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SALT LAKE CITY -- Potty training. It's a concept that quite honestly terrifies me.
I've been dreading the process since the moment my daughter was born 2 and a half years go. (Seriously, I sat in the hospital holding her and thinking to myself, ‘Gee, I'm glad I don't have to worry about potty training for at least a couple of years.') Well, friends, the time has come.
Like a good mother should, I've been reading up on the subject to try and decide what would work best for us. I have yet to find the answer, but I have found some suggestions:
Going diaper-free
In my search, I've found many a mother claiming that letting a child go sans diaper is a sure-fire way to get your toddler trained. In fact, some programs claim to train your child in just days.
In her article "Potty training in three days or less," Karen Zuercher writes, "‘quick-training' works for many parents - and it isn't a recent trend. Psychologists Nathan H. Azrin and Richard M. Foxx published the book that started it all, Toilet Training in Less than a Day, in 1974."
If it's been around that long it has to work right? I'm not so sure.
Potty training DVDs
"If your child enjoys television, they may respond well to the right fun yet educational DVD," says pottytrainingtoilet.com. And if there's a market for movies about how to use the bathroom, they've got to be working for someone, right?
Well, we've watched "Elmo's Potty Time" quite a few times in our house, but so far the only success it's had is in making my husband and I giggle.
Still, there are many people out there on the comment boards of cyberspace who say finding the right children's video did the trick.
Rewards
Now this one I have tried, but again with little success.
"If you go potty in the big toilet you can wear the pink diapers (Pull-Ups)," I tell my daughter. "No, I want white diaper," she replies.
"I'll give you two M&Ms (her favorite candy) if you try and go in the big toilet," I say. "I'll give you lots of M&Ms if you ‘make the water yellow.'" "No, I just go my diaper," she says.
"Rewards can be powerful tools when used correctly," Tula Karas writes on Pampers.com. "But when used incorrectly they can backfire, shifting the emphasis entirely off potty training and onto claiming the prize."
Karas then gives a "how-to" list in using a rewards system, which includes starting with non-material rewards and keeping material rewards small. This, I found to be quite informative and helpful. [CLICK HERE to see the entire list]
I could go on and on about the various methods I've found, but what I really want to know is what worked for you? Are any of these three methods worth my time? Or should I just let the little girl do her thing when she's ready?
Email me your thoughts and suggestions at jormond@ksl.com.
