Amber and I are both tired of changing dirty diapers. It isn’t fun and Wesley’s poop is clearly out of the baby range. It is large and nasty. Dirty clothe diapers just aren’t as much fun as they used to be. It is time, we believe, for him to experience the joys of using the toilet. We know he can do it because he trained himself for three days before moving back to diapers.
I spoke to my mom and she told me that she essentially bribed me. You go to the bathroom in the toilet you get a treat. Simple as that, no stick, just the carrot. So we filled a jar with Skittles (I think Mom used M&Ms, but they are too messy for me) and filled Wesley in on the details. Go to the bathroom, get a treat (three Skittles total).
So far we have gone through one and a half jars of candy. Wesley has eaten maybe 15 pieces. Amber and I have been using the potty regularly and rewarding ourselves consistently. He wants the treats, he knows what to do, he just doesn’t want to go on the toilet. If you ask him how he can get a treat he’ll tell you or run into the bathroom. But when he gets that look on his face (all parents know “the look”) and you say “Hey, lets go to the bathroom and get a treat” he tells you “NO” and pushes it out as fast as he can.
When he asks for the treats he gets a simple explanation of the rules again. That usually suffices and he moves on. Not to the bathroom, but back to whatever else he is doing.
He is still young for training, but a man can dream can’t he? We’ll keep the treats in place. When he is ready he probably won’t need any external motivation. But I bet he’ll take the treats anyway.
Tags: Potty Training, Wesley