It Went Horribly Right

Is this not worry for all the parents, especially mothers when my kid will be potty trained. 

Trust me I was also going through the same. Daycare centers being closed and no maids being around that was the only thought I had.

My kid turned two and the only thing I wanted was to stop his diaper and make him talk or say at least a few more words.

I was worried sick about the same, with loads of questions: am I doing whatever is required, am I a good mother, really don’t know what all did I think.

My poor husband was at the receiving end of these thoughts, worries, and all.

My mom tells me my potty training was full of cries and howling as I was scared I would fall and get flush in water. I know gross, how can someone think like this.

Believe me, when I say the 2 years old is very creative I would say the toddlers /preschoolers’ minds are very creative. I didn’t want the same with my kid.

One morning I thought at least to start with potty training and toilet training because the maid was absent during lockdown and all the other things I didn’t want to wash his potty underwear anymore or use any more diapers.

I made a plan and started talking with him, where does mum, papa go to the toilet.

Whenever you need to pee you need to say shushu(loo), and whenever you need to potty you need to say sheshe(potty).

This talking was tried during the 18 months phase though it didn’t work. I did think of buying a potty seat, or potty chair, or any which is foldable. I have to travel a lot as my relatives stay out of town. Though carrying the used potty char was something I felt gross. I looked at many potty seats which were affordable, I did buy one. My kid started using it on the first day after the next day again he stopped using the toilet for the same.

My kid had just started speaking a few words except muma, papa, dada, or his favorite things.

So, here my concern was to make him speak with toilet training. I had done this before also though it didn’t work that time.

I started again with the same conversation every morning, it was like a prescribed medicine morning-afternoon-evening-night.

The next day I added one more line in our conversion: if you go potty in the toilet we will give you a star. I didn’t do any fancy stuff like making a chart paper, drawing, or something. I did what any typical mom would do, who was up with many things on her sleeves.

I already had stickers handy, my kid loves stickers and nuts (dry fruits).

All moms out there you definitely will be knowing what your kid’s love, look at something affordable and good for him.

Try doing these activities on weekends as it gives us a better chance to be alert and gives us more time with the kid. (In case both parents are working).

Day 1 — I observed him and looked at the cues when he was going to run to the toilet. The two sentences were repeated. I used to pick him up and say run, baby please control if you pop in the toilet you will get a star and pistachios.

Day 2-Same thing was repeated. We would stick stars in front of the toilet wall, get ourselves clean, go to the kitchen, and take rewards of pistachios.

Day 3- Same old story.

Day 4- I waited for him to say muma sheshe(potty), and there it was. I picked him up and ran.

I didn’t want to celebrate my victory. I followed the same old process though he had started running before me to the toilet and waited for me.

He used to shout mum!!!! potty run run run and I used to run behind him. It had become a game for him.

I didn’t follow the star process or the pistachios thing for going to the loo because it would have been too much for the day. I used to take him to the toilet every half an hour and used to tell him if you pee in the bathroom I will let you use the shower or mug of water for the same.

Kids love playing in water so I knew he was going to go for these conditions and as the lockdown period being in summer and we living in Mumbai it was a win-win situation.

I used to hold his finger and make him run and say run shushu(loo) he loved the way we said it.

I repeated the same for three days and started observing. The miracle happened. My kid said the word Susu (loo), I knew that was an addition to his vocabulary an

d I was very happy. Two meaningful words were added which were good for toilet training.

My husband was proud and happy because he was now not going to hear when the baby will start using the toilet.

Every time he used the toilet for any purpose we used to celebrate, rejoice, clap our hands and praise him and he used to dance and say Yeeee!!! Clap with us and rejoice he knew his behavior was appreciated.

So one day I was a proud mom of a 2-year-old boy who is potty trained as well as toilet trained before his birthday month was even over.

So all Moms out there this phase is going to be a little difficult, a little creative, you’re going to come up with many creative ideas, stories to start the toilet training.

This process is continuous and repetitive and it’s going to need consistency and patience.

No yelling or no amount of dragging is going to make them potty trained, instead, try something which they are going to love, you don’t have to stress or drain yourself for the same.

Material required to potty train:

- Stickers any whichever your kid likes.

- Any favorite food because that’s easy to get affordable instead of a toy or any clothing.