Potty Training

Well, I had this post all planned out in my mind, and it was going to go something like this: I have two words for you when it comes to potty training: Gummy Lifesavers. About a week and a half ago I was tickled pink (and every other color of a gummy lifesaver) because we had an incredible week of bribery, I mean potty training, using Natalie's favorite snack. As usual, whenever I would ask Natalie if she had to go potty, she would say "No thanks" (she is very polite that way). Then I would say something like "If you stay dry and go pee on the potty, you can have a gummy lifesaver," to which she would respond "Let's go!!" She did really well, even though I felt like I lost some bargaining power when Jim decided that Liam should also be included in the fruits of her labor. Like Pavlov's dog, whenever Natalie went into the bathroom, Liam would hear her and come running, saying "Lifesavers for the family!!"
I resisted using food as a bribe when Liam was potty training. I guess in the back of my mind was always the worry that I would be setting him up for some strange psychological issues later in life, like feeling hungry after every visit to the loo. Time has a way of softening my parental stances, however. Heaven help us with baby#3 - I'll be promising her a trip to Disneyland every week, letting her eat nothing but pizza and ice cream, and forking over cold hard cash in order to entice potty use.
So the bribery worked wonderfully....until we worked through the first box (don't tell our dentist, please). Apparently it is possible to OD on gummy lifesavers. Now into Week 2, we've hardly touched the second box, because Natalie is back to saying "No thanks" or just ignoring the whole process entirely. Gummy lifesavers - been there, done that. I may have to move onto something for a more sophisticated palate now...like purple jelly beans. I'll report more on that later....