Part one: number one
Is potty training not going as easy as 1, 2, 3 like the books say? Does your child only do number one but asks for a diaper for number two? Did he used to do number one but now is having accidents? If he does go number one, will he only use the downstairs bathroom in your house, and certainly not the bathroom at school? Are sensory concerns or anxieties playing a role? Does the sound of the flush or the feeling of the toilet bother your child? All these concerns will be addressed in the upcoming series of Potty Party blogs. In this first installment, here is the 1, 2, 3 on how to get your child to do number one on the toilet.
• Start small – baby steps toward the goal
• Positive Reinforcement is KEY!
• Three levels of reinforcement
• GOLD for voiding
• SILVER for trying
• BRONZE for dry underwear
• All reinforcers must be given IMMEDIATELY
• The instant your child gets off the toilet, he gets the reinforce.
• Reinforcer should not be “We will go to the store/zoo when you go pee pee in the toilet.”
• Involve CHOICE
• Take your child to the store to pick the potty prizes
• This must happen BEFORE starting potty training
• Use VISUALS
• Make a “First, then” and tape it to the wall opposite the toilet
• Take an (appropriate) picture of your child sitting on the toilet for the “first” and leave the “then” spot blank for a picture of the reinforcer
• Remember to put a picture of the exact item (google images or part of the packaging) on the First, then chart. This MUST be in direct eyesight of your child.
• Frequency – Set your self up for success
• Do “dry underwear” checks every 15 minutes
• Give “bronze” reinforcer
• Take him to the bathroom to “try” every 30 minutes
• Give “silver” reinforcer
• When he goes, he earns the GOLD.
• Remember to give the reinforcer immediately after leaving the bathroom.
• Keep up motivation
• Approximately every hour, redo a “preference assessment” and show your child the choices of reinforcers and ask him what he would like to earn for each – dry, try, and go.
When you are CONSISTENT and FREQUENTLY use VISUALS along with motivation POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, your child will be potty trained in no time!
For more about potty training check out our potty training page and other posts:
