More potty training...

[mommydama]

Luci has it ALL figured out. Second success of the day, mommy gives a big hug, little cheer, and hands out some M&Ms. Luci starts eating her candy, runs back to the little potty, sits down and produces a few drops. Demands more candy. As soon as the candy is gone, she runs back to the potty and, ta-da!, she does it again and demands her candy. Yeah. She has it all figured out.

Neither of the other girls tried this one, or they didn't figure it out, so I'm not sure how to handle it. I guess she'll be eating a lot of M&Ms for the next few days, until I'm sure she understands what to do. And has been given enough incentive to do it. She is quite proud of herself.

Comments

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

And she should be.

The problem is what to do after she's successful and doesn't need the reinforcement - but wants the candy anyway.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'll cut it out after the first few days like I did with her sisters. I started only giving it for "number 2" after the first few days, since those were harder, and then not at all or only every once in awhile. With Zoe I gave her stickers for awhile after we cut out the candy, but I don't think that will work with Luci.

I hate to say this, but of the three of them Luci seems to "figure stuff out" faster. She just seems...a little too smart...sometimes. She has always been way more mischeivous and need a lot more incentive to obey us and figured out ways around things before we even do. She keeps me on my toes.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I had similar problems with Aaron. I never tried incentives other than praise, affection and fanfare to Annie and it worked out great, but then with Aaron we kind of "pushed" more than I think we should have (i.e., he wasn't quite ready) and so I whipped out the treats, and he caught on fast - also, Ananda ALSO wanted one everytime. I had to just go back to my original tactics, because Aaron really took awhile and I wasn't going to give him candy several times a day for months.

I think that potty training books that make them feel all special help a lot.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Well, I started the candy incentive with Mari because she really didn't have a good handle on English yet when Brad insisted we potty train her (don't let me go there!) And she has always needed clear cut rewards and consequences for EVERYTHING! Two years in an orphanage stifled a bit of her natural desire to please I think. She needs a LOT of incentive. She is better now, with a much stronger desire to please us and loves to be praised, but for a long time I didn't think she cared at all and she certainly didn't change her behavior based on my praise and affection. She despised me at the time.

Then I did it with Zoe, 'cause it worked with Mari. But Zoe is naturally compliant and probably would have done it without them. She just loves for you to notice that she did something!

Luci probably shouldn't have had them at all based on her personality. I caved yesterday when we hadn't had a success all day and I'd cleaned up WAY too much pee. I said "If you go in the potty next time, I'll give you an M&M!" So then I had to follow through, and of course, she expects it now. My bad. Oh well. I make these mistakes every day...almost every minute. I'll work us through this one too...

[justamy.livejournal.com]

i think its great1
and, really....what is a few m&m's? if she pees 6 times a day and gets and m&m every time, it's not that much chocolate, you know?

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Yeah, 12 m&ms a day ain't gonna kill her. I'll keep rewarding this way for awhile and cut it out gradually. I'm proud of her though! She is still on the young side of the potty training average and she really seems to WANT to do this. At least, she is devastated at the suggestion of a diaper at this point. She sobbed hysterically when I put her in one to go to the store this morning! But I wasn't about to deal with public potties yet! That is a nightmare! I'm not looking forward to it.

[moobabe.livejournal.com]

What a smart little cookie!

I'm in a rough spot in that Hannah doesn't seem to want to be in diapers much, but she also doesn't yet want to go on the potty. Ah, well. We'll figure it out, and the floor will survive.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

hey, totally OT, but do you guys have any Jamie Lee Curtis books? If not, don't go peeking! Just let me know.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

We have Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

:::sigh::: I serendipidously picked that up in Barnes and Noble, tonight, for the first time, and started crying reading it because I just read your adoption stories (well, about half). I was totally psyched to buy that book for you guys! :P

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry!

The one that makes me cry is "A Mother for Choco". It is such a silly little book, but I get choked up everytime I read it. Choco is a very...unique...looking little bird and he wants a mother. He tries to find one that looks like him, but no luck. Then a bear offers to be his mother and takes him home to meet her other children, an alligator, a hippo, and a pig? I think. And they eat apple pie. And I cry. So silly.

I also cry at the Tigger Movie. Have you seen that one? Where Tigger tries to find his family? I'm so silly.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I seriously need to finish those adoption stories.

[chibent.livejournal.com]

This is so cute! I laughed out loud and then read it to my husband. Tell Luci she made my day. ^_^