Potty Training 101

So I have 4 kids. My Two oldest girls were pretty standard really (did you hear that in the Dr. Evil voice?)

My Oldest was about 20 months when I started potty training. I tried everything. Offering candy, stickers, anything I could think of to get her to sit on the potty. I bought a potty video of Bear in the Big Blue House (which she loved, Pa-Tay, yeah yeah yah Pa-Tay). Over and over I heard, "Don't force them to sit on the potty-it will come" But this kid, if left naked all day, would hold it in! Finally during one of my days letting her hold it in, I knew she had to go, I said screw it, you are sitting on that pot. I held her on that potty, she peed and it was like an Hallelujah moment. She glowed with a smile from ear to ear! From that moment on, she literally never had a daytime accident! It was awesome. Nighttime however was a different story. She was such a heavy sleeper that she would wet herself and not even wake up. It took about 6 months, before she was trained at night as well. What finally worked was cutting back her liquid intake at night. We wouldn't giver her anything to drink after 7 pm (she wouldn't go to bed until around 10). After a while we gradually added the liquid back in.

My Second daughter was just the opposite. I used the same reward method as my oldest. She would wake up dry every morning. For the life of me, I could not get her to take the time out to use the potty during the day. We started with her when she was about 20 months old also. By about 26 months, she was doing well having minimal accidents. One of the things she loved was going to Target where they had a "Kids Potty" It is a toilet that is small and low to the ground. With her, we did not use a potty chair. There was no transition issues with the two types of potties or with pee vs.......BM.....

Isn't that funny- it's the dreaded, what do we call it dilemma.....For writing purposes I refer to it as BM, however, around our house we use poop or poopy, For that matter we also use pee pee, panties and other potty terms of endearment. I'm not known for being PC.

So here is where the real test of motherhood comes in. My goal, a golden potty. Yeah- I'll settle for not having to buy another box of diapers. After all I have been changing diapers continuously, for over 10 years now. As you may recall, I said I have 4 kids. Meaning there are 2 left. Oui. My next daughter is 6. She has Cerebral Palsy and Dubowitz Syndrome, to name a few. I am still not sure she fully understands the concept of using the potty. She is not very consistent in anything she does or learns. What has been consistent is that her developmental level is very delayed, however, she does still does things along a normal progression. For example, She met milestones in the same order as a "normal" child, just at a much later age. Rolled over at 15 months, Walked at 20 months, etc. So like a normal kids, she is currently telling me "potty" AFTER she pees in her diaper. Pretty typical really, of an 18 - 24 month old. Did I fail to mention she is completely Nonverbal. So basically she signs "potty". She can hear me just fine, so at least we have that working for us.

We have tried Potty Training in the past. It has never worked. I try to sit her on the potty and she screams like it's burning her. I put her in big girl panties and she pees all over the house. I have often said, if it was kosher to train her to use a piddle pad, we would have success.
So that is where we stand with kiddo #3.

Kiddo #4 is currently 2yrs, 8 months. He only recently came to live with us, we are adopting him. He has lived in 3 foster homes, with Mom, Grandma...making us home #6. So life has been rough for this little guy. But he has been with us a few months now- so I figured what the hay, it's about time.

Since all my attempts have been unsuccessful with #3, I took advantage of a "Potty Training the Special Needs Child" seminar that our local Downs Syndrome Association was hosting. Many of the topics we pretty common sense, but it did sort of shed new light on how to use some of the resources I already knew about.
Some of the topics covered in the seminar included:
Rewarding, timer training, and when to start.
Leaving the seminar, I had a plan for the upcoming Spring Break. I was going to attempt to Potty Train both kids, at the same time.
Step 1: but a timer
Step 2: set up potty area, with potty chairs, books, etc.
Step 3: offer rewards for sitting on potty as well as using the potty.
Step 4: set of potty time schedule.

Lets see how that goes........