Watch the Throne Pt. 2: Potty Training Continues

Although Cydney had turned eighteen months weeks ago I didn’t start right away.  The beginning of potty training is mainly getting the child used to sitting on it.  Cydney did not want to do that.  After about ten minutes of sitting on the potty she decided it was time to get up.  She ran away and peed on the floor about ten feet away.  Frustrating? Yes, but I wasn’t upset knowing that this was part of the process.

That evening right before bed time we tried one more time.  This time I gave her a book thinking that would keep her interested.  She likes to pretend to read and who doesn’t do some of their best reading while sitting on the toilet?  After getting up twice and sitting back down, Cydney got up, ran towards me and gave me a big hug.  I looked in the potty and she’d gone number one.  I got up and started celebrating and clapping and making it a huge deal.  Being that this is what I was doing, she started getting excited and clapping as well.  My mother and my nephew heard the celebration and joined in which really got her excited.

On the third day of training, we got up and I sat Cydney on the potty sp that she could go number one.  In the morning, she is a little cranky when it’s potty time and will not sit on it unless I sit on the floor and hug her the whole time.  This morning she didn’t need me to do that.  She just sat there for about a half hour. She did her ritual of getting up and giving me a hug.  When I looked in there she’d gone number two on her own.  Once again a huge celebration ensued and then we were ready to start our day.

What I’ve Learned: 1) Make the throne a comfy place.  The first thing you are doing is getting them used to sitting on the potty.  Getting them used to sitting and being comfortable with the idea of doing this is the purpose.  Babies are geniuses so they will figure it out on their own.  2) Do not force them to sit on the potty.  If you do it can turn into a form of chastising and take even longer to train them because they are now afraid of it.  3) When they get it, MAKE A BIG DEAL.  Celebrate because at the moment it’s the biggest thing they’ve done in their life.  Some people reward their children which is not a bad route as well.  They will see this as a sign of encouragement and it will make them keep wanting to do so.