Will Pee Pee for Food: Tips for Potty Training in a Recession

The Associated Press just released an article that claims that disposable training pants have declined by 3.2 percent over the past year, and that the number of training pants sold is down 10 percent! Supposedly this is in spite of the fact that the number of births has risen!

Parents everywhere are trying hard to potty train their children as fast as they can now that we are in a recession. Diapers are expensive! My daughter is completely potty trained (during the day that is). At night she wears a pull up, but those are getting expensive too! Our next step, quitting the pullups cold turkey. I've heard it can be done, but I've never seen it work in our home yet.

But in the meantime, for those parents looking for some quick tips, here are a few that worked for us:

1. Be consistent. Ask them if they need to go potty at least 1 time every 30 minutes. Eventually, they will have to go!


2. Let your kids learn from other kids. When our daughter saw that another girl didn't have a diaper hanging out the back of her jeans, she came home and said, "Mommy I don't like my diaper its for babies. Madison doesn't wear one."


3. Be patient and meanwhile make it fun! We have sat in the bathroom for up to an hour.... just waiting... and waiting... for something to happen. So, in the meantime, we read books, played games, made up songs and played with bubbles. Bubbles have an amazing calming effect on kids, when they are calm, they will eventually pee. I remember walking into a church nursery one day, and saw a hectic nursery worker and 8 kids crying and screaming. She didn't know what to do. My husband (who is the eldest of 5) immediately grabbed a bottle of bubbles and started blowing. The kids instantly calmed down and started smiling. Needless to say we stayed to help in church that day.
   
4. Don't get mad. Inevitably your daughter or son will tell you they have to go pee pee in the most sincere and dramatic fashion. Most likely this will occur while you are shopping in the back of the department store nowhere near the bathrooms. So, you will attempt to beat the world record in running while carrying a toddler and you will just make it in time to hear the words: "I don't have to go now." or worse "Oops, I pee peed" Its ok... the more upset you get, the more upset they will get. Only, they won't understand. Count to ten and remain calm. I've had to clean poop out of pants at public parks before. It stinks (literally) but it will be ok.


5. Don't force it. Now the saying goes, "when they are ready they will do it". That doesn't mean don't try to get them to potty, but what it does mean is, if they absolutely throw a fit and don't want to try, don't make them. It will make it a negative experience, and it needs to be a positive.
   
   

   



6. When all else fails.... BRIBE THEM! I know it sounds like I'm joking, but I'm not above bribing my kids. My daughter loves those little ice cream bites called "Dibs". During our potty training months she popped up one day and said, "I'll go pee pee if you give me a Dib!" Kids are smart, don't underestimate them! Bribery works!