Sunday, August 29, 2010

Potty Training: Please Pass the Neenies!


Warning: Potty update ahead. If you're not interested, then please feel free to come back tomorrow!


We've been at this potty training thing for three months now, and I am quite pleased with our progress to date. We currently have all three boys going on the potty at potty time within a minute or two. This has greatly reduced the time I spend in the bathroom, which is a MAJOR victory for me!

We are rewarding the boys with M&Ms, or "neenies" as the boys call them. They get two for piddling, and we've just started to offer a third M&M if their diaper is still dry when they get to the bathroom. Already they have started to ask, "Still dry?" when I get their diapers off. And they are starting to tell me when they have to go. All of which is very exciting if you've been doing diaper duty times three for almost two years!

I don't have any magic tricks when it comes to potty training triplets. I've just tried to be consistent, though I definitely had days when I could only muster a couple of rounds on the potty. When I was waiting and waiting and waiting for them to go, or they wanted to play instead of potty, it was just too much work for mama!

A lot of people have asked why on earth I would train so young. I did it simply because my boys were ready. The other day Sam walked up to Jeff and say, "Change diaper, Daddy." If they can ask like that, they are more than ready! But, as a fellow triplet mom pointed out, mom has to be ready to potty train too. It's a lot of work, on top of an already crazy life. I just looked at it as a schedule change, adding in a couple rounds at first, and more as they got the hang of things.

The next step for us is training pants, but that will have to wait until after Labor Day. I'm heading out next week for Girls' Weekend with my mom and my sisters, and Daddy's in charge. He'll do great, but there's no need to throw an extra challenge into the mix. After all, I need this trip to go well on the home front so I can leave again before the kids turn 18.
© Trippin' Mama 2010

2 comments:

Angela said...

My hat is off to you, girl! I have one starting to tell us when she needs to be changed. But not sure if I'm ready! Have a great time away!

Suz said...

Crab did the same thing - we were using cloth diapers (yes, because I was cheap, not because I was crunchy) and she'd toddle up whining 'wetsy wetsy wetsy'. I figured if she knew when her diaper was wet, it was time to try the potty. Lo & behold, her efforts on the potty produced M&Ms...and her twin WANTED THAT CANDY! A was done within a week of starting, fully trained before 2 yrs old. B was daytime potty trained at 2, nap/nighttime by 26 mos.

Go to it, guys!