The Potty and big boy/girl pants

Well, here goes.
I've been putting this writing off.

First, I want you all to know my credentials on this subject.

Out of 12 of my children, 6 boys and 6 girls, they were ALL BUT ONE totally trained, day and night, BY their 2nd birthday. The one that wasn't was totally trained by 26 months.

I also want to add that I have NO children that are afraid of the bathroom, that are constantly constipated etc...from bad experiences.

I have talked to numerous moms about this topic over the past 30 years.... it's just not easy or fun!

I believe around 20 months or so, considering that the child is physically and psychologically "normal", the child is ready to potty train. (I have had moms tell me that their child was trained at 1 but I would argue that the mom was trained)

Again with just about all of our topics of parenting...YOU, the parent, are the one that needs to get serious before there will be any results.

Begin by looking for a pattern. Start setting the little one on the potty every hour or so. You are trying to "catch" a successful "out" come.:) Watch the amount of drinking as well.

When that happens throw a party! Jump up and down, sing, dance.. in other words let Julie know that THIS is a GOOD thing. (I always had a treat ready for the successful potty time. Maybe 2 M+M's..something SMALL and ONLY given when there is success.)

Big girl/boy pants can fit in here somewhere and remember there needs to be alot of talking...

A little story: at a moms group I hear a friend complaining about the fact that her boy will not be able to go to kindergarten if he is still in diapers. She is beside herself because she has "tried everything" forever.
After a while she looks at me and says "ok, Marnie, so what would you do?" I asked if she really wanted to know I would tell her. I went on to ask pertinent questions etc and finally said "when you go home... take the diaper off ( the boy was 4 and weighed 50 lbs!) and tell him that this is the end of the diaper routein. Explain at GREAT lengths that he needs to go on the potty and if he doesn't he will be punished." This is obviously the tip of our conversation.
( Now I KNOW that this is where I will lose some of you) also add that you will not accept accidents either.

A couple of weeks went by and I didn't see her or her son. I began to get worried that I may have caused a problem with my counsel. The next week she was at the group, seemed fine, and at the end of the morning, not being able to contain my curiosity any longer, I said " So how's the training going?"
To which she said." Oh! That! After all this time and energy and frustration he was totally trained within the first 24 hours. He did have the beginning of one accident, which she dealt with as she promised, and that was the end of it!

Its when we make up our minds to stick with it and mean business that we can expect success! Hey I know I make it sound really easy.... but it;s just like anything else we do. You need to begin and follow it through and THEN you can decide whether he can get his drivers license or not :))

Blessings!
Marnie