Pinning with Purpose: Potty Training with Potty Pom-Poms

Goofy is going to be three very soon. I decided to crack down on the potty training. I have always disliked potty training simply because of the time I must set aside as a parent. There's the actual getting the kid on the toilet, the reminding them to go, the washing the clothes when there is the inevitable accident...I could go on and on. But children must be potty trained. There's no escaping it. So I buckled down and did it.

I dedicated an entire week to potty training Goofy. I chose a week that I did not have piano students. I did not have a social life that week. We were lucky to have food to eat because I would not even go grocery shopping.

Santa brought Goofy new panties at Christmas (because Santa just knows). I showed them to her and let her try them on. We talked about how nice they felt. I told her that she needed to keep them dry or her clothes would get all wet.

Then, I introduced her to the potty pom-poms. Here's how they work:

Every hour and a half I would have Goofy sit on the toilet. If she went great, if she just sat there that was fine too.
For sitting on the potty she would earn 1 potty pom-pom.
If she urinated she earned 2 pom-poms.
If she had a bowel movement she earned 3 potty pom-poms.
The pom-poms went into a small glass jar. If she filled the jar she would earn a prize from mommy.

I like this method and used it with Princess as well. I don't like my children to earn candy or treats when they use the toilet. I don't really like food as a reward. The pom-poms are a great alternative.

Goofy did very well with potty training. She had the unavoidable "first accident," but it helped her to see that she didn't like being wet. After that, she always told me when she needed to use the potty. I would still ask her if she needed to go every hour and a half, but if she said she didn't need to then I didn't make her use it. I didn't want potty training to be a negative thing.

Goofy has already earned a prize (a crazy straw) and she loves it.

It has also been very easy to wean my kids off of the potty pom-pom system. If they don't ask or remind me about the pom-poms then I don't give any to them. Eventually they do stop asking. I have already put the jar away as Goofy rarely remembers to ask for pom-poms.

Goofy still wears pull-ups for naps and bedtime. Here's hoping I only have one child in diapers by the end of February. Wish me luck!

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