Booty Camp

I thought Phin would never be ready to Potty Train.  We've been talking about it and reading books for literally six months and every time we'd ask if we thought he wanted to try he'd say, "I'll do it tomorrow."  Suddenly, last week he started to talk about it as if he was excited.  I started to tell him if he wanted, we would start potty training when we got home from Grandma and Grandpa's for Thanksgiving.  At my parents, he sat on the potty 4x.  He was suddenly ready.

Monday we started Booty Camp.  Ava went to Booty Camp in Chicago; it was a great kick start to potty training and I loved the results.  I never had to remind Ava to go to the bathroom.  It was all "her responsibility". Wendy, the nurse who created and runs Booty Camp, raised six of her own kids.  The course taught Marc and I great parenting techniques in general.  That alone was worth the money!

The whole system is great.  You allow kids access to all the salty snacks they want and sugary drinks (only during Booty Camp, mind you- not as a regular diet;).  These make them thirsty more often and therefore they pee more often, which is pretty helpful during potty training; it is especially helpful with my children who both pee about 2x during the day, one of those being during nap!  You reward them for keeping their pants dry and you repeatedly tell them it is THEIR responsibility to listen to their body.  You say, "Great Job keeping your pants dry.  Remember is your body tells you that you need to go potty you run, run, run to the potty, take off your undies and poo or pee in the potty."  If you catch them having accident (which you will if they do cuz you keep them in their undies so you can see right away if they start going and you spend the whole day with them in the kitchen focusing on nothing else), you say, "STOP! pee" (or poo).

The guy was EXCITED on Monday about having access to juice and POP and chips and such.  By Tuesday he was asking for "just water"...turns out kids do, in fact, self regulate;)

MORE than thrilled with his big boy undies!!  He keeps wanting to change them to "try a new one";)

 My own adaption to the program- he got to pick from the "treasure box" when he had a success....over the second and third day, I quit offering the treasure box but let him chose if he remembered to ask.  By today, we was so used to going, he didn't even ask for a reward.

My bowl of M&Ms to reward for dry pant.  ONE M&M every time I asked him (if they were dry, of course).  On the first day you ask them VERY frequently so one at a time is plenty!  You start to space out how often you ask them on day 2 &3, as well as start increasing the area they are allowed to go in (expand beyond kitchen) and the amount of distractions you allow them.

It is Thursday, we started on Monday.  We had one accident Monday and one Tuesday.  We had a poop accident this morning (he started in his pants, but did finish in the potty and said he thought it was a "toot";), but otherwise accident Free Wednesday and Thursday.  And I don't have to remind him to go...he goes on his own.  LOVE THAT.  He has officially graduated and this weekend Papa is taking him to get a new Buzz and Woody (from Toy Story).  It's been an exciting week for my Three Year Old.  He is so proud of himself, as he should be, and has realized he is capable of taking care of himself.  He has also now started dressing himself completely in the morning.  I'm so proud of my little guy!  My Booty Camp Graduate!