We have officially started potty training Balian. The past couple of days we've figured out:
1. He really doesn't like little potties. Most kids are afraid of the "big" potty. Mine doesn't like the little ones. He's 0 for 3 in that department. I even tried one that was specifically made with boys in mind. nope. not gonna happen. But he'll sit on the cushy potty seat that sits on the toilet. Funny kid.
2. Apparently dried cherries are preferred to goldfish as a reward. He loves them! (Neil's idea.)
3. His favorite part of going potty is flushing the potty. He doesn't like to watch the toilet swirl though - he's too focused on the flusher. ha.
So here is what we're doing: We're just adding sitting on the potty as part of our daily routine. Not just once or twice a day, but just like we do the eat, awake, sleep routine when they are babies, we add potty time in there too.
so, when he wakes up, we go potty, and change the diaper.
after breakfast, we go potty, and change the diaper.
at about 10am, he has some water, and about 20 min. later, we go potty and change the diaper.
after lunch...before nap...after nap...after dinner...before bed - all the same deal...when I should really be changing his diaper anyway.
Right now we aren't focused so much on him being dry - just setting a routine - and him getting used to the whole potty thing. So for now, this is what it looks like:
"Ok, Balian, time to go to the potty."
take off the diaper. sit him on the potty. let him flip through his big animal book while he's sitting on there...if he doesn't go after about 5 min, then we take him off - no biggy. If he does go, then we praise him like mad, give him a dried cherry, clean him up, let him flush the potty, then put a new (or dry) diaper on him.
When he hears himself going, or feels it coming out, he gets really excited. Then we praise him, so he's even more excited. Then we give him a cherry and let him flush the potty - and by golly, the potty is the most exciting thing ever!
We officially started yesterday. Yesterday he went about 3 times, and today he went all but one time we put him on the potty (so...about 6 out of the 7 times). pretty neat! I don't think his diaper was ever dry - but like I said, that's not the point for now.
So we'll keep at this for now - just setting a routine - until he shows that he can keep some diapers dry - and we'll go from there.
It worked for Bella, and Balian seems to be catching on beautifully :)
** it's a day later, and before posting this, I wanted to give a fun update. Today (day #3) Balian started really trying to go on the potty every time we put him on there. He would push like he had to poop, even if he didn't - after dinner, I had to let him stay on there a bit longer, because he was trying so hard to go - I wanted to see if something would eventually come out - and hooray, we got some teetee :) He also started clapping for himself as soon as he feels anything come out - he's so excited about it! He also woke up dry from his nap today(his one dry diaper of the day), which is seriously amazing. Must be a fluke. not holding my breath for it to happen again tomorrow, but we'll see. I'm amazed at how well he has progressed just in 3 days! so exciting!
I'll get a potty picture up here eventually...
