I dreaded potty training Avery, a.k.a. my strong willed child. But after some advice from friends
and catering to her personality, I devised a plan. I waited until she had Spring Break from Mother's Day Out so we could spend all week at home practicing. She was 2 and 1/2 years old. There was a treat bowl full of M&M's...if she at least tried and sat on the potty she received 1 m&m, tee-tee was 3 m&m's and the big one was 5 m&m's. I set the timer and every 30 minutes to an hour we'd go sit on the potty. And then sometimes we'd set the timer and sit...and sit...and sit...on the potty until we had some action down below. She did GREAT! By the end of the week she had it!
Despite the quick response with Avery, I've still dreaded potty training Parker...and with good reason :-) In addition to their gender difference, they're just 2 different little personalities, 2 different little creatures, each unique & special in their own little way. And on most days I celebrate those differences, but during this potty-training saga I wish P was more like A! I haven't been as structured with Parker; the timer lasted all of 2 days. M&M's are now Skittles; he has a tendency to wear chocolate rather than eat it. And oh, did he throw a fit when I didn't just hand the bowl of candy to him and let him eat until he was content. It took him a few times to understand that you only get 1 or 3 or 5. Avery flipped out when she had an accident...it was the end of the world. Parker could care less. Now he gets just as excited when there is success, but it doesn't bother him one bit if he tee-tees on the floor or in his underwear. Initially he seemed to do better if I let him run around naked while we were at home. I put a stop to that after I heard Avery calling down from the playroom, "mommy, there's poo-poo on the floor". No shame. And I've never seen anybody go to the bathroom so often, but all for just a few drops here, a few drops there. Store it up, dude; save yourself a trip! ha!
I'm taking my mother's advice...when he's ready, he'll do it. He knows how; he has no fear of the potty. He's not the strong-willed child (well, maybe sometimes). I think he's just too busy playing he doesn't want to stop and take a potty break. If I stay on him and take him to the potty every so often he does great. I confess, I'm sometimes not that consistent. So when I get frustrated and ready to put him back in diapers (which is perfectly fine with him; that threat didn't phase him either), I remind myself to hang in there and press on.
He has several big treats awaiting him if he goes all day without tee-teeing in his pull-up...one being a Buzz Lightyear baseball and baseball glove like Daddy's. When he makes up his mind he wants it bad enough, I have no doubt he'll deliver. Now my challenge is to make sure that happens sooner rather than later :-)
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