How to potty train your toddler: bribery
Categories: Development
A couple of weeks ago, I asked for (nay, demanded) your best potty-training tip, because frankly, I was at my wit's end. The post got a lot of responses, and I was rather horrified to read that many of you bribed your children into getting potty trained.Silly, silly me. I stand corrected, and clearly owe all of you an apology. You people are brilliant.
Around the same time I wrote that post, I discovered that my daughter, Alex, loves the sound of coins falling into her ceramic piggy bank. Absolutely loves it. So...
...now, she's only allowed to put the coin in the piggy bank when she goes potty. As soon as she goes, I bring the piggy bank and a coin into the bathroom, she carefully drops the coin into the bank, and then I shake the bank loudly while she does a happy dance (still sitting on the toilet). And people, it is WORKING. We've had far fewer accidents, and she's as likely as not to ask to go to the potty, if only to listen to that wonderful coin-tinkling sound.
My only problem?
I'm running out of coins. We've used all our Trinidadian coins, our American coins, our Eastern Caribbean coins (from St. Lucia), and are rapidly running through our English coins. I'm going to have to go to the bank. And soon.
Anyway, thanks much for all your help!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ann adams 5-23-2006 @ 10:47AM
That's better than my sticker solution. I'm a great believer in whatever works.
Reply
thordora 5-23-2006 @ 11:02AM
Apparently my child is the spawn of satan, since NONE of these methods work for any longer than about 3 hours.....she's figured out that I want her to do it, and will not do it.
I guess she's just not ready. Glad Alex is!
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Stephen 5-23-2006 @ 11:17AM
Why not just take the coins back out? She'll never know, and you'll have an endless supply!
Reply
Bonnie 5-23-2006 @ 11:20AM
Um, why don't you just open the piggy bank at night and take a bunch of coins back out and let her redeposit them??
Reply
Jennifer 5-23-2006 @ 11:38AM
Our daughter would only go for a shiney penny. We asked our bank to order us $3 worth of uncirculated pennies. She is now potty trained and we have many rolls of pennies left. Now we use them for chore rewards.
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Eden 5-23-2006 @ 1:38PM
Yeah, my first though was to reuse those coins until you can get new ones. A couple of missing coins won't make too much of a difference in the sound.
I'm trying this next.
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