There is a phrase used in Ireland, (not so much these days, and probably only in country areas), 'It's wonderful the workings of a wheelbarrow'. I have absolutely no idea what it means, but it came to mind today as I was pondering the wonder of bicycles in our home.
Never underestimate the power of a lowly two wheeled mode of transport - for it has been exalted in my mind to a place of the highest possible honour.
Since July 2006 we have tried, over and over and over again to potty train Miss E. July last year she was 3 months off her second birthday and was showing classic 'readiness' signs and encouraged by her Pediatrician's advice at her 18 month appointment to act when these signs appeared, we started potty training. And so ensued a year's worth of false starts and frustration, soggy carpets and lots of bad words!
We have tried stickers, reward charts, M&Ms, making a big deal of it, not making a big deal of it - nothing worked. While her mind certainly showed that she understood the concept of going to the potty like everyone else, her body did otherwise, over and over and so we had a ritual of cleaning up wet underpants and patches in the carpet, on the tile, or wherever she chose to eliminate her pee (despite only going on the pot 5 minutes beforehand!).
Having exhausted what I considered to be all 'non bribe' avenues - we brought out the big 'carrot and stick' last week - the carrot being a bicycle, and the stick being 'you have to keep your pants clean and dry'.
Well there it went - that elusive click, click, clicking that I have been waiting for for a year - CLICK, PING, LIGHT BULB moment, whatever you want to call it - but after a full week and only one minor accident (due to novelty of a new bathroom step and lots of running water!) I am declaring that a brand shiny new Dora the Explorer Bike and 'hemlet' the secret of our potty training success! (She's even dry at night but I'm not chancing no diapers overnight for a wee while longer).
I have a very chuffed little girl who tells me that she's a big girl now with her dry underpants, and we have a very happy, and less stressed mommy!
It is wonderful the workings of a bicycle!
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Annie
25 comments:
Oh yeay!! This is huge news. Congratulations to all, especially you!!! I know how good it feels to get a child out of diapers. Now I have to begin working on #2... :-)
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hallelujah and congratulations! Isn't it amazing what happens when you finally find the right bribe?!
Threats and bribery do work wonders ... when you find the ones that mean something to them...
Yay for dry panties!!!
You are currently the recipient of a standing ovation here at my home (that means me standing and clapping by my lonesome in front of my laptop). But, YEH! Congratulations! We're still frustrated potty trainers at my house, so I know just what an achievement this is.
Yay! You've gotta love a bribery tactic that works.
"...no diapers overnight for a WEE while longer"
Pun intended with that one, right??
Ha ha. And congrats.
Oooo...time to begin plotting.
What would do the job of "carrot" for our wee Emma?
Brilliant!
excellent!
a) i love that phrase and am going to start using it.
b) my friend pam finally potty-trained her son by bribing him with Spiderman Undies. it's all in finding the right motivation, isn't it?
good job.
Hooray! That's wonderful news, Annie. I know this has been a sometimes difficult and frustrating journey, getting Miss E potting trained. Congratulations!
Yay hay! I must admit that toilet training has defintiely been the hardest milestone in terms of parenting. I think it's just a touch disgusting to get through - but very funny in restrospect. For example, yy Mum used to ask me 'How's things at Pooh corner?' when we were training Bambi. Which is quite funny. In retrospect.
YAYYYYYYY!!!!!!
Well done you and daughter! It seemed to take forever to train my son after only two days for my daughter. But that day does arrive. As I kept telling myself, no child is still wearing nappies at the age of 13.
all hail Dora!!!
Huzzah! ..and there was much happiness in all the kingdom..
Congratulations! Hooooray!
hummm, i am starting potty training htis weekend, sass will be 3 end of august...i hope i get some luck
Ohh congratulations, we are in the beginning stage of potty training urgg
Congrats! You just never know what's going to work, do you? With my 2nd, it was a Tinkerbell nightgown. Yes, a nightgown. I wouldn't let her wear one until she went in the potty. It got her over her fear of elimination (at least with #1). Who knew? Like yours, she gave me fits and was much harder to train that her sister. And we tried everything, too.
Now that you're over the major hurdle, it should be smooth sailing from here on out. Awesome job by both of you!
I am ALL FOR any kind of bribery to get what you need and want form kids LOL LOL LOL.
Mine has been bribed many times - but nothing has worked better then the thought of not being able to go swimming or to summer camp when she is 4. She has her sistersold bike LOL so that doesn't really work. haha. Good for you though. Mineis a late bloomer too.
Oh congratulations! I know how hard it is. My son showed all of the classic symptoms (including staying dry at night VERY early on), but it was 18 looong months before he was officially trained. Our only secret was his third birthday!
This is fabulous!!! I haven't been reading any blogs lately but yours is the first one I went to tonight and this is so inspiring!
I am soooooo excited for you.
Thank goodness I just found your site. I bet I could get my 33 mo potty trained if I offer him a Wiggles DVD. That crazy kid would sell his SOUL for a new Wiggles DVD.
Good advice :-)
That is great! I may have to try this out next spring if Teagun isn't trained by then - great bribe! :)
(She's even dry at night but I'm not chancing no diapers overnight for a wee (pun intended?) while longer). ;)
Let's hear it for good old fashioned bribery! Congrats to you.
Now you can join the ranks of smug mums who say to those in the throes "don't worry, it'll just click one day". (I don't mean it. I'm sure you are far too tactful. Those of us who have slogged through potty training tedious day by tedious day would die rather than patronise the poor souls who are currently in the mire.)
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