Potty training is the third biggest commitment in my life (my education and marriage are 1 & 2 – but not in that order). It takes true dedication to get a toddler on a toilet seat. If you have started potty training anyone you will know what I mean. This part of parenthood is when you wear the hats of coach, cheerleader and patient – but applauding – audience.
Band-aids are the big reward in our house for potty training. We started with smarties but I quickly learned that food is not a good reward (though hypocritical me – still uses food as a bribe – “we’ll get a cookie when we get to the bakery section if you sit still through the veggies” – I digress). We moved to tattoos which were a great incentive but really some tattoos stay on forever. The best incentive, in my opinion, are band-aids. Scooby-doo, Barbie, SpongeBob; these band-aids are portable, instant gratification, and easily removable.
I’ve heard of parents doing “potty parties” complete with party hats to usher in the excitement of toilet success. This is great for the first day, but parents need a potty strategy that they can commit to for the long haul. Parents need positive, instantaneous rewards like; cheering, band-aids, applause, hi-5s, stickers…to give the the child on the spot.
Keep it up parents — I’ve heard most kids are out of diapers by their first job interview 😉
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