants. I then told him he'll get an M&M if he made it to the potty for #1 without an accident (I'm not proud of it, but it does work!). He'd get TWO M&Ms for #2.

I reminded him every 15 minutes that he's not wearing a diaper and that he needs to get to the potty if he feels it coming. Success begets success, so I took him by the hand to the bathroom for the first day and showed him how to safely climb onto the potty. I did not forget the M&Ms and gave him lots of praise, high fives and hugs.  He had two accidents on Day #1 (one #1 and one #2). At bedtime I put him in a diaper.

On the morning of Day 2, he was back to the underpants and plastic diaper covers.  More reminding and help with pants, but only one accident.  Success with #2 (woo hoo!!).

I have to go out of the house during this process (this is inevitable, so plan for it), so I make sure he uses the potty before we leave and bring a potty chair in the car with me.  I use potty liners for the potty chair (they are much tidier) and keep wipes in the car.  (I don't fall back on pull ups.  Pull ups are confusing to potty training kids, in my experience.)  My kids find it reassuring to always know they have access to a potty.  I can't tell you how many times I've pulled over to the side of the road to to put one of my kids on the potty.

So that's it.  We are on Day 3 and no accidents.  He tells everyone we see that he's not wearing a diaper - he's very proud.  He also has a belly full of M&Ms.

So, back to the potty training.  I'll post again in a few days.