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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Multi-Tasking

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly asks: Have you potty trained Leif yet? If so, how with homeschooling?

Heidi answers: Oh, girl, I feel your pain. Does the above picture answer your question? We're doing the nekid little boy thing right now. But do I have any real advice for you? Hmmm.

Ideas:
Plan two (or three, or four...) days of homeschooling 'light' for the big kids. Science videos, coloring pages, and books on CD. Fill that little one with liquids of his/her choice, keep them nekid (or in just a shirt or little dress), and spend both days on the potty. (Them, not you. Grin.)

Can you school in the kitchen (or in another area with an easy-to-clean floor)? Put his/her potty near all the action. (The little potties didn't work for my boys, but I imagine they might be easier to use with girls.)

Break in between every subject for a potty run. Whether they need to go or not. Reward success with a couple chocolate chips.

Or, wait till said child potty trains themselves. That is what I did with boy #2. After a not-so-fun training with boy #1, I decided to not rush it with the second guy. He magically trained himself just before he turned 3. Boy #3 has benefitted from wanting to be just like his big brothers. He probably would have done well had we started training him right at 2 years old, but I've been putting it off. I'm praying this phase is very, very short. And then I'm done potty-training little boys for the rest of my life. Ahhhhhhh.

7 comments:

Precision Quality Laser said...

LOL...what a glimpse into the reality of parenting! With our first son we let him wait until he was ready....um,yeah it took a while....he was four when he pottytrained! The next one only took until he was three. Here's hoping our little girl will be MUCH easier and eager!

Jennifer said...

Ahhh... I happy to say I am a few days on the other side of this. My poor husband had a four day weekend over New Years, which I declared the perfect time to potty train. Two on one for 4 days worked well... and started our new year diaper free for the first time in 7 years! : )

Christi said...

With our second, we did the nekid thing too - and it was SO much easier than how things went the first time around. Something I'm glad I'm done with!

Anonymous said...

My oldest is now 3 and hates the idea of using a toilet. He also hates being naked, so I`m really not sure what to do . . . . maybe just leave it? But I am envisioning having a six or seven year old in diapers at this point! :S

Anonymous said...

I potty trained my 2 year old the same way you suggested - only took a few light days of school and a lot of focus on the potty :) ...and a few accidents here and there - to be expected.
~Tera

Renee said...

Thank you Heidi! I hear girls are easier...I'll let you know. Next week, we will begin. Oh, the dread!

Laurel said...

We have a three week house guest until Monday. After he leaves ... it is POTTY time over here. I am ever hopeful that my little guy will do his thing. Now this is the first time for me to train a boy. Standing or sitting? He will also have to wear pink Dora pullups at night because ... it is what I have. Hope it isn't traumatic.