toilet training

[Guest guest]

My son is now seventeen and recovered. My " normal " child gave me lots of

indications that she was was ready for toilet training. When my son was young,

it didn't work that way. He was three in a half and I woke up one day and said,

" I guess it is time for to learn to be toilet-trained. "

Fortunately, I did the same things with my son as I did with my daughter. I put

up a piece of construction paper on the wall of the bathroom. We went to Target

and made a big deal out of picking out stickers. One kind of sticker was for

" Pee Pee " and one for " Poopie. " We also picked out " big boy " underpants. We

picked the batman underwear.(Although he didn't act like he cared we still did

this.) I stayed home for two days and put him in the underpants (not pull-ups

because our kids do not like being wet) and when I had to use the restroom, I

would put him on the toilet too. My needs reminded me not to forget to put him

on the toilet.

We read books about " the potty " long before we ever started training. The first

time he used the toilet, we danced around the house, called Dad and Grandma on

the phone, and were singing with delight this stupid song that our family always

sings when something great happens. Within two days, he was trained for

daytime. I didn't even attempt nighttime until he woke up dry. Then I yanked

off the diaper and put him on the toilet. If you wait for signs, it will never

happen.

That is part of the problem with these kids. I never knew one way or another if

he was listening or understood a thing I said. I think parents sometimes stop

talking to their kids because they don't think that their child is listening.

Don't make that common mistake. The hardest thing I ever did was to keep

talking to a kid that was unresponsive. It wasn't until he was older that I

realized he understood everything I said, but didn't know how to respond or show

me he was listening. Hope this helps,

Marcia