Saturday, September 22, 2007

Potty Training Answer - Toothfxr

Hello Steve, We miss you too. We might not be good golfers but I don't think anyone else enjoyed bad golf as much as us. On to your question - "Any thoughts on potty training an almost 4 year old boy who is either lazy or feels dad will always be there to clean up after him?"
Ok, I have a couple of ways to handle potty training. First there is the traditional way with much yelling, beatings and frustration and it usually yields dismal results and big time messes. Both literally and emotionally. If you have a strong desire to be in therapy and send your 4 year old off to great start in life... go this route. Second there is the positive reinforcement route. Some of our boys have responded well to this. Go to the store and buy one of those 20 packs of little matchbox cars and reward the dirty deed. We only gave cars for #2 and maybe jelly beans for #1. The third method which is difficult to commit to and usually takes time, patience and close-pins is the "wait and let it happen" plan. Believe it or not, this is the way our #5, #6 and #7 boys have made the conversion from Diapers to "Big Boy Underwear" This last way seems to be the best route so far. You still have to remind them to go sit on the pot and try to go. Also, you reward them with letting them pick out their new BVDs. Sponge Bob is one of my favorites but it gets frustrating when I have to go to the boys' room to find my drawers. I hope this helps. Oh yea and for anyone that is wondering... Potty training boys is no picknic but if you let them pee outdoors... it makes picknics easier and speeds up the potty training.

4 comments:

Toothfxr said...

Mike,

I'd agree with you that the punishment route doesn't work. I think I have resigned to let nature takes its course and maybe reward improvement. Sometimes, we set the clock for every 20-30 minutes and put him on the can. His favorite lines are "its not working" or "the pool is closed" and threatening to super-glue him to the toilet doesn't work. I still think boys are easier to raise than girls overall....less emotional breakdowns to deal with. We'll be in Florida over the holidays at my sister's place in Apopka. Maybe we can meet up. How far is the drive to your place... 3-4 hrs?

Anonymous said...

I love the "makes picnics easier" part. Too true!

Redheadmamaof7boys said...

Not too pretty whEN OUR LIL BOY DECIDES TO PRACTICE IN THE GRASS AT CHURCH.. IN FONT OF A GIRL, NONE-THE-LESS! One of mine tried that & i decided indoor potty training makes a lot more sense!:)

DynastyDad said...

We had one "Drop Trow" right in front of the appliance store near the mall in Ann Arbor. He saw a tree in front of our van when we pulled into the parking lot and decided the seedling needed watering. One of the ultra-sensitive liberal Ann Arborites felt compelled to bring it to my attention. I told her to "Pretend we're camping and it is an emergency!" That didn't go over well. Hey, he watered a tree. That is pretty environmentally friendly if you ask me. Right?