How did you prep your child for PL?

[weldababy]

We are going to start in about 2 weeks because we'll be home together for about 10 days. So, I've been reading a potty book, we talk about going on the potty and talk about the undies. Wondering what I should tell him the couple days before? How did you prep them the day or two before to let them know?

[joeslittlewoman]

Bump--I'm interested too.

[tpb2930]

A few months before DD turned 2, we sat her on the potty every night before her bath. When we actually started, we made a big sticker chart :0) Good luck!!!!

[huntmommy]

I would say it depends on your plan for doing it. If you want to use a particular reward system, you may want to try that reward system for something else and make sure it is enticing. Otherwise, that method may not work.

In both cases, I only rewarded for poop in the potty with fruit snacks which is candy in my house.

DD 1 was trained "late" at 33 months and was done in three days.

DD 2 is being trained early at 23 months because she was showing all the signs and I was tired of fighting for every diaper change and dealing with taking her diaper off in the stalls while we were out and then transfering her to the changer (which she has always hated) to get them back on. She had it figured out in 5 days but at two weeks still has an accident when she is absorbed in something else like TV or when she chooses to do something else instead of go to the potty. It is rather maddening but I have faith that she will get over that soon. She is otherwise good to go for travel and such. I do have to wake her an hour after bed to pee so she does not wet the bed since she has not learned to hold her bladder overnight. It is my understanding that this skill develops usually between two and three years so I am hoping sooner rather than later for her although the occasional overnight accident is no big deal.

I think it is more important to prepare yourself. You will need three days of no going anywhere and no company etc where you can just focus on the kiddo. You will need lots of patience and some rewards for yourself too. If you are really ready to do it, you will also want to commit to losing the diapers. If you stop midway, you will have to wait a while to start again with any success, in my experience anyway.

Good luck!

[Tweedledum]

We watched Elmo's potty time.