Potty Training

Contest has ended! Congratulations to the winners of the 3 Day Potty Training!

This is a topic I could discuss for hours on end. Potty training! I'll never forget how challenging it was to train my first son. I think it took a good year for him to finally "get it." At the time I thought I started training him a bit too young. I started at two and a half years old but he had no interest. I finally had him trained by three and a half but boy did it feel like an eternity! The poor thing would hide under the table when he had to go. I would find him sitting there staring at me petrified with those big brown eyes because he thought he was in trouble. Low and behold, it was too late! Not to mention he was in his underwear. No matter how many prizes I bribed him with, it was no use. I even went as far as putting Milk of Magnesia in his ice cream! (Now don't get scared, the nurse suggested this when I called to ask what I should do.) What happened is that he was completely backed up from all the milk and dairy products so every time he would go, it would hurt. I felt terrible. Then one day it just clicked and he got it! He never looked back.

I started potty training my daughter closer to three and I was getting pretty discouraged. The problem is I needed her to be trained for preschool so I was on crunch time. She turned three in August and school was starting in September. I tried everything I could to get her to go but she wasn't into it. I started getting desperate at this point. I did a ton of reading when I discovered something that changed how I felt about potty training. It's called 3 Day Potty Training and it is fabulous! Of course I was a little bit of a skeptic at first. Once I finally had my hands on this guide, I was determined to get the job done! I did exactly what Lora suggested. I got rid of all the diapers and the pull-ups in my house. I kept O. in her underwear and watched her. I studied everything. I even went as far as putting the potty seat in the living room! What scared me the most was putting her to bed without a pull- up. To my surprise, she woke up dry. From that moment on, I knew it was going to be a success. Now don't get me wrong, there were accidents here and there but according to this method, that's to be expected. So, next thing I knew it was time for preschool. Off she went in her big girl underwear. I was one proud, happy Mama!

I'm excited to share that we are giving away TWO 3 Day Potty Training packages to TWO lucky readers! Just make a comment and tell me why you deserve to win.

Please post your email address also so I can notify the winners!

Contest ends Friday, October 14th.

Our readers will also get a 10% discount. Just use the discount code '4Kids' on the 3 Day Potty Training.

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Jessica G.

by Jessica GPosted in Welcome

Special Moments

Some of the sweetest moments I have with my kids are at bedtime. I enjoy it so much because  I can actually focus all my attention on them. In my house it usually goes down like this. "How was your day today?" "Did you have fun in school?" "What did you learn?" "What's the best thing that happened today?" We usually talk for a little bit and we read a story together. I'll never forget one night I was putting my then three-year old daughter to bed. Her routine is pretty much the same but after we read stories, I have to wrap her in a blanket and rock her like a baby. After I rocked her, she looked up at me with the most serious expression and asked "Mama, am I going to be big one day?" "Yes, you are!" I said. Then she asks "Will you hold my hand?"  I was so taken back by this question. "Yes, I will always hold your hand." I replied. At this point my eyes were filling with tears. The thought of my baby girl not being a baby anymore really pulled at my heart-strings.  As I tried to hold back the tears, she asked me another question. "Mama, am I going to have babies one day?" Again, I answered yes. "Real ones and real food too?" "Yes, real ones and real food too." I said with a chuckle. I will always remember this conversation. It will be etched in my mind forever like the day she was born.

Ever since that day, I make sure to go out of my way and hold her hand. I know that there will come a time when she won't want to hold my hand anymore. Who knows, maybe she will always hold my hand! One can only hope right? Either way I'm holding onto these memories for as long as I can!

Share your special parenting moments with me!

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Jessica G.

by Jessica GPosted in Welcome

Best and Worst Parenting Advice

I have had some great parenting advice and some not so great advice over the past six years.  The advice started the minute I told everyone I was pregnant for the first time. I found that as soon as I started showing, people would flock to me. I would hear things like "Oh, you're pregnant? When are you due?" "Do you know what you're having?" "Don't forget to swaddle the baby." "What kinds of bottles will you use?"  And of course the "Don't forget to sleep when the baby sleeps!" Of all the advice this was my least favorite!

When we brought home our newborn son from the hospital, that's all I heard. "You need to rest when he's sleeping." "Don't forget to take a nap when he naps." This was impossible for me. First off I was a new mother. I was completely mesmerized by this little creature. I had to make sure he was alright, especially when he slept. Every little moan and groan, cry and squeal I would jump out of my seat. There was no way I was going to sleep when he slept. Not only that, he was a belly sleeper. As much as I tried to keep him on his back, he would somehow wiggle right over to his belly. This freaked me out quite a bit. So for this reason, I was a zombie!

With my second child, people would say "Nap when they are both napping." "You will be so happy you did!" Well, that would have been easy had they both slept at the same time! With my third child, all sleep advice went right out the window! Nobody even dared say a word.  In fact, I think everyone was afraid for me! And I have to admit, I was a little afraid for myself. Since I hadn’t had any sleep in six years!

However, the best parenting advice I ever received was to take it all in, every special moment when they are little, because it goes by so fast. And yes, so far this is true for me. I feel like it was yesterday that I was holding my first-born in my arms in the hospital. Now he's six years old and in first grade. I don't honestly know where the time has gone. So now I do this silly little thing in my mind. If I miss a special moment on film, I pretend I have a video camera in my head. I try to take a mental video so I can remember that special moment forever. Now if I only I could just get some sleep! ;)

So what is the best or the worst parenting advice you were ever given?

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Jessica G.

by Jessica GPosted in Welcome