I love Potty Boot Camp!

Our son is 21 months old right now.  I heard too late about EC (Elimination Communication) to use it, but back in June's issue of Parenting there was an article about Dr. Suzanne Riffel's "The Potty Boot Camp".

It got my attention, so I ordered the book (there's also a version you can download for $5.95).  It's very simple, very straightforward, and very cool!  Let me just say, summer is definitely the time of year to do this - it makes clean-up SOOO much easier!

The basic idea is you devote a couple of days to "hard-core" training.  Plan to stay home all day, and expect to clean up some messes!  The big thing is self-initiation, when they head to the toilet and "go" on their own.

We started Monday, 10am.  Final tally:  8 accidents, 1small leak that he stopped and finished on the toilet, and 9 complete successes.  He also had a poop off the toilet, while we were outside (thank you, Jesus!).  Hubby and I figured this for a very successful first day!  Why?  Jasper became aware that he was going, started to become upset during/after accidents, and also started coming to tell me about accidents.

On Tuesday he was up at 9, and we started right away.  For the "morning session" which lasted 'til his nap at 1:30, he had 2 accidents, stopped a small leak, and had 5 successes, including staying dry during lunch.  Self-initiated success (SIS) was the first event after his nap!  Way to go, Jasper!  Here's where he got super impressive - Elise had a birthday party to go to.  We had to leave at 5, and it was a half-hour away.  He went at 4:50, and stayed dry until he went on the toilet there at 6:30, then stayed dry again until 7:50 when we got home! Admittedly, I didn't bring a bottle in the car, but he did have some water while we were there. (Yes, I was shirking from possible accidents, but can you blame me?  He wasn't in a diaper, just cloth training pants and pants, and though I had a cloth diaper folded under him to protect the car seat...)

Today, Wednesday, he started by catching a tiny leak and sat to finish. Then from 10:39 to 12:52 he had 6 SIS (for one he got SO upset, you could almost hear the, "but, but..." - he sat but was in a hurry and ended up pointing up and made a puddle - I couldn't help but laugh) and no accidents. But then at 1:25, 1:30, and 1:43 he had accidents - what was going on?  Oops, I realized, he's ready for a nap, and too tired to control it. After a 2-hour nap, he's back in the game and going strong.  Thank you, Dr. Suzanne Riffel for the Potty Boot Camp!