Potty training: a personalized photo tutorial

We've all got our potty training tricks. Kirsten made an illustrated potty-training guide for her son:

here's a potty-training hack that i'm using for my son.  i took pictures of him in all the steps of going potty and then made a sequencing chart for him. 

the steps:

• pull down pants
• pull down underpants
• sit on potty
• pull up pants
• wash hands
• dry hands
• get sticker (important to show the reward).

we'll see how it works when we're actually done, but he's had MUCH more interest in sitting on the potty since i put up the pictures. i put the pictures on cardstock and laminated it (it IS in the bathroom, after all).

Tags: Parenting, Potty training

Comments

[Amie]

Wipe? :)

[kirsten]

yeah, i thought of that - but i didn't want TOO many steps, and he's a boy.... blah, blah, i'm happy if he even sits there.
he actually has an autism spectrum disorder, and i thought this would really help him - but too many photos would overwhelm him.

[kirsten]

p.s. - you can see the whole chart on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45594323@N00/229148091/

[Chakolate]

We did something similar for Tristan, an autistic 6-year-old, who is very picture-oriented. But with this exception: we included a step for flushing, putting it in *after* he was dressed again. The reason we did that was because we wanted to make sure he was dressed before leaving his school's toilet stalls.

[dorothy]

This is sort of like the instructions on the box of Pop-Tarts. I'm wondering where the step for "release your bowels or bladder" is, though? ha ha ha

[Lea]

Wonderful idea! I'm going to do this soon. Baby A doesn't have any potty challenges other than a bit of obstinancy. Okay: utter refusal.

This even after I bought her a Hello Kitty PEZ dispenser to dispense rewards. (Sounded irresistible to me, but not, apparently, to my daughter.)

I just need something to spark her interest again, and maybe a pictorial starring herself will be the answer.

Any and all potty-hacks are welcome!

- L

[Moxie]

I did line drawings for my son, because I wanted him to understand that while he was standing there pee was supposed to be coming out, and that while he was sitting on the toilet poop was coming out. I couldn't capture that on film, so I drew it.

I think seeing the stuff coming out of him helped put together the "I'm sitting on the toilet" piece and the "What's supposed to be happening?" piece.

[Jill]

As for treats, I just discovered (Tuesday!) that letting my son pick out his own treat from the store has helped a lot. (I found five acceptable items to choose among first.) He came home, rushed to the potty, succeeded, then proceded to return five times in five minutes. Trying to distract him I asked if he was hungry for lunch. He answered, bluntly, "No, I just hungry for Skittles."

We don't give the reward until pants are up and toilet flushed, so those tasks are getting done well. Now, to get him to initiate the job is my next goal. Starting tomorrow, Skittles are only for boys who go to the potty without being asked.

[Julie]

Awesome idea!

[MacLifer]

I hate to say this, but be careful how much you say or show in the "how to" because of pedophiles and other weirdo predators on the 'net that "enjoy" these things. It makes me sick to my stomach to even think about, but having been on the 'net for 27 years now, i've heard of some really sickening things.

It *IS*, by the way, a GREAT IDEA and a really cool way to teach kids. Potty training is always an interesting experience even for us daddies.

2 daughters trained...
one to go...
(but she's only 6 mo old...)

MacLifer

[Karen]

I like your thoughts. I was very frustrated when we began potty training. I was researching potty training and a common theme seemed to be praise and positive reinforcement. I came across a website called www.pottytrainingrewards.com. We hung it in the kitchen and named the little boy on the front of the package, Bobby. My son could not wait to go to the potty so he could push the button, hear the praising message, and get his chocolate reward from, Bobby. It really got my son excited about using the potty himself and it was fun for him. Because he became so involved, potty training was easy. So give it a try.

[Tim Jackson]

Great tip on potty training!

If your stuck and looking for more tips and methods on potty training check out this site:-
http://pottytrainingmethod.blogspot.com

Good Luck!