The Countdown Continues

I spent the "found" free time I had yesterday (due to not having a meeting, but having a Jfer here) gathering up the supplies we need for "T-Day". T-Day will be this Thursday. I don't have class and will take PJ out of the house until his morning nap time so that RJ and LJ will be able to focus total attention on the task at hand.

I like this method because it acknowledges that there are really many things for a toddler to learn in order to be self-sufficient at using the potty. He has to learn how to pull up and down his pants, how to get on the potty, how to know when to go, how to use TP when necessary, how to wash his hands...and this method teaches all of that.

Supply List:

Variety of drinks - the method calls for frequent drinking (so there is frequent need to go) and to encourage this - have a variety on hand. For LJ, who seriously only drinks milk and water, this means we have milk and water. I have some chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk - which is a treat LJ has rarely. I also bought some Capri Sun as LJ has had one before and he drank it. He thinks soda tastes "yucky" and he "does not drink juice".

Variety of snack rewards - Successfully teaching Joe how to potty gets a treat. Successfully pulling down his own pants gets a treat (in the beginning). Each time he has dry pants and the dry pants check (which come every 2 minutes at the beginning) he gets a treat. Each time he pee-pees in the potty, he gets a treat. Once he is successful with a step without needing help or prompting - you phase out the treats for that step. For LJ, we have snack packs of Skittles, snack size Twix, cheese/crackers, mini-chocolate donuts, and gummy bears.

Chart - I made a chart (on orange card stock because orange is his favorite color) and each time he 1) is dry at the dry pants check, 2) pee-pees on the potty, 3) poo-poos on the potty, or 4) went potty without help - he gets a sticker. 5 stickers in any of the above gets him a matchbox car.

Underwear - I bought tighty-whities in the size he might wear (but he's on the small end of the size spectrum) and one size bigger - which should be huge. The method says that when training, use underwear that is all but falling off so he can easily get them up and down.

Pants - I bought a few pairs of bigger pants (one is sweat shorts) so that he can get those up and down easily. It was a bit difficult to find pants that have an elastic waist in the bigger size. I think they think if you are wearing pants this big you can snap and zip.

Prizes - once he goes a whole day without an accident - he gets James - from the Thomas trains. I went ahead and bought it because TRU was having a "buy one get one 1/2 off" sale yesterday. Once he goes a whole week with no accidents - we get to all go ride on this steam train that runs between some towns that are about 2 hours away - LJ is looking forward to this, so I hope he can make one week with no accidents rather quickly.

The training itself - which lasts as long as 5 hours, but ends when he goes pee-pee on the potty without being reminded or prompted - whichever comes first...is a bonanza of postive reinforcement...candy, drinks, prizes and praise. But, once he masters the individual tasks (ie does them by himself without being prompted) thus ends the candy and prizes...praise lasts forever! I think LJ is actually going to have a lot of fun. Hours with just daddy, prizes and happiness - I imagine him really having fun. We'll see...