Potty Training That Actually
Works!
-Valerie Garner
I used this on both my boys when they were potty
training aged, and it worked perfectly, it was so easy.
First, make sure your child is ready for potty training,
shows interest, has an interest to wear "big kids pants"
etc. Make this a game, make it fun and you will not run
into stubborn opposition (after all it is the
child's body).
Go out and buy or find around the house items you don't
normally let your child play with that could fit into
this category, some kind of toys that can be water toys
(3 or 4 things), could be little plastic pitchers,
balls, whatever, but make them SPECIAL. The only real
rule to this game is these special "potty" toys can only
be played with while the child is sitting on the
potty!!!!! Very important, no giving out on this one
rule, if you're not strict with this one rule, it won't
work!
Once the child is sitting on the potty fill a large bowl
or small bucket with lukewarm or tepid water, place the
new "potty" toys in the bowl and set the bowl of water
in front of the child. On the floor if the potty seat is
low, or if it's a potty seat that sits on top of the
regular toilet, set the bowl of water on a TV tray in
front of the child. When the child places his/her hands
in the lukewarm water to play with the toys, if the
child needs to physically go potty, they nearly
instantly go (it's almost an instinctive type physical
reaction), then cheer, cheer, cheer! Give lots of
praise, and if you wish to give some type of a treat, go
ahead. Let them play as long as they want, as long as
they sit on the potty. When they are done playing, put
the toys away for next time.
This is really great because it makes it fun for them so
they cooperate, it totally ends all power struggles,
there are NONE, and also no more waiting and waiting for
them to go, only to go potty as soon as the diaper goes
back on. They also feel good because they have immediate
success.
Potty training NO. 2 was more difficult I found, that
just came with some time and patience and them learning
in their own time and way, relax, it will happen.
You know how I got this idea? It's kind of a funny
thing, my husband used to be in the military and when he
was young in boot camp they used to always play jokes on
each other in the night by dipping a hand of someone who
was sleeping, into a pan of lukewarm water, thus making
the person wet the bed. It just seemed like a natural
progression to use this trick for good in the potty
training area and it worked great!!!!!
