Guest written by our friend Gladys Fuentes
Before our kids started school, I never realized how much the schools actually relied on the internet for communication. I just assumed teachers now communicated with parents the way they did when I was at school—they just sent notes home. Little did I know that the more popular way today was to send e-mails or use a school website!
To help keep us in the loop with what is happening every day with the boys, we are going to get.wild blue Exede. While teachers do send still notes home, they also send e-mail updates to parents about tests, homework and grades.
Plus the school website is a helpful reference. On the calendar they show all of the teacher workdays and vacations as well as important state testing dates and fun events like field day. No more missing an important date or not being aware of what is going on.
While we as parents appreciate it, I wonder if the kids do. Now we know what they’ve been up to at school before they can get home to tell us about it!
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Monday
Tuesday
Does Your Teenager Hate You?
Recently I read where a mother had shot her two teenage children because they were, as she described it, "mouthy."
We all know what she meant, but I doubt very much that one single incidence of mouthiness could lead even a fairly abusive parent to such extremes.
Having had several teenagers of my own, though, I know the frustration one can feel when confronted with rudeness, lying, disrespect, and other obnoxious behavior from our kids. Not that I'm advocating the solution this woman resorted to. There are plenty of other ways to deal with kids. We just need to find and apply them.
The solution often is to nip these behaviors in the bud by laying a solid foundation of acceptable behavior when the child is very young. But, I know and you know, that doesn't always work. Some kids, no matter how hard you try, end up pushing the limits---even when the limits you set are fairly low and reasonable.
Instead of banging our own heads against what seems like a brick wall, why not get some professional help. You can find it in a great e-book, No Nonsense Parenting for Today's Teenager by Norbert Georget. This one simple e-book will show you how to: convince your teen it is okay NOT to drink or do drugs; get him to stop lying to you; make him clean up his room and do other simple chores without arguing; help your teen avoid texting and phone addictions; handle sexual promiscuity in your teen; deal with ADD and other learning disabilities; and much, much more.
It also clues you in on how to avoid letting your teenager manipulate you---something most parents I know complain about. Sometimes it happens, and we don't even realize it until it is too late.
Anyway, if you are having problems with one or more teens in your household, don't settle for "enduring" it any longer. Instead, check out this book which offers a money-back guarantee if you aren't happy with it. Just take a look and find out if you can't turn "enduring" your teens into "enjoying" those teens before it's too late and you are left with an empty nest and unpleasant memories. No Nonsense Parenting for Today's Teenager It comes with lots of freebies, too---and who doesn't like freebies?
We all know what she meant, but I doubt very much that one single incidence of mouthiness could lead even a fairly abusive parent to such extremes.
Having had several teenagers of my own, though, I know the frustration one can feel when confronted with rudeness, lying, disrespect, and other obnoxious behavior from our kids. Not that I'm advocating the solution this woman resorted to. There are plenty of other ways to deal with kids. We just need to find and apply them.
The solution often is to nip these behaviors in the bud by laying a solid foundation of acceptable behavior when the child is very young. But, I know and you know, that doesn't always work. Some kids, no matter how hard you try, end up pushing the limits---even when the limits you set are fairly low and reasonable.
Instead of banging our own heads against what seems like a brick wall, why not get some professional help. You can find it in a great e-book, No Nonsense Parenting for Today's Teenager by Norbert Georget. This one simple e-book will show you how to: convince your teen it is okay NOT to drink or do drugs; get him to stop lying to you; make him clean up his room and do other simple chores without arguing; help your teen avoid texting and phone addictions; handle sexual promiscuity in your teen; deal with ADD and other learning disabilities; and much, much more.
It also clues you in on how to avoid letting your teenager manipulate you---something most parents I know complain about. Sometimes it happens, and we don't even realize it until it is too late.
Anyway, if you are having problems with one or more teens in your household, don't settle for "enduring" it any longer. Instead, check out this book which offers a money-back guarantee if you aren't happy with it. Just take a look and find out if you can't turn "enduring" your teens into "enjoying" those teens before it's too late and you are left with an empty nest and unpleasant memories. No Nonsense Parenting for Today's Teenager It comes with lots of freebies, too---and who doesn't like freebies?
Sunday
How to Get Children to Listen and be Respectful
I hardly ever go shopping these days without seeing one or more parents struggling with an unruly child. Either the child is having a full-blown meltdown in the aisle or whining and arguing with whatever his mother or father has to say.
Perhaps you have found yourself in this spot with a child or grandchild and wonder about the best way to handle it? Most parents choose one of these three ways.
1. They bodily pick up the screaming child and carry him or her out of the store, vowing never to take this child shopping with them again. (They would love to administer a good hard swat to the child's posterior, but refrain because they don't want to get arrested and incarcerated for child abuse.)
2. They try to reason with the child, alternating between bribes and threats in an attempt to stop the unruly behavior before management comes along to evict both them and the child.
3. They brazen it out, trying to ignore the stares of other shoppers, and waiting until the child gets the hostility out of his system before resuming shopping and trying to act as though nothing has happened.
All three methods work, but, as someone who has tried them all, I assure you that none were entirely satisfactory.
What does work is to be prepared ahead of time so you will know how to handle the situation better the next time around.
Check out the video on the link below to find a truly great solution to the unruly child situation. The video points out reasons why, other than just plain stubborness, a child might misbehave in public. It isn't just to humiliate you, even though it seems that way at times.
After the video, they offer an opportunity to purchase, The Happy Child Guide--How to Get Any Child To Listen and Be Respectful, and it comes with a money back guarantee if you don't get the results you hope for so you can't lose. What a deal!
If you've been recently humiliated by a 5-year-old, why not check it out, now?
Click Here!
Perhaps you have found yourself in this spot with a child or grandchild and wonder about the best way to handle it? Most parents choose one of these three ways.
1. They bodily pick up the screaming child and carry him or her out of the store, vowing never to take this child shopping with them again. (They would love to administer a good hard swat to the child's posterior, but refrain because they don't want to get arrested and incarcerated for child abuse.)
2. They try to reason with the child, alternating between bribes and threats in an attempt to stop the unruly behavior before management comes along to evict both them and the child.
3. They brazen it out, trying to ignore the stares of other shoppers, and waiting until the child gets the hostility out of his system before resuming shopping and trying to act as though nothing has happened.
All three methods work, but, as someone who has tried them all, I assure you that none were entirely satisfactory.
What does work is to be prepared ahead of time so you will know how to handle the situation better the next time around.
Check out the video on the link below to find a truly great solution to the unruly child situation. The video points out reasons why, other than just plain stubborness, a child might misbehave in public. It isn't just to humiliate you, even though it seems that way at times.
After the video, they offer an opportunity to purchase, The Happy Child Guide--How to Get Any Child To Listen and Be Respectful, and it comes with a money back guarantee if you don't get the results you hope for so you can't lose. What a deal!
If you've been recently humiliated by a 5-year-old, why not check it out, now?
Click Here!
Monday
Christmas Gifts That Keep On Giving --- All Year Long
Most Christmas gifts are eagerly received, but soon forgotten. Want to choose gifts that will still be around long after Christmas has come and gone?
Christmas gifts occupy a large part of our thoughts as well as use up a large part of our income for the whole month of December every year. Sometimes, even before December 1st rolls around, the toy catalogs have started to show up in the mail and every major department store is busy rolling out their gift stock to attract this year's customers.
Unfortunately, a large majority of the gifts that are eagerly unwrapped on Christmas day, especially those aimed at children, have lost their appeal in a week or two and the excitement that filled the weeks before Christmas has been forgotten.
Wouldn't it be nice this year, to give Christmas gifts that would be enjoyed and appreciated all year long? Gifts that aren't quite so trendy, but gifts that could help your children learn that there are more worthwhile things in life than just making sure everyone gets everything on his or her Christmas list?
Here's how you can make that happen.
Because of what they observe in the stores and on television, too many modern kids have the idea that "getting everything they want" is what Christmas is all about. If that is happening in your family, it's time to gather the whole clan around and have a discussion about Christmas and why we celebrate it. If you are a Christian, you have probably already had similar discussions, but it never hurts to reinforce previous teaching, but, even if your family isn't much into the religious side of Christmas, this upcoming holiday season is a great time to emphasize "giving" over "getting."
Use this meeting to suggest that your family try something a bit different this year. Instead of a plethora of gifts under the tree, how about one or two per child and then using the money saved to do things like:
1. Inviting a less fortunate family or person to share a meal at least once a month.
The meal doesn't have to be a feast. Something as simple as a serve-yourself-buffet of chili, hot dogs, and a plate of veggies and cheese sticks would be great. Board games following the meal could result in lasting friendships being formed.
2. Purchasing gifts for children at the local family shelter, not just for Christmas but all year round.
Some of these kids have been homeless for months and have very little beyond the clothes they are wearing. Socks, underclothes, and warm jackets as well as small toys and books are always welcomed.
3. "Adopting" an elderly person in a rest home or even your own neighborhood to visit once a week.
Find out when their birthday is and bring them a gift on that day. If the kids are small, have them color pictures to take to them. Many elderly people go for months without a single visitor. Knowing someone cares enough about them to visit them regularly, can make a huge difference in their lives.
4. Choosing a "special" project such as raising funds to dig a well in a country where water is scarce.
Contribute to it all year or until you have enough money to send to the cause. If possible, correspond with people in the area and post pictures somewhere in your home to remind your kids that these are real people they are helping.
5. Having a "fun" day at the mall and inviting 2 or 3 kids who don't ordinarily get to take part in things like this.
The "fun" day could include a movie with popcorn for each child, or be more elaborate such as a huge pizza feed at the food court followed by token to play video games at Tilt or Chuck-E-Cheese. If this is a little over your budget, try a home party where you pop your own popcorn and serve home made hot chocolate.
6. Picking out some "I Can Read" type books at the local bookstore to give to slow or non-readers at a local school or homeless shelter.
Some of these kids are just slow readers and others have been shuffled from school to school with very little chance to learn to read. A brand new book for their very own is a great encourager.
The above ideas are just a start. The point is to get the idea we started with across to our kids. The idea that "Giving," not "Getting" is what Christmas is all about. Once they try it and discover the lasting satisfaction involved in giving, they are going to come up with more ideas than you can imagine, so be prepared.
Christmas gifts occupy a large part of our thoughts as well as use up a large part of our income for the whole month of December every year. Sometimes, even before December 1st rolls around, the toy catalogs have started to show up in the mail and every major department store is busy rolling out their gift stock to attract this year's customers.
Unfortunately, a large majority of the gifts that are eagerly unwrapped on Christmas day, especially those aimed at children, have lost their appeal in a week or two and the excitement that filled the weeks before Christmas has been forgotten.
Wouldn't it be nice this year, to give Christmas gifts that would be enjoyed and appreciated all year long? Gifts that aren't quite so trendy, but gifts that could help your children learn that there are more worthwhile things in life than just making sure everyone gets everything on his or her Christmas list?
Here's how you can make that happen.
Because of what they observe in the stores and on television, too many modern kids have the idea that "getting everything they want" is what Christmas is all about. If that is happening in your family, it's time to gather the whole clan around and have a discussion about Christmas and why we celebrate it. If you are a Christian, you have probably already had similar discussions, but it never hurts to reinforce previous teaching, but, even if your family isn't much into the religious side of Christmas, this upcoming holiday season is a great time to emphasize "giving" over "getting."
Use this meeting to suggest that your family try something a bit different this year. Instead of a plethora of gifts under the tree, how about one or two per child and then using the money saved to do things like:
1. Inviting a less fortunate family or person to share a meal at least once a month.
The meal doesn't have to be a feast. Something as simple as a serve-yourself-buffet of chili, hot dogs, and a plate of veggies and cheese sticks would be great. Board games following the meal could result in lasting friendships being formed.
2. Purchasing gifts for children at the local family shelter, not just for Christmas but all year round.
Some of these kids have been homeless for months and have very little beyond the clothes they are wearing. Socks, underclothes, and warm jackets as well as small toys and books are always welcomed.
3. "Adopting" an elderly person in a rest home or even your own neighborhood to visit once a week.
Find out when their birthday is and bring them a gift on that day. If the kids are small, have them color pictures to take to them. Many elderly people go for months without a single visitor. Knowing someone cares enough about them to visit them regularly, can make a huge difference in their lives.
4. Choosing a "special" project such as raising funds to dig a well in a country where water is scarce.
Contribute to it all year or until you have enough money to send to the cause. If possible, correspond with people in the area and post pictures somewhere in your home to remind your kids that these are real people they are helping.
5. Having a "fun" day at the mall and inviting 2 or 3 kids who don't ordinarily get to take part in things like this.
The "fun" day could include a movie with popcorn for each child, or be more elaborate such as a huge pizza feed at the food court followed by token to play video games at Tilt or Chuck-E-Cheese. If this is a little over your budget, try a home party where you pop your own popcorn and serve home made hot chocolate.
6. Picking out some "I Can Read" type books at the local bookstore to give to slow or non-readers at a local school or homeless shelter.
Some of these kids are just slow readers and others have been shuffled from school to school with very little chance to learn to read. A brand new book for their very own is a great encourager.
The above ideas are just a start. The point is to get the idea we started with across to our kids. The idea that "Giving," not "Getting" is what Christmas is all about. Once they try it and discover the lasting satisfaction involved in giving, they are going to come up with more ideas than you can imagine, so be prepared.
Saturday
Basic Supplies Needed For Successful Potty Training
POTTY-TRAINING SUPPLIES
Let’s face it; potty training your toddler is not going to be an easy chore. It is going to take some know-how, a lot of patience, and a few very basic supplies.
Visual Aids
Books, videos, and dolls can be used to give your toddler an idea of what potty training is all about months before he or she is actually ready to attempt it for himself.
There are dozens of good books and videos you can read to your child. Most of them tell about the main character’s little sister or brother getting potty trained. Some have animal characters. Check out your local book store for a book or video that would be suitable for your child.
Some toy-manufacturers have placed diaper wearing dolls on the market; dolls that wet after being fed. By using these dolls, a parent can show a toddler how to put the doll on the potty in time to catch the liquid there instead of wetting its diaper. These are excellent, even though a bit spendy.
Potty Chair Or Adjustable Seat For Top Of Toilet
Secondly, you need to invest in a good potty chair even before potty training begins so that your child will get used to seeing it around. He may even get curious and start sitting on it ahead of time.
From experience, I think a small, individual potty chair works the best, but a lot of parents prefer to start their child out on the regular toilet so there will not be any readjustment period later on. Being able to flush after a bowel movement is definitely easier than scrubbing out the small bowl attached to the potty chair each time your child has used it.
Still, a small potty chair the child feels comfortable in; one where he can have a small table beside him with a favorite book or toy to help him adjust to this strange new routine might help the process along a bit. Some children, perched high up on an adult toilet feel as though they might fall at any minute, and this may cause unnecessary anxiety. For these children, a transfer after the initial goal of training has been reached may be wiser.
If you do use the adjustable seat on an adult toilet, stay close to the child so that he feels secure. A small stool to assist the child in climbing up to the seat and for him to rest his feet while he is seated will add to his feeling of being safe. (Always wait until the child has climbed down from the toilet to flush it. The sudden noise of the toilet flushing beneath them can cause the child to panic in fear of being flushed down himself.)
Cute Little Underpants
Another thing you will need to buy are some cute little underpants. If possible, let the child pick out his own design. Maybe even a variety of designs if you can afford them. Get enough that you won’t have to be switching back to diapers while waiting for underpants to work their way through the laundry.
Talk to your child about how he or she is getting to be a big kid now and before long won’t have to wear diapers any more. Help him see this as a good thing, a goal worth working toward.
Let him have some experience wearing the new underpants before any attempt at actual potty training is made. Have him put them on and take them off numerous times. If he can stay dry several hours at a time, you may want to let him start wearing the new underpants around the house most of the time. If he can talk on the phone, give him a chance to tell someone, maybe grandma or grandpa about his new underpants, and how he is going to be a big boy soon and won’t be wearing diapers any more.
Incentives & Rewards
We all like to be rewarded for a job well done. Your child is no exception. Pick up or construct a chart with squares where he can put a sticker of some kind each time he manages to make a deposit, no matter how small, in the potty chair.
Make a big fuss over each accomplishment and you will find him trying harder to avoid accidents. --- and there will be some, but just let him help you clean them up, and tell him how well he did the day before.
After several stickers go up, you could reward the child with a small treat. Later, as he gains more and more control, the rewards will not seem as important to him as the pride he takes in being diaper-free, so you will be able to wean him off the rewards gradually.
M & M’s, or raisins work well with very young toddlers. Later, maybe a more tangible gift for no accidents for a month could be offered.
That’s about it. If your child is old enough to understand what potty training is all about and shows signs of being interested in trying it for himself, give it a try. Don’t panic if it doesn’t work the first time around. Just wait a few weeks and try it again. Chances are, he will learn even faster the second time around, and it won’t be long before he will be donning those cute little underpants for trips to grandma’s or to the shopping mall, and you won’t have to wonder if he is going to ruin someone’s immaculate carpet, or mess all over the play equipment in the middle of the mall.
Of course, you might want to carry a diaper and a few baby wipes in your purse for a while, just in case. Happy potty training.
* Click Here! to read about a fast, efficient program to potty train your child, once you have determined that he or she is really ready, and you have gathered the supplies you need to complete the task successfully.
Counters
Let’s face it; potty training your toddler is not going to be an easy chore. It is going to take some know-how, a lot of patience, and a few very basic supplies.
Visual Aids
Books, videos, and dolls can be used to give your toddler an idea of what potty training is all about months before he or she is actually ready to attempt it for himself.
There are dozens of good books and videos you can read to your child. Most of them tell about the main character’s little sister or brother getting potty trained. Some have animal characters. Check out your local book store for a book or video that would be suitable for your child.
Some toy-manufacturers have placed diaper wearing dolls on the market; dolls that wet after being fed. By using these dolls, a parent can show a toddler how to put the doll on the potty in time to catch the liquid there instead of wetting its diaper. These are excellent, even though a bit spendy.
Potty Chair Or Adjustable Seat For Top Of Toilet
Secondly, you need to invest in a good potty chair even before potty training begins so that your child will get used to seeing it around. He may even get curious and start sitting on it ahead of time.
From experience, I think a small, individual potty chair works the best, but a lot of parents prefer to start their child out on the regular toilet so there will not be any readjustment period later on. Being able to flush after a bowel movement is definitely easier than scrubbing out the small bowl attached to the potty chair each time your child has used it.
Still, a small potty chair the child feels comfortable in; one where he can have a small table beside him with a favorite book or toy to help him adjust to this strange new routine might help the process along a bit. Some children, perched high up on an adult toilet feel as though they might fall at any minute, and this may cause unnecessary anxiety. For these children, a transfer after the initial goal of training has been reached may be wiser.
If you do use the adjustable seat on an adult toilet, stay close to the child so that he feels secure. A small stool to assist the child in climbing up to the seat and for him to rest his feet while he is seated will add to his feeling of being safe. (Always wait until the child has climbed down from the toilet to flush it. The sudden noise of the toilet flushing beneath them can cause the child to panic in fear of being flushed down himself.)
Cute Little Underpants
Another thing you will need to buy are some cute little underpants. If possible, let the child pick out his own design. Maybe even a variety of designs if you can afford them. Get enough that you won’t have to be switching back to diapers while waiting for underpants to work their way through the laundry.
Talk to your child about how he or she is getting to be a big kid now and before long won’t have to wear diapers any more. Help him see this as a good thing, a goal worth working toward.
Let him have some experience wearing the new underpants before any attempt at actual potty training is made. Have him put them on and take them off numerous times. If he can stay dry several hours at a time, you may want to let him start wearing the new underpants around the house most of the time. If he can talk on the phone, give him a chance to tell someone, maybe grandma or grandpa about his new underpants, and how he is going to be a big boy soon and won’t be wearing diapers any more.
Incentives & Rewards
We all like to be rewarded for a job well done. Your child is no exception. Pick up or construct a chart with squares where he can put a sticker of some kind each time he manages to make a deposit, no matter how small, in the potty chair.
Make a big fuss over each accomplishment and you will find him trying harder to avoid accidents. --- and there will be some, but just let him help you clean them up, and tell him how well he did the day before.
After several stickers go up, you could reward the child with a small treat. Later, as he gains more and more control, the rewards will not seem as important to him as the pride he takes in being diaper-free, so you will be able to wean him off the rewards gradually.
M & M’s, or raisins work well with very young toddlers. Later, maybe a more tangible gift for no accidents for a month could be offered.
That’s about it. If your child is old enough to understand what potty training is all about and shows signs of being interested in trying it for himself, give it a try. Don’t panic if it doesn’t work the first time around. Just wait a few weeks and try it again. Chances are, he will learn even faster the second time around, and it won’t be long before he will be donning those cute little underpants for trips to grandma’s or to the shopping mall, and you won’t have to wonder if he is going to ruin someone’s immaculate carpet, or mess all over the play equipment in the middle of the mall.
Of course, you might want to carry a diaper and a few baby wipes in your purse for a while, just in case. Happy potty training.
* Click Here! to read about a fast, efficient program to potty train your child, once you have determined that he or she is really ready, and you have gathered the supplies you need to complete the task successfully.
Counters
Tuesday
Is Your Toddler Really Ready For Potty Training?
Rushing Into Potty Training Is Never A Good Idea
Most of the frustration over potty training comes from trying to reach the "No more diapers" stage before a child is actually ready.
You can save yourself and your toddler a lot of frustration if you exercise patience where potty training is concerned. Admit it. You do dream of the day you can finally walk down the baby supply aisle of your local supermarket without having to load in several huge packages of expensive -- very expensive -- diapers for your child. Most of us have been there and understand what you are going through.
However, in spite of the articles you run across detailing a particular couple's amazing feat of potty training their infant before he or she was 3 months old, the chances of you duplicating that feat are next to nothing.
The truth is, the average toddler will end up potty trained when he or she is ready to be potty trained, and not before. Therefore, all the effort you make before that time is just going to cause both you and your child to become tense and upset, and may, in some cases, delay the process much longer than necessary. It is kind of like trying to teach a 5-year-old to ride a two wheeler. It can be done, but if you wait until he is 6 or even 7, it can be done in a fraction of the time minus many of the spills the child would suffer if pushed into learning to ride before he or she is ready.
Several things will show you that your toddler is ready for this new step in life. Once you observe most of them on a fairly consistent basis, you will know it is probably time to make your first attempt at potty training.
1. Is your child staying dry for at least two hours at a time? If not, you may end up having to put him on the potty so often that he will come to resent it and not be co-operative. (You probably already know how un-cooperative a two or three-year-old can be.)
2. Does he give any indication that he dislikes, or is uncomfortable in soiled diapers? Some children would happily remain in soiled diapers for the rest of the day, but others may remove them or come and tell you they want to be changed. This is a good sign of readiness for potty training.
3. Are the child's bowel movements pretty predictable? For example, do they come at the same time each day, or does he make certain sounds or facial expressions that indicate a bowel movement is going to take place shortly? If so, this is a great time to start potty training as there is a greater likelihood of success most of the time.
4. Has your child indicated that he would like to wear underpants like his siblings or other children do? There is nothing like having his or her very own fancy panties to stir interest in this new event in his life.
5. If you have provided new underpants, can your child manage to pull them up and down without help? You might want to make a little game of seeing how quickly he can do this.
6. Does your child understand why it is desirable to use a potty chair? If he sees no good reason to use it, why should he bother? Most toddlers want to be "big" so rely heavily on the "big boy, big girl" themes. "Big boys don't wear diapers. Big boys can use the potty chair." "My, you look like such a big girl in your new Cinderella panties." etc.
If your toddler meets all six of the readiness signs above, congratu-lations; it is time to give potty training a try. The patience that I mentioned earlier will still come in handy. Your child may decide, after a few attempts, that potty training is not for him after all. That's okay. Let him wait a few days and then try again, but keep a positive attitude and try to show him that this is something he wants to do because he wants to be like big kids, not something that you want him to do because it means less trouble and expense for you.
On the days you feel like giving up, just remember that almost everyone person in the world has eventually succeeded in being potty trained. Your child will, too. If you wait until he or she is really ready, you will be amazed at how quickly it will happen, and you will be singing, "Diaper Free At Last."
* Click Here! to read about a fast, efficient program to potty train your child, once he or she is ready.
Counters
Most of the frustration over potty training comes from trying to reach the "No more diapers" stage before a child is actually ready.
You can save yourself and your toddler a lot of frustration if you exercise patience where potty training is concerned. Admit it. You do dream of the day you can finally walk down the baby supply aisle of your local supermarket without having to load in several huge packages of expensive -- very expensive -- diapers for your child. Most of us have been there and understand what you are going through.
However, in spite of the articles you run across detailing a particular couple's amazing feat of potty training their infant before he or she was 3 months old, the chances of you duplicating that feat are next to nothing.
The truth is, the average toddler will end up potty trained when he or she is ready to be potty trained, and not before. Therefore, all the effort you make before that time is just going to cause both you and your child to become tense and upset, and may, in some cases, delay the process much longer than necessary. It is kind of like trying to teach a 5-year-old to ride a two wheeler. It can be done, but if you wait until he is 6 or even 7, it can be done in a fraction of the time minus many of the spills the child would suffer if pushed into learning to ride before he or she is ready.
Several things will show you that your toddler is ready for this new step in life. Once you observe most of them on a fairly consistent basis, you will know it is probably time to make your first attempt at potty training.
1. Is your child staying dry for at least two hours at a time? If not, you may end up having to put him on the potty so often that he will come to resent it and not be co-operative. (You probably already know how un-cooperative a two or three-year-old can be.)
2. Does he give any indication that he dislikes, or is uncomfortable in soiled diapers? Some children would happily remain in soiled diapers for the rest of the day, but others may remove them or come and tell you they want to be changed. This is a good sign of readiness for potty training.
3. Are the child's bowel movements pretty predictable? For example, do they come at the same time each day, or does he make certain sounds or facial expressions that indicate a bowel movement is going to take place shortly? If so, this is a great time to start potty training as there is a greater likelihood of success most of the time.
4. Has your child indicated that he would like to wear underpants like his siblings or other children do? There is nothing like having his or her very own fancy panties to stir interest in this new event in his life.
5. If you have provided new underpants, can your child manage to pull them up and down without help? You might want to make a little game of seeing how quickly he can do this.
6. Does your child understand why it is desirable to use a potty chair? If he sees no good reason to use it, why should he bother? Most toddlers want to be "big" so rely heavily on the "big boy, big girl" themes. "Big boys don't wear diapers. Big boys can use the potty chair." "My, you look like such a big girl in your new Cinderella panties." etc.
If your toddler meets all six of the readiness signs above, congratu-lations; it is time to give potty training a try. The patience that I mentioned earlier will still come in handy. Your child may decide, after a few attempts, that potty training is not for him after all. That's okay. Let him wait a few days and then try again, but keep a positive attitude and try to show him that this is something he wants to do because he wants to be like big kids, not something that you want him to do because it means less trouble and expense for you.
On the days you feel like giving up, just remember that almost everyone person in the world has eventually succeeded in being potty trained. Your child will, too. If you wait until he or she is really ready, you will be amazed at how quickly it will happen, and you will be singing, "Diaper Free At Last."
* Click Here! to read about a fast, efficient program to potty train your child, once he or she is ready.
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