Toilet Training at Two

Potty training your child is one of those parenting milestones that is definitely more rewarding for the parent than the child. For the child it really stinks (pardon the pun!) because once she is potty trained she realizes there’s less attention at bathroom time, she has to start doing it all on her own and instead of lying on a cushiony padded bed while mommy sings songs to her, she has to sit alone on a big cold white hole and if she makes one wrong move she may end up falling into the toilet’s abyss! But for mom and dad it is absolutely one of the most liberating parts of being a parent. No More Diapers! No More Wipes! No more Poop! Like it always is in life, there’s a trade-off: You have to start using public restrooms , stop multiple times on family vacations for “potty” breaks and spend hours teaching about washing hands when visiting the bathroom. But to my husband and I it is definitely worth the trade-off! Our family has always started potty training as soon as possible and typically at about 22 months, just before their second birthday. Our “method” is a combination of not only one source but many, ranging from self-help books, family, friends, teachers and even my kids. The main thing is PATIENCE and a SENSE OF HUMOR!

I don’t believe in the conventional reasoning of “waiting until the child is ready” other than observing that he has the basic toddler physicality of running around the house, climbing onto everything, reaching for whatever he can grab, pulling himself up, and pretty good communication – if he can do all that, he’s ready to be introduced to the Porcelain God! And I feel that there is a window of opportunity that you don’t want to miss because if you wait too long your child may have actually trained themselves to go in their diaper or pull ups.

The very first thing we do is get rid of ALL diapers in the house and NO pull ups. We purchase training underwear (found at Wal-Mart) and incorporate the Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Nathan Azrin to get kick started. We find a weekend that we can stay at home, and even more specifically, close to the bathroom and then strip down to the birthday suits and just hang out. (Just the child in birthday day the birthday suit of course.)

We make it a game, an adventure, an important event for your child, with a lot of hullabaloo! Keeping your child in view at all times, eventually a bathroom break will come and hopefully they feel the urge to notify you. But if not, as soon as we spot an accident we run them to the toilet. Once they have gone on the toilet we give them a reward, M-n-M or a jelly bean is best, and have a big celebration. We do this for the entire weekend and then depending on how much they have picked up the concept really determines how the next few weeks go.

We have three children and they all took to potty training differently. Our oldest son got the concept the first weekend but it took him about a month until he was completely potty trained; my middle son was potty literally trained after the first weekend and my daughter took about 4 months after the first weekend. Realizing that not every child is the same will be easier on the potty training experience.

But one thing that has been consistent with my kids is that after about a month of being fully potty trained they suddenly started having accidents again. So keep in mind your kids may fall off the wagon, so to speak. This may be caused by events in their life, a new brother or sister, new school or other factors that may cause them to have accidents or revert back, but just be patient and consistent and you will get through it. But don’t go back to diapers or pull ups because this will allow the child to not have to make the effort to try and “hold it”! Of course if it is something that persists, you should contact your doctor.

Potty training is not a science. No matter how perfect your plan is and at whatever age you start it is going to have some hiccups. But what counts is that you stick to it, because even though your toddler seems miles away from being ready I assure you they are smarter than you think!

The Best Practices for a Successful Babysitting Event

Ease the Anxiety
Before your sitter arrives at your home, let your children meet the sitter by viewing her photo online and read the sitters' profile online. You can even have the sitter talk with your children before she arrives. This will help ease your children's anxiety about having a sitter, whether she is new or has been with your family previously. You can also plan some fun activities to save for the sitting event. This will get your children excited about the sitter and get their mind off of mom and dad leaving.

Keep Information on Hand
Prepare by having instructions, contact information and emergency details handy. If you are a SeekingSitters member, this would simply mean having your Family Information Packet filled out and handy for your sitter. Even though you go through all the details with your sitter before you leave the home, there are sometimes small details that the sitter may not remember and having this information is handy will help make a successful event.

Set Clear Expectations
This is absolutely the most important factor to having a successful babysitting event. Once your sitter arrives, you need to make sure you let your sitter know what you expect out of the sitting event, what you need from her and what is the best way provide this.

Don't forget the Trash
When you are reviewing information about your home and your expectations for the event, don't forget to review where simple things are in your house. The trash can is even a simple item on the "tour" that is overlooked. Also be clear about eating instructions whether or not your sitter can eat your family's food or if the sitter will need to supply her own food.

Don't linger around
If this is the first time using a particular sitter, it is OK to stay around and make sure you are comfortable with the sitter. But keep in mind that your children will bond with the sitter more quickly if you are not around.

Cell Phones are for Emergencies...and Mom and Dad
It is completely fine to call to check in! Sometimes this is an opportunity to find out how they are doing and even help with any needs, but mostly it will help let you relax about how the children are doing at home with the sitter. Let the sitter know that you might be calling and either keep the cell phone handy or listen for the home telephone.

Wrapping up
Your sitter will leave behind a Fun Times Sheet that describes the details of the event. This will be a very beneficial tool to know what happened during the event and a great help in allowing the sitter to be able to leave more quickly so that she does not have to re-cap the entire day.

It is important to plan for a successful sitting event. If you do so, every sitting event will be fun for the children and great for you!

Finding Child Care for the Summer

One of the biggest questions we face is the best childcare option for our kids during the summer? There are so many options: camps, daycares, in-home care to name a few but first you should ask yourself some key questions:

Determine your child’s interests
Camps: There are many to choose from– pick one or two activities your child really wants to experience.
Parks & Recreation Activities: From daily activities to weekly activities there are many activities for kids of all ages and my of these options can be very affordable.
Community Pools and Neighborhood Activities: These are great summer activities where kids can just “be a kid.”
Parents – don’t over schedule your child - factor in downtime to just hang out.

Convenience – Questions to ask
How far away is camp/activity? Do they provide transportation, with gas prices it is something to consider.
Does the camp provide activities for a variety of ages?
When is the camp?
Will it interfere with family vacation plans?

When attending the pool or other community evnets, if you can’t be there will your child need a caregiver? Do you have an on-demand sitter solution and is the sitter background screened.

Determine your budget
Camp costs: Length and type will determine costs
1 week day camp – price for 6 hours a day begins at about $95 a week -
Overnight camp costs – 1 week overnight can run $800 – $1000

Child Care Costs:
Drop-In Day Care
Cost - $5.00 - $8.00 an hour depending on age of child
Pros – Affordable, Some flexibility
Cons – Not as structured – limited availability

Mothers’ Day Out
Cost – On average – about $40-$60 per child for six hours
Pros – Affordable, convenient – some structured activities
Cons – Typically only available once or twice a week

Full Time Caregiver
Cost – $350-$430/week – 1 child – can be a little more for extra kids
Pros- Convenience, safety, structure, you set the schedule
Cons – May not work for every budget

Ideas
*Consider sharing a sitter with a neighbor or friend.

*Create an “Informational Book” for sitters
SeekingSitters uses Family Information Packets and gives on to each member family to fill out – with everything that a sitter needs to know about the family, kids, schedules, emergency numbers etc.

*Background Checks: Remember to make sure whatever service you use performs a thorough background screening by a live person. (This service is provided for free to members of SeekingSitters.)

WELCOME!