13 comments on “Summer is a time for…

  1. Thanks for the advice. I didn’t mean this to turn into a toilet training blog. Actually, this is our 5th being trained in the summer before school. Usually my wife does it and succeeds. She knows the methods too. The only reason our kids are sleeping through the night is because of her.

    But this one was left to me. Perhaps a mistake. Everyone knows when my wife is in the hospital, because they take one look at my kids and say, “Oh, YOU got them dressed this morning, didn’t you?” (Everything matches to me.)

    So forget the country and seed program and we’re not holding yet by dreaded camp visiting day. This summer is made for bribery (excuse me, rewards), but some things: “buy lace-trimmed “rumba” panties or “princess” underwear”…I will NOT do.

  2. Ross #10: Also it helps to buy wonderful underpants for the child. For a little girl, buy lace-trimmed “rumba” panties or “princess” underwear. For a little boy, buy underpants with his favorite super-hero (SpiderMan or Superman or some cartoon character, maybe even Barney the purple dinosaur). Then you gently talk to the child about not getting this wonderful underwear dirty or wet.

    In the summertime, a young tot could be encouraged to run around without a diaper or underpants, just a long shirt, so when he or she “has to make” it is easy to run to the toilet.

  3. Ross #10: I would suggest one of the great parent guide books on toilet training, I think it’s titled, Toilet Training in Less Than a Day. Basically, the authors of the book utilize a reward method. (“Reward” is a nicer word than “bribery”).

    In front of your tot, lead a large “wetsy” doll over to a sitdown potty. The doll sits down, “tinkles” into the potty, and then gets rewarded with candy. Your tot sees this! Sitting down on the potty and tinkling means getting candy!

    (This is from a mother of seven and grandmother of so far thirteen….the authors of the book who developed this method were originally seeking a better way to teach young Down syndrome children how to use the toilet…they decided to adapt their method for use with non-challenged children as well).

  4. Toilet training. Our kid’s gotta get into nursery in the fall. We waited because…well, I don’t know. (sob)

  5. Taking Seed Program students from New York City camping in the vast Pacific Northwest wilderness. So Fun!!

  6. To Charlie Hall #3: My husband Ira and I feel exactly as you do. Give us snow and cold, keep us far away from heat and humidity. We prefer Alaska over Florida any day.

  7. Summertime is the time for praying for the heat to break and for giving thanks to HaShem for the person who created air conditioning. (His name was Willis Carrier.) Seriously, I hate the hot, humid weather and can’t wait for snow!

  8. Summer is not all fun and games for the serious Jew.

    The Three Weeks, The Nine Days, Tisha B’Av.
    Gradually escalating mourning practices in remembrance of the Churban Bayis Sheini.

    Elul. Teshuva (of which we are masters). Shofar blasts every day. Our audience with the King is coming closer.

    Jewish livin’ is not so easy in the summertime….

Comments are closed.