Monday, April 19, 2010

Potty Training: 1 down, 3 to go!

As hard as this is to type, I really want to remember how difficult this potty training thing has been. (You know, so I can hold it against them when they are teenagers! Ha) First, I need to fill you in on a little bit of my personality.

Hello. My name is Suzanne. I am a perfectionist. I research EVERYTHING. Failure is NOT an option for me. I give 110% in all that I do.

I have been this way my entire life. If I was going to start a project, I would not stop until it was perfect. I am VERY hard on myself. I was class Valedictorian. I took my grades very seriously. I have the absolute BEST parents a gal could ever ask for---they did NOT push me nor put this pressure on me. I just have this inner drive (that I put upon MYSELF) to be the best that I can be in everything I do.

I have been struggling with trying to be the best parent that I can be. Some days, it really gets the best of me, I get completely overwhelmed, and I feel like an absolute failure. I just want to curl up in a ball and give up...throw my hands up and say, "I'm done." But then I pray about it, talk to Joe and my girlfriends, and start a new day. I know I am not alone.

So- potty training. I knew this was going to be a VERY challenging transition for me, being the perfectionist that I am. I knew that I needed to be relaxed and calm...make it a game...don't EVER get upset or frustrated. (ha). So, I prepped and prepped and prepped. We've been talking about it and watching videos since they turned 2! I've read like 3 books, taken notes, and figured- okay, its "go" time!



I got all the pottys ready, (1st, we tried our bathroom)



(then moved the pottys into the kitchen)



made little sticker sheets,


got the Clorox wipes ready, etc. I was BEYOND prepared- both mentally and physically. I knew the drill backward and forward. I knew that I would have to adapt the plan, based upon the different personality types of the children. Trying to potty train QUADRUPLETS is a whole different ballgame and NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE. I knew that some of boys were probably not "ready"...but figured we'd give it a try- just to see...

Here's the breakdown.

Savannah.

Girl child, you are amazing. Simply amazing. I know she's been telling me for months that she was ready to go pee pee on the big girl potty, but I had no idea just how serious she was....well......SHE WAS MORE THAN READY! Folks, I am NOT kidding when I say that all I had to do was put a pink potty down on the floor and she did the rest!

Oh gosh...if all of my children could be girls this easy (cough, cough) I would have it made in the shade. She is cracking me up, because she literally goes pee like every 5 seconds and she is SO proud of herself.

She has never had an accident and uses the big potty perfectly. I have just been in awe of her. (BTW- Savannah's personality is EXACTLY like her Mama's, if that tells you anything...)


I realized that the every-30-minute routine was not working well with the boys. So, I changed up the game plan. I'm not going to rush it. They see Sav going like a billion times a day, and when they are good and ready- they can give it a try. Naked-play in the backyard with potty chairs has been what works the best- as of right now.



They have all gone pee in the potty on their own (without me suggesting)...they just are not consistent- by any means. I think they are still wrapping their little brains around it all.


I just finally realized, you know, that you can lead a horse to water...but you can't make him drink. And that is SO TRUE with potty training. My BFF, Gen, has been a God-send in this area (ANY area for that matter)...as she has paved the way for all of us other quad moms with every new transition (the McNulty Quads are about to turn 4! woot woot!) And I need to just relax, and know that my boys will NOT be in diapers at age 18. ;)

We will pick up potty training with the boys in a couple of weeks (its how I'll be spending my 30th birthday---fun right? But I figured that no more diapers would be the best birthday present EVERRRRR! Heh). Some of my good buddies have suggested the 3-Day Potty Training Technique and we are excited to try it. It is pretty much just stopping diapers COLD TURKEY! (which is how we've handled every transition up to this point) I'll let you know how that goes! ;)

I was SO proud of my little potty-queen, that we made a Girl's Weekend Trip to Waco- to play with Papa and Granna. We had a blast while the boys did their fair share of playing at home!


post signature

72 comments:

Kelly said...

Sounds like Ashley. Jenna, however, was not as easy...And I was pregnant and tried and that may have something to do with it. Good luck!

Brandy said...

I just have to say that I am hysterically cracking up right now. The pottys, the color-coordinated sippy cups and snacks, the naked play in the backyard, the pottys that seem to follow you wherever you go!!! Pretty ingenius game plan, I must say!!! I will say that my son took FOREVER to train, and my daughter was pretty immediate when she finally decided to do it. So, best wishes!!!! and just walk away when you are frustrated....I didn't and think I overwhelmed my son with it all.

mpannek said...

Congratulations Sav!!! I have to say the 'naked play in the backyard' completely cracked me up. I'm wondering what my uptight neighbors down below our wrought-iron fence would say, lol! We're not ready over here yet, but I have a potty seat on hand when they are. The thought itself is scary!!! I'm not rushing out to buy underwear anytime soon, I don't think!

andrea said...

oh hilarious with all 4 potties in a row outside!:)

go sav go! my emma is as strong willed as they come i tried to potty train her at 2..oh no she wasnt having that!! then one day she came to me and said i no wear diapers..and girl 3 days later she was completly trained!!!!!!
i am dreading training my almost 3 year old..he cries and cries when he has to sit on the potty..me thinks he's not ready!
good luck with the boys!

Elizabeth said...

Oh girl, I am glad one the them was easy! I know I will be re-reading this post in a year or so...unless my girls are has easy as their best bud Sav! Oh wait, I will just Sav spend the weekend with us and let her train them!!!

Anonymous said...

Girl, you are my hero, you konw i generally just follow your lead on what to do next! Sav is so smart (but you already knew that). So glad you guys got to get away for a little while.
Boys will be boys, difficult forever huh?
You are doing great! LOVE YOU!

Goerlich Quadruplets said...

Those pics of the kids lined up outside on their potties is priceless. Sorry those boys are giving you a hard time, every mom I talk to says there is something magical that happens at 3 years old so hopefully it'll just click with them when they are closer to 3. Thank God for Sav, maybe you could get her to train her bros and my kids too! Love to all of you!! -Mari

Kat said...

CONGRATS! 1 down is a great feat. I always hear that girls develop faster than boys, but I'm sure they won't be far behind.

Lydia said...

I have a 4 year old boy (and a 10 month old boy, but for this comment, that doesn't matter lol). When he was 2 months shy of turning 3, I did the 3 day potty training technique and it totally worked! By his 3rd birthday he was totally potty trained, zero accidents (with the exception of nighttime, which we're still not there yet, but he's just fine during naptime so I don't really care about nighttime yet.) By the end of the 3 days, he was technically potty trained and only had maybe one accident a week between then and his birthday, but every time we left the house, I would put him in a pull-up just to be safe, but he always stayed dry. Good luck!! I cannot imagine training 3 boys at once, but hopefully once one catches on, the other 2 will follow suit. :)

Unknown said...

Same when I potty trained my triplets. My DD was so much easier than the boys and trained much faster than her brothers. She was always indignant at the thought of a wet diaper, so certainly wet panties didn't set well at all. The boys caught on in their own time. Peer pressure works wonders there.
FWIW, having trained 4 boys and 1 girl , yes she was by far the easiest. Just don't stress too much over it. No one goes to college in diapers.

asplashofsunshine said...

I can not imagine potty training four! Ok, so it isn't exactly at the same time, but geeze, potty training more than one within a short amount of time would make me a crazy lady. GOOD JOB!!!

A weeeee bit of advice... just relax, and then when you are ready to tackle one or two or three of the boys, go for it full force. Don't back down! IT WORKS! You deserve many rewards in heaven if you can get all 3 of the boys trained at the same time. I'll come to you in my next life... again, NICE JOB MOMMY!

Tamara said...

Go Sav! Go Sav!

The pictures in todays post just crack me up!

www.tamara-camera.blogspot.com

Ware Family said...

OMG Suz, I am cracking up. I have an almost six year old boy and then 2 yr old twin girls. My twins were 10x easier to potty train than my son and I started them at 22 months (always naked, had to just get rid of the diaper, it was a mess!). And honestly, so far, they've pretty much been 10x easier than my son through every stage. People tell me that will change around 12 or 13, but for right now, I'm with you, there's something about girls that just makes it easier for moms.
Congrats on taking the plunge, potty training is SO.MUCH.WORK. Even with one child. You are a champ, keep a positive attitude, the first few weeks or months can be really tough, but it WILL happen! And when you're not paying for diapers, you can probably take a vacation to a tropical island with all the moolah you'll be saving, ha ha. :)
Good luck.

Jensen Journal said...

We did the 3 day potty training method by Lora Jensen and it rocks! I have had 15 friends(really true) use this method and it worked on all of them. I did it with my son at 2 yrs 4 months....and it was hard but they get eventually get it and its great because you don't have to take them every 5 seconds. He even stays dry at night....never wore pull ups! I am totally 100% on this method because they tell you when they want to go and you are not forcing it on them. Lora is also great help....you can e-mail her ahead of time to even ask questions b4 you start...I e-mailed her thruout the 3 days...it was great. If you have any questions she will answer:). hope all goes well!

Charity Donovan said...

I'm dreading the end of summer...that is when I have it in my head to start this whole PTing of quaddies thing! Girl, you are an incredible momma, person, friend...it'll all work out in the end. Love you! Give Sav a big ole Rock Star hug from all of her quaddie-aunties for the hope she inspires! Love her!

Carol said...

Potty training boys is not for the faint of heart! I always thought that this was the first time that THEY could be in control and that I wasn't. Everything up to potty-training about their little lives is timed and planned by the parent. But not this. And, it ain't easy! My boys are 30 and 27 and I haven't forgotten. Even when they were five or six years old, they'd be playing so hard outside that, if any obstacle got in their way of getting inside to the potty, they had an accident.

All of this to say, Suz, you're in good company. And, they will NOT be in diapers probably even when they go to 1st grade. I do say that M&M's are nice rewards!

Jensen Journal said...

The 3 day method works like a champ...15 of my friends have done it now and it has all worked. We did it when Ethan was 2 yrs 4 months.....this method works because they go when they want too...not because we are forcing them. I would e-mail Lora Jensen a lot....she is great help so I would by the e-book and use her....you can even ask her questions before you start. She rocks! I know 100% it will work!

Lori said...

Yea for Sav!!! I wish my girls were that easy. My big girls weren't fully trained until they were 3 and 1/2. One was terrified of pooping on the potty and would hold it for days. Yikes, then she had man poops! I was still working full time at that point and the daycare wasn't really helpful in that area.
The outside naked play definitely helped them with the pee pee side of it.

The baby just turned 2 this weekend and she's already had some outside naked play, but no success on the potty yet. I'm not pushing her yet, so we'll see.

Courtney said...

I attempted to PT my son at 22 months, again at 28 months, and finally at 31 months he decided he was interested. We used the 3 day method the first and second times, but it didn't work for us then (he jsut wasn't interested at all). However, when this March rolled around, he suddenly decided that he wanted to "go pee on the potty", and he has been doing it ever since! Now to tackle his sister...

Good luck!

Lori T said...

My daughter has kidney reflux, as I know Savannah did. But I guess her reflux didn't affect her potty training? We've been waiting to try with our 25 month old, due to her reflux. Any advice about that?

Tabaitha said...

I might have to give 3Day Potty Training a try. Their site has me hooked, now I just need to pick a date. Cold Turkey has always worked best for us, so hopefully this will work for my son. I'm so ready to only have one in diapers.

keely said...

That naked play outside picture with them on their potties in their crocs is adorable and should be an ad!

Suzanne said...

lori T- maybe that's why sav wants to go every 5 minutes? (jk- she's obsessed with the M&M's right now- tee hee)

we have actually experienced no further effects from sav's kidney reflux since her 2 surgeries. miss thang doesn't seem to have any issues with urination whatsoever- praise God.

suz

The Q family said...

I used the 3 day method with my twin girls, who are 2 weeks older than your crew. One of them had it down pat on day 1. The other never did get it. After several days of not leaving the house, we decided to back off and try again later. Every kid is different, and you are right, you can lead a kid to the potty, but you can't make them pee!

The Cochran Crew said...

I love you so much!!! You are so inspiring!!!

Vancouver Elerick's said...

Way to go Sav!!! My daughter was potty trained at 19 months, because she wanted to be. I have 3 boys and none of them were ready until at least their 3rd birthday. My youngest was 3.5. He simply wasn't ready and I learned from my other 2 boys not to push it. When he was ready it only took a day or 2. That's not to say that he doesn't have accidents. As one of the others moms said---he will get so involved in play that he forgets sometimes and goes right in his pants.

This too shall pass. :-) I know it would be wonderful to have them all out of diapers soon, but it may take a little more time, and the boys may not all get there at the same time.

Hang in there, you ARE doing a great job as a mama!!!

Jessica said...

oh, suz. i feel for you having to do 4 at once! i did the 3 day potty training method with my son last summer and parts of it were really helpful. it took way longer than 3 days (try 3 months!) but i'm all for stopping the diapers cold turkey. the first few days of just wearing the big boy underwear around the house were quite messy, but he got the hang of it eventually. it took constant vigilance on my part and that was exhausting, but worth it to be done with diapers! having said all that, he still isn't trained for night. he wears a pull up and is slowly getting to where he's waking up dry more often than not. we tried big boy underwear at night once and we were both traumatized by the 4 times he wet the bed that night. yikes!

you're right not to rush it. i so wanted the 3 day thing to work for us but it took just a little bit longer. 9 months later and he's accident free (knock wood) and only wears a pull up at night. yay!

Betsy Black said...

Thanks for this post! My oldest son will be 2.5 this June & I've been planning on starting then. You have all convinced me to try the 3 Day Potty Training! Congrats to Sav & best of luck with those boys!

Anonymous said...

Boys like a challenge- try the sink-the-cherrios game? Cherrios float for a long time....

Lori T said...

Awesome; I'm glad she hasn't had any problems since her surgeries! Thanks for getting back with me, Suzanne.

By the way, I hear you went to Harding? I graduated in 2006.

Paige said...

Potty training stinks, but after potty training 2, I will admit that Cold Turkey diaper is the WAY TO GO! It seems a bit scary at first, but you can only go forward from there!
Just don't give up. Once you start, finish!

Anonymous said...

Here's what worked for my son, who I admit was almost 3 at the time. I got what he considered a really great toy (Hess truck, flashing lights, etc.) and only let him play with it when he had his "big boy" pants on. Worked like a charm, he wasn't motivated by stickers or M&Ms. I think this is one of the reasons girls do better in the early grades at school, they really get pumped over the stickers.

Paige said...

Yes! Lora Jensen's three day method worked for my stubborn daughter who is the same age as your kids. It worked quick. I research everything too, I am so not the "let's just go with it" type of mom and it was a really great plan. Good luck!!

JILL said...

I only have twins, but I did work in child care for about 15 years - so I am no stranger to training groups of kids. I find that with boys, there is a slight window of opportunity at 24 months, but if you miss it, you won't have success until 36 months.

I heard a pediatrician once say, "You can start training at age 2 and will have complete success by age 3. Or, you can start training at 2 yr 11 mons 3 weeks... and have complete success by age 3!"

When they're ready, they're ready. Don't stress yourself out - and don't feel it is lack of organization. You have all the tips and tricks going well!!

(my twins had that Baby Bjorn potty, but neither did well with it... they both had much better luck on the real toilet. And yes, my daughter trained immediately... not one accident ever. My son wasn't ready for a long time after her. I waited to save us both a lot of stress.)

Carrie said...

and the crocs match the potty's too! Love it! you have got to check out my blog and the
Potty Training Method! I wrote out. I know doing it with 4 is totally different, but it is similar to the 3 day method. I really believe there is power in numbers (positive peer pressure)

Unknown said...

Well, yeah for 1 down!! I just had my B/G twins and my daughter got it a lot sooner than my son did, too.

Good luck with the next round and hopefully it'll click soon!

Lana said...

Girl, you have one trained and you do not appear to have lost your mind. Enjoy that accomplishment! Congrats!

Jara said...

I LOVE IT!!!! My little girl potty trained herself too, and my little boy...only nakedness worked for him as well! Don't worry, you will get there! The pics are precious in the meantime:)

Alyssa said...

Ahh, potty training! WTG Sav for doing so well! I did the naked outdoors thing with my son and all it took was one day of that before he was ready to start going on the potty- he was fully trained 2 weeks later. Have you checked the Farmer's Almanac? There is a section for livestock (yeah, really) that goes by the signs of the moon and when to do certain things. There will be a list of dates next to when to castrate (that's the closest to dealing with the genital area). Those dates are the supposed best days to also potty train. It sounds absolutely crazy, but I did that with both of my kids and it worked like a charm! I've told so many people about this, they've tried it, and now swear by it! My mom also did this with me and my brother with equally great results.

Jess said...

YAY, SAVANNAH!!!!!!

I bet she just loved her Girls' Weekend, too. What fun!

The boys will get it, soon!

Penny said...

I posted earlier about our PTing but I am needing some help getting the word out

PLEASE, can you help!!!!


I have been a follower of your blog for a long time. I am working to help raise awareness for the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. You may remember the Chase Give, that was my introduction to Spinal Muscular Atrophy and my introduction to Gwendolyn. I was so moved by these beautiful children that are battling for their life from this disease that is stealing precious babies that our webstore Beb-e-ssentials is having a fund raiser for them. PLEASE, post, tweet blog about it!!!!

SMA could attack YOUR child! Your neice or nephew! These ARE someone's children. Please help us raise awareness and research money. More than 1 in 40 people are carriers of SMA!

I know you probably get many many requests..... just watch the little clip on our shop site. My heart breaks for these families.... they are essentially watching their children DIE. Please help them save their babies

Please help us, posting about SMA on your blog about the fund raiser! Your blog traffic will alert SO many. You can also refer people to our webshop at www.bebessentials.com , or to my blog http://butterfliesandbananas.blogspot.com/, or tweet and FB it. We also have a Beb-e-ssentials site there. You can also donate directly to the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation.

Please do it for the babies born and not yet born, ..... for families praying for just another day.

Please......

Penny and Melissa
Beb-e-ssentails.com

Michael and Hannah said...

Wesley was actually much easier to potty train than Anna Kate. So don't despair... it will click for the boys soon!

Casey's trio said...

Suz~ You rock woman! Just knowing that the boys aren't quite ready and just need a little time will make ALL the difference in saving your sanity:) They will get there....especially with Ms. Thang leading the way. Love that Sav!
Hugs to you all!

cat said...

Oh the girls are so eay with potty - but even with boys, wow, they differ so much. I have one completely potty trained at 2 and a half and the other, not interested at all.

Denise said...

Great job Sav! As for the other 3 good luck. I used the 3 day potty tec and it worked with twins. It took Nicholas a day and half. Hunter well he is my problem child he took 5 days. Now if I could only get him out of pullups at night and nap life would be perfect.

Mandy said...

I did the 3 day bootcamp with my little boy and 26 months. He did great! If your boys are tall enough see if they can go standing up like daddy. Mine seems to really love that! They even have targets to aim at in the potty!

Lissa said...

The PT boys is definitely a hard one. My boy really wanted to play basketball (at 2 1/2 years old), so I told him that he couldn't be wearing diapers/pull ups and he would have to wear big boy underwear in order to play. That did it, he PT in about a day and a half. He has not had any accidents. Maybe you can find that one thing they enjoy, use it as incentive and take them on a one-on-one reward day. Good Luck =]

Leigha said...

Yay Sav!!!! You show those boys who is really boss ;) LOL!

Case is a month younger than the quads and we just quit cold turkey. It has worked like a charm for us day and night. My other two boys were the same way, just a little older.

Good Luck Suz!! That's a lot of diapers to save money on!!

Bella said...

I read 2 out of those three books recently! I'm trying it now with my twin boys. Um yeah. it's just great! Congrats on being "one down..."

Fulton Quads said...

I have been potty training our tribe for what seems like FOREVER & all I can say is that girls are SO much easier than boys! We now have them in preschool so they are getting better. I just hope the school can get Mr B on the potty wagon soon! Hate buying diapers! Congrats & Good Luck!
Love, Cathy & her quads

Kim said...

Those pictures are hilarious! And I have to say that I am exactly like you in that I research, plan, and try to work out the best plan for everything before it even happens.

My son was a bit of a rockstar potty trainer but I'll pass on what worked for us when he was just over 2 1/2 years old. Cold turkey worked best. Just staying at home for the timeframe it took (about 4 days) and running around the house naked. As soon as cloth training pants went on he would potty in them, but not if he just went naked or with regular undies.

Also, finding what motivated him. We tried m&m's, we tried elmo potty video, but the thing that got him was watching 10 minutes of Cars (Go Lightning) each time he would go. We gradually weaned him off of it over that week or two and that was the only tv he would watch all day.

I thought it was never going to happen and was wondering when I should give up when a mentor mom told me to commit to it for at least a week. Day 4 it was like a switch flipped and it was night and day from that time on.

Good luck! I know one at a time is much different than 3 or 4 at a time.

Catherine said...

Ive been a long time blog follower and this post just cracked me up. Naked play and peeing outside ...priceless!!!! You go girl!

Moni Graf said...

YOU ARE MY HERO, SUZANNE HOAG STEECE!!!!

Loved every last word of this post (and the previous ones that i got caught up on tonight)! Way to rock the potty-chair, Savvy-girl!

Can't wait to see how everything else goes....I'm taking notes.

Love ya!
moni

p.s. thanks to you, toddler bed bootcamp was a success. easy-peasy. but i have an inkling that the potty-training might take a little more time.

boysmum2 said...

One day at a time is all you can do. I was told summer was a great time, as like you, lots of play outside with hardly any clothes on, but alas my 2 both showed initative at the start of winter!
But remember the saying "tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes"

Mercy Langille said...

Potty training - such a big step in a child's development, and your doing it x4. I found 1 challenging enough. I think your idea of one at a time is the way to go. Whatever keeps mommy sane is usually best. :) And no more diapers is always a plus.

Cindy said...

Suz..you are an amazing mother. I don't know how you do it all but you do. Don't ever doubt yourself. The children are so precious. I love reading your blog. I feel like you are family and pray for you daily.

Anonymous said...

Definitely do the 3-day potty training!! It worked for my son at 30 months, and worked for sooo many other people i know. I don't think i know of anyone it hasn't worked for. You really do just have to get rid of everything....even at night/naps.

Amanda's News said...

Suz,
I haven't even read what everyone else said so I may be repeating. Boys, at least mine, have been a little difficult with the whole potty training. Thomas frustrated me to no end. So I decided not to push Charlie and do it when he was ready or showing signs. (like taking his poopy diaper off at church in a locked room:)) So we are working on him.

You can do it. Don't get to frustrated! So proud of Sav!!!!

Madison Sanders said...

I'm a twin...and a perfectionist. I'm not as hard on myself as I used to be though. Mama said that I was potty trained easily, but it took my brother a good bit longer. Once the boys see Sav do it enough, they will eventually get it. Hang in there!

jenn said...

hiphip hooray for sav!!!! the boys will get their cheer too....when they are ready!
love that last pic of you and your potty queen

Unknown said...

I am mother of boy/girl twins and while looking for blogs on potty training, I came across your blog and you crack me up! Your personality is exactly like mine!! LOL However I only have to deal with two 26 mo old boy/girl twins rather then 4 toddlers! My hat is off to you girl!! You are awesome!

I would really like to chat with you if you didn't mind. My email is twiceblessedmommy.groups@gmail.com

Good luck with the boys! Hang in there :))

The Carlsons said...

Suz, you are JUST like ME! Perfectionist through and through! So I feel for ya girly! :D

Just know that the boys will get it...just on their own time. Sorry to say that :P Plus, boys are just more difficult (on average) to potty train. Which leads me to PRAY till my knees have calluses on them that our girlies will be MUCH easier to train than our son. Ha! ;)

There will be light at the end of the potty tunnel. Just look at our 6yo boy. Thankfully he got to Kindergarten potty trained - Yay! ;)

Keep truckin' along girl! You are doing a great job!
-Maria, mom to a 6yo B and 2yo GGGG

Kimmy K said...

I vote for cold turkey--I switched my kids from diapers to unders/panties, devoted a couple days to watching them stare amazed at their leg as pee ran down it (and mopping up the floor), and it only took them a few days to figure out what meant what. It's a pain for a couple days, but then you are done!

lynne from uk said...

Very well done to Savannah and good luck with the boys, I'm sure they'll get the idea soon!

Pam said...

Suzanne,

It has been a while since I have been able to read your blog, wow the children are just growing so fast and they are adorable. Potty training is an experience, girls are definately easier than boys, but I think they just all have to get it on their own time. I agree with just taking away the diaper completely, that's how I handled it with mine. And eventually they didn't like wet pants! Good luck and I know you will do great as you have with everything, it has been such a pleasure to be able to read about your beautiful family.

Also, congratulations on the new job, you are truly amazing. Good luck in this area too as you know, I'm sure you have researched this! It will be a transition for all of you and it will be so good for all of you too.

Please know I think of you all often and will check in when time allows me too!

Your friend in East Texas, Pam.

Val said...

So all I did was a search for "Ft Worth Children's Museum" and I ended up at this blog. Then I looked at the pictures and was like...DUDE...I KNOW THAT GUY!

How crazy to run into your family on the internet.

We live in Grapevine, where are you all at?

Anonymous said...

This advice is definitely worth what you paid for it but this is what worked for me. Know that I did NOT do 3 boys at once and we lived in the country. But once I got over trying to make him actually sit down he was more "into it". The idea of standing up was fun to him, and here is the kicker, I let him pee outside all he wanted when we were at home. He "watered" my plants, bushes, grass, all day. Only rule was to stay away from the flowers & garden!

Best of luck! And Happy Early Birthday!

Katie M said...

Suzanne,

I totally recommend Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Nathan Arzan for you. It rewards DRY PANTS (with candy) and not the actual pottying (which if you think about it, that IS the goal). You will set a timer to go off, and they will all check their pants and get candy if they are dry. It also places a consequence for wetting or pooping in the pants (cleaning themselves and "practice"). A LOT of people think that "boys have to be older" and all that, but it is not true. I bet your boys would do well with this method. I am a perfectionist like you and I felt like this method was the right one for me. It worked at 2 1/2 for my son and 2 years, 4 months for my daughter. Almost NO setbacks, trained in a day!!!

Anonymous said...

the 3 day potty training works!! i thought my 3 1/2 yr old son would never be potty trained. I have to brag, but he was potty trained the 1st day. It works! And for those who say it didnt for them, that is because they didnt stick to the rules. No diapers, no pullups, staying home and keeping the child in your sight 24/7 etc....I think the hardest part was training me rather than my son. lol. Habits are hard to break!

rlyonm@cox.net said...

If you are not against "treats", I potty trained my two with M & M's.
Every time they would go pee in the potty, they got ONE M & M. Took about 2 days!
Another thing is to put underwear on them (outside is good) and if they pee, it will run down their legs! Most kids do not like that happening! Hope you are diaper free BEFORE your 30th!

Daisha said...

I did the "3 day Potty-training" thing. By day 4 I was tired of having my shins and feet wet from pee, and having little success. (and this is with ONE INTELLIGENT, COMMUNICATIVE GIRL)

By day 5 I went back to prompting her. About 3 wks. later, she stopped having accidents. I still have to remind her occasionally and she wears (although she didn't for the 3-day training thing) pull-ups while she sleeps.

I found the 3-day pt method to be really frustrating because it didn't deliver on the promise. I was ok until she went to bed on the 3rd day. I was mentally prepared for it to take the full 3 days, but by day 4, I was done, and by day 5 I was livid at myself for believing the 3-day pt method. :)

my 2 cents...
Daisha

Anonymous said...

I love your blog an this pic with the potties! They have so much fun playing naked and sitting all on potties with those cups! They are all cute!

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