Anyway, so today after the success of Operation Oreo in getting a very resistant Bitty to walk - willingly, and without screaming - into the school building after he initially started crying just from pulling into the parking lot, it occurred to me to see if the same incentive plan would jump-start our poop-in-da-pawee initiative.
So when Bitty came to me asking for a pull-up, I made my usual offer of "let's go sit on the potty instead!" and he answered with his usual, "no sit ah da pawee."
But I had the Oreo "card" in my back pocket this time.
The possibility of earning a cookie was enough to get him to sit on the potty, but when it came time to actually doing his business, he just wouldn't stay there. He kept getting up and dancing around, I kept convincing him to sit on the potty again, and he would, but then he'd jump up again.
After much frustration, he finally said, "No here!"
Proud of him for at least trying for the first time, even though in the end he just wasn't comfortable enough with the idea to actually go through with it yet, I finally offered him a pull-up.
I told him it was his choice, and that I was proud of him for getting this far, but that opting for the pull-up would mean not earning the cookie.
I felt kind of mean doing that, especially when he took that important first step of actually sitting on the potty when he had to go #2. But I had already told him the cookie was for actually going in the potty, not just sitting there and I was afraid that offering him a cookie for not actually following through would just undermine my credibility and our efforts in the future, and might even result in him expecting a cookie for doing #1 in the potty when he is already doing that just fine.
He must have understood, because he did not ask me for a cookie after using his pull-up, and he didn't seem upset about it.
I have no idea if this is the start of something, or if it will be months before he makes his next attempt, but either way I'm encouraged and we'll just keep trying!
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4 comments:
Hugs!!!! That #2 challenge is huge for so many.....
I think it's awesome that he was able to appropriately express his frustration ("No here!") and then be o.k. with not getting a cookie. He handled it well and so did you!
I knew an NT boy who was just like Bitty on the #2's. He always required a pull-up to go (he was 4). Then one day out of the blue he just went on the potty and there was no turning back.
Good luck. I hope the Oreo method works out for you. I totally agree with you on not giving him the cookie for sitting there. I would have considered it too, but in the end I think not giving it to him was the right decision.
Of course it's a smidgen of progress! =D I think you both did great.
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