Zayben's Potty Monkey Day1

OK sense we are selling the Potty Monkey I decided to get one for my youngest Zayben age 3. He has had some delays in development because of a few medical issues. I'm really hopeful that this will help him move on from Pull-Ups and my changing diapers.


OK we got the box in the mail yesterday and he was so excited he got mail and it was big box. He loves getting mail but keeps asking the mail person where's his pizza too when they bring a package. Maybe I should stop ordering Domino's so much. Back to my story we get the box and Zayben opens it. "WOW! a monkey! a monkey! a monkey!" He is running around the front room.

We all gather around to open the potty monkey and see what all is there. Everything is tied down good so it wont get broken in the mail that's good now I know that when someone else gets one for the distributor its in good shape. My 6 year old Devôn wants to take all the fasteners off and Zayben wants the monkey NOW. My sister Trish and I get everything out and are really pleased to see that you can get the monkey to talk when you squeeze it hand.

While the kids look at the Potty Monkey and the child's book 'Monkey Learns to Potty', Trish and I check out the directions and and the parents book 'The Potty Trainer'. Pretty easy to set the timer on the monkey it has 3 settings on one little switch inside the monkey. 30 minutes or 90 minutes and monkey will ask to go potty, or you can leave it free talking with no timers and just press its hand to make him talk.

We picked 30 minutes because Zayben is just starting. Right on schedule the monkey asked to go potty. He will ask 3 times over a few couple of minutes if you don't get him to his potty he will say he's had an accident. The Potty Monkey really does talk and sing a little song while he is on his potty. About every 20-30 seconds he will say something new and positive about why he is so happy to go potty or sing his potty song.

Well the first couple of times the monkey went off yesterday Zayben was really excited and made it to the potty. Granted he didn't actually go but he tried. By the end of the day he was trying to put the monkey on the potty but didn't want to try himself. I'm a little passive with my youngest (maybe I don't want my last baby to grow up to fast wink wink) so I realize I need to be a little more persistent that he try even if he doesn't actually go. I do know at this stage if I were to punish him it would be wrong, he would hate his new potty, and may even become scared of the bathroom.

About a month ago the Dr. said that even having him tell me after the fact when he has an accident is good, because he is learning he doesn't want to be wet. Each child leans at a different pace, age, and time it takes. Some are fast and have it down in as little as a week while others may take a month or so. (My daughter was potty trained at 1 1/2, my oldest boy 2, and my middle boy at 4 1/2 almost 5.) Don't get discouraged if they don't just automatically start going all the time or have an accident from time to time, or even after they have it down. To a kid playing with the car, doll, or TV show may be more important at that moment. After all they are kids and don't have the same priorities as adults do.

I'll write more later tonight or tomorrow about how things go today.