[Rachel]

Here you go Ashley

Use a kitchen timer to simplify potty training | Parent Hacks

here is what it says:

In the process of potty-training our son, we had gotten stuck for a while at the point where he agreed to take care of business every time we put him on the toilet, but still didn't initiate it himself when it was time.. i.e. he knew "I am on the toilet" meant "time to let it fly," but was still missing the holy grail of "I need to let it fly" meaning "time to get on the toilet."

Things started to get a little contentious, with us knowing the tipping point was tantalizingly close and getting frustrated with cleaning up messy accidents when we would forget to haul him in there, and him getting tired of us asking him all the time if he needed to go. That Parent Hacks mention of introducing a timer as a third party that can't be argued with led to buying a "pee-pee timer" that we set for every 30 minutes. It became a game, where beeping meant a race to the bathroom for an attempt, and he got excited about resetting the timer himself afterwards. Even if nothing came out, it was fine, we just wanted to install the association by making sure there was never a time that something came out when he was not on the toilet.

It worked like magic, and within 3 or 4 days we didn't need to use the timer any more, and we had finally reached that promised land!

p.s. the reaction got a little Pavlovian - only a day or two after buying the timer, we were waiting to order at a restaurant, and a fry cooker started beeping, and I laughed to my wife "haha that's funny, it sounds just like the pee-pee tim.. - uh, where is he?" He had disappeared around the corner and was waiting by the bathroom door..

[Ashley]

ah a neat trick- but i wonder if they would rely soley on the timer to go?

[Ashley]

even tho it says after 3 or 4 days they didnt need it hmmmers ill remember that tho

[Rachel]

I think it's purely to get the whole thing started and the understanding of trying to go somewhere other than their diaper

[Ashley]

well ive gotta bite the bullet sooner or later especially since shes showing these signs that she's ready, she knows what her potty is, i tell her to go sit on her potty and she does. but yeah i know plenty who have 2 in diapers- its managable but it would be alot nicer if i could potty train her sooner rather than later

[Rachel]

I agree... the sooner the better. The later kids seem to potty train - the harder it seems to be, though I'm not sure why that is - maybe that attachment to what they're familiar with?

[Ashley]

most likely- either that or they are lazy boogers i guess i should for now be happy that she brings me a diaper when she poos- which means she isnt comfortable in her poo diaper- which most babies arent, but some toddlers dont even do this

[Rachel]

some kids try to run away and don't want to be changed... of course when that happens, there is usually another problem on top of them not wanting to be chaned!

[Ashley]

hah me and Serenity just "threw all the diapers away" and put big girl panties on her- she helped me "throw them away" wink wink just gunna see what happens

[Rachel]

did you REALLY throw them away?

I think night training and long car rides would be the worst for starting out. gotta be tough - still a ways away for us

[Ashley]

yep we threw them in the EMPTY trash bag and sat them in the garage

[Ashley]

oh and we told them bye bye

[Rachel]

that's so cute. good planning on the empty part - just in case you need em

make sure to post updates on how this is going exciting she's growing up and sad

[Ashley]

yea i figure the night part will be the hardest i just figured id put some panties on her- and if need be let her pee on herself to get the feel of it, im sure she'll be in a diaper for bed time

[Ashley]

holy hell u wont believe it - she took her panties off and is sitting on her potty i dont think shes actually using it tho but hey thats a start!

[Rachel]

definitely a start!

a tip for night time... if you don't have any waterproof pads from when she was younger, you could get a waterproof mattress pad or just an underpad that would go under her sheet... that way if she does wet the bed, you don't have to worry about trying to clean the actual mattress - just change the sheets, pad, etc sounds like she's ready for a big girl bed too

[Ashley]

yep we have the waterproof mattress, and the pads as for the toddler bed we tried her at 14 months but she rolled out like 3 times- and then i put her back in her crib. i was thinking of maybe getting a twin size bed and buying rails? idk..

[Rachel]

twin with rails might work couldn't hurt to try it anyway. does your toddler bed not have any kind of rails on the side? we have a mini rail to attach to the crib once it transforms into a toddler bed but mini it is indeed.

[Ashley]

its got somewhat of a support but obviously not enough *goes and finds pic*

[Ashley]