We ran out of diapers this weekend so time to start potty training my youngest who will turn 3 on the first day of fall! He ended up using a lot of diapers on Sunday, and I didn't have any for the night. I don't like using cloth diapers at night time so I dug through our emergency backpacks and found several more diapers to last us until I decided to start Wednesday, but I'll share more about that later. I was dreading it because I already tried to potty train him once at 22 months - the preferred age for the 3 Day Method which I used with my other 2 kids.
Monday
I wanted to start homeschool this week as normal as possible so I was glad I had enough diapers for a couple more days. We started with our typical Spin the Wheel after our morning routine.
The kids spun Create a Video and Cooking
The kids spun Create a Video and Cooking
My daughter loves slime so she requested making slime for her video. I reluctantly agreed because I didn't want to get behind cleaning while potty training. Luckily this kit had all the supplies and didn't have too much of a mess. I only found their slime pieces on the floor, but at least this kind wasn't sticky. They left their slime out, and they got hard so they went in the trash.
For cooking, my youngest wanted cookies so I had them make simple cake cookies and added sprinkles to make them fun.
For cooking, my youngest wanted cookies so I had them make simple cake cookies and added sprinkles to make them fun.
All of them working in the kitchen. I loved it.
The cake cookies.
My oldest shopped for an Enchilada recipe so he made those today.
Then after lots of cleanup.
Tuesday
My oldest shopped for an Enchilada recipe so he made those today.
We
discovered that he prefers them uncooked with no sauce so more like a
burrito. We both loved the filling with zucchini in there which was a
nice surprise.
Tuesday
I found more diapers - I keep forgetting the ones I had in my youngest's closet - still adjusting to our new place haha, but I'll just potty train this week still because not sure if any future week will be any better. Fall is always our busiest time of year.
Spin the Wheel - they got create a video again and then PE.
I had them make a video where the made the state shape out of playdoh and the other one had to guess which state it was. Then they shared the capital of the state.
For PE, we rode bikes to the library. It was a good work out at least for me haha.
Wednesday
Start potty training - the most dreaded day for me haha. I always go crazy on the first day. The last time I attempted with my youngest at the typical age of 22 months with this method, I went insane the full 3 days plus! This time I tried to be more matter of a fact with him because I believe him to be Type 4 with Energy Profiling, Dressing your Truth, Child Whisperer. Before this week, we've focused on reading several potty training stories. We related the potty to something he loves, tornadoes! He thought flushing the toilet looks like a tornado so I kept remind him how cool that is. I told him we ran out of diapers and we're not going to the story because we're going to use underwear now. We have to keep our underwear dry.
On Monday, I also picked up a bunch of juice boxes and some flushable wipes. The whole point with this method is to give them lots to drink so they have lots of opportunities to go to the bathroom.
The gist of this method is having them know when they need to go to the bathroom. Instead of asking them do they need to go, you say "Tell me when you need to go potty." There will be accidents with this method because you wait until they start to pee, and you run them to the bathroom while saying that phrase, but by the third day they know when they have to go because they have associated going in the toilet and have started to feel when they need to go so they tell you when they have to go and then no more accidents. You're not wasting time taking them every 30 minutes or sitting them forever hoping they'll go. There's a lot more to it then that so if you follow the program to a T, it works amazingly!
The gist of this method is having them know when they need to go to the bathroom. Instead of asking them do they need to go, you say "Tell me when you need to go potty." There will be accidents with this method because you wait until they start to pee, and you run them to the bathroom while saying that phrase, but by the third day they know when they have to go because they have associated going in the toilet and have started to feel when they need to go so they tell you when they have to go and then no more accidents. You're not wasting time taking them every 30 minutes or sitting them forever hoping they'll go. There's a lot more to it then that so if you follow the program to a T, it works amazingly!
For school, I had my kids do the things on a list I made for them because I knew the first day was going to be really hard for me to help them. My daughter really struggled with one of my lessons so my husband took over and had her work on the concept next to him while he was working. It has been a blessing to have him work from home. He was doing it way before Covid =).
I just stayed glued to my youngest because they will guarantee pee when you're not looking. It happened to me this time when I had to go to the bathroom and he refused to go with me or when I was preparing some food. As soon as you realize they peed, you take them and run to the bathroom to promote a sense of urgency and say we pee in the potty and uh oh we're not dry anymore. I always had to be in view of his underwear so I could see if started to pee until I picked up on his cues/pauses and when I saw those, I'd say tell me when you need to go potty or looks like you need to go potty and run him to the bathroom. Sometimes they will start to learn to hold it, but you still do not stay in the bathroom waiting for them. You let them resume what they were doing and most likely you'll be running back to the bathroom within minutes, but this helps the connect the sensation and going to the bathroom.
Day 1
16 accidents
16 accidents
2 successes
Thursday
For today's school, I created this book stack for the kids to work on. I also let them play with Lego Duplos, MagnaTiles, and Smart Links/Color Clix toys. Usually those toys are in their rooms, but I brought them all to the main floor so they all could play together.
I even had a chance to braid my daughter's hair in this side braid.
They created some pretty cool stuff. I really liked the spinning things they made. Great STEM Activity. I had them do this while listening to Harry Potter audio book.
Everyone still loves playing with these tornadoes. Someone is each day plays with them. My daughter was trying to get all four started before one ended.
Potty Training Day 2
My oldest loved standing like his dad and having a potty seat. My daughter also liked having a potty seat. When I first attempted to potty train, my youngest hated the potty seat and the toilet, so we did his own potty. That attempt didn't go well so for Christmas he got a little urinal. He had all these options to use for our 2nd attempt. In the afternoon, as I saw that it was clicking for him, he tried all the different potty types and eventually settled on sitting on the toilet without a potty seat. It was really interesting to watch to see which he would pick. I don't think he liked how the potty seat fit on our toilet and that it would move when he was sitting on it. Luckily our potty doubles as a stool so we'll be able to still use it. The urinal was only $9 and a gift.
My youngest wasn't happy sometimes with being brought to the bathroom when I noticed his pauses. Therefore, I had to get him back to potty training being positive. My kids all love YouTube videos so I searched 3 Potty Training method and found a couple videos and pointed out to my son that these kids were potty training too and using underwear and drinking juice, etc. By that evening he would just go by himself and pull down his underwear! I was shocked. I tested this and even went on my computer while he stayed upstairs and he still kept trying to go by himself. He did have a poop accident during this 4-6 hour window time while I wasn't stuck to his side, but 1 poop success too....I guess he wasn't quite finished....so this was impressive to me based on my previous experience.
14 accidents
11 successes
This might sound like a lot, but remember though you're pumping them with fluid so they have lots of chances. They're also learning the sensation and how to hold it so they will have little dribbles. I counted an accident every time I had to change their underwear.
Friday
Today I kept the same toys out which kept their interest. We also watched some more Potty Training videos and for the older kids I introduced them to Kindness Diaries since we've been reading the Go Be Kind book. My oldest really is loving the show. I love it too, but every episode I cry. I wish the kindness I saw when Covid started was still around right now. My husband even came to watch with us during our lunch break. The older kids got to have a sleepover with their grandparents later and they watched with them too.
The older kids had their first home school support group cooking class after lunch so they did a Zoom call with that and learned to make different kinds of sandwiches.
Potty Training Day 3
Today he just went all on his own every single time. So I decided to just remind him by saying, stay dry instead of tell me when you need to go potty. He just needs helps putting his underwear back on, but at least I know when he goes potty because he's naked haha.
We had our first adventure out to drop the older kids at their grandparents and run quick errands at the bank and get gas. He fell asleep in the car and stayed dry.
We had our first adventure out to drop the older kids at their grandparents and run quick errands at the bank and get gas. He fell asleep in the car and stayed dry.
2 accidents (1 poop)
6 successes
stayed dry last night (We stopped giving liquids at 6pm and he went to bed around 8:30pm. We made sure to pump liquids though at 5:30 so that he wouldn't ask for a drink before bed.)
Overall, this actually ended up being easiest out of all 3 of my kids if you don't count the first attempt I made with my youngest.
By the end of the 2nd day, I didn’t have to watch him as closely because he knew to tell me....same with my daughter. With my oldest, he rebelled (probably because he was more set in his ways, being older when trained at 33 months) so I had to watch him closely every day. It clicked for my oldest on the 3rd day, but had trouble with the night time training. You really have to clear out 3 days where you won’t be bothered for this to be successful. It probably easier knowing what to expect and what signs to look for. The first day is still the hardest. With my older two, the next hardest part is when you know they have to go, but are holding it so that’s when you are saying every minute, “Tell Mommy when you need to go pee pee in the toilet.” I didn't have to do this though like my other 2 at least this 2nd attempt which I think helped him based on his energy type. I gave him a little more space and little more privacy when possible. I got excited when he got excited about it.
By the end of the 2nd day, I didn’t have to watch him as closely because he knew to tell me....same with my daughter. With my oldest, he rebelled (probably because he was more set in his ways, being older when trained at 33 months) so I had to watch him closely every day. It clicked for my oldest on the 3rd day, but had trouble with the night time training. You really have to clear out 3 days where you won’t be bothered for this to be successful. It probably easier knowing what to expect and what signs to look for. The first day is still the hardest. With my older two, the next hardest part is when you know they have to go, but are holding it so that’s when you are saying every minute, “Tell Mommy when you need to go pee pee in the toilet.” I didn't have to do this though like my other 2 at least this 2nd attempt which I think helped him based on his energy type. I gave him a little more space and little more privacy when possible. I got excited when he got excited about it.
Differences with him, my daughter really thrived in having special character underwear – he didn't care too much what underwear he had. Maybe he would have if I could have found garbage truck or tornado underwear haha. More about her experience here.
He really liked having Peanut Butter M&Ms though you’re not supposed to say they’re getting treats for going potty – you can just give them a treat. You don’t want them to associate treats with going potty, but I forgot that info. I gave him 3 M&Ms if he pooped in the potty, 2 for pee, 1 for trying or me running him in and then 1 if he started telling me. He really loves the peanut butter M&Ms so he was motivated by it. Since he goes by himself I'd just give him some M&Ms if he asked for it.
I also had a sticker chart that he kinda liked since I added tornadoes and garbage trucks to it. He liked putting stickers on the tornadoes to get sucked up haha.
Here is the big boy with his big reward. We had this garbage truck sitting above the toilet for months taunting him haha. My oldest was motivated to earn motorcycles when he was potty training. My youngest was so proud to earn his garbage truck. We also talked about what he needed to do to get his prize before we started potty training.
We will just have to continue working on #2 into the potty and keeping him dry at night.
He really liked having Peanut Butter M&Ms though you’re not supposed to say they’re getting treats for going potty – you can just give them a treat. You don’t want them to associate treats with going potty, but I forgot that info. I gave him 3 M&Ms if he pooped in the potty, 2 for pee, 1 for trying or me running him in and then 1 if he started telling me. He really loves the peanut butter M&Ms so he was motivated by it. Since he goes by himself I'd just give him some M&Ms if he asked for it.
I also had a sticker chart that he kinda liked since I added tornadoes and garbage trucks to it. He liked putting stickers on the tornadoes to get sucked up haha.
Here is the big boy with his big reward. We had this garbage truck sitting above the toilet for months taunting him haha. My oldest was motivated to earn motorcycles when he was potty training. My youngest was so proud to earn his garbage truck. We also talked about what he needed to do to get his prize before we started potty training.
We will just have to continue working on #2 into the potty and keeping him dry at night.
