Now that my daughter is nearing 2 1/2, Christmas in her eyes is proving to be very entertaining. The lights, the decorations, the songs, Santa Claus...At first she was pretty freaked out about the idea of a big guy breaking into the house through the chimney, but now she’s fine with it because he brings presents. When wife sings, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” she quickly interrupts with “no mommy, he coming to my house…to bring me PRESENTS!!!” (hooray!)
Upon seeing this supernatural influence, I saw a great opportunity to help with the potty training cause. I’ve told her Santa only brings presents on Christmas to big kids that use the potty…and guess what? Every time she sees any Santa, or any mention of him, she wants to use the potty. So far his magical powers seem to be working (hooray!)
Now I’m pushing Santa even more – like when she doesn’t want to sit down at dinner, or when she’s on the verge of a breakdown. I bend down to her level, get in real close, and say in a low serious voice, “Remember (slowly look around.) Santa ‘knows’ if you’re being bad…”
She stops and then her eyes get big (wheels turning), then looks around the area as if he’s hiding behind the sofa or in a parked car outside with binoculars.
I've created this coloring page every time I want her to use the toilet or behave:
"Santa Claus is watching" (coloring page)
"Santa Claus is watching" (coloring page)
"Daddy, does Santa watch me while I take a bath to see if I fart in the tub?"
ReplyDeleteSanta Claus, like many other items in the parents' arsenal, is a powerful tool, but with great power comes great responsibility.
Let's hope being watched 24/7 doesn't freak her out so much that she ends up sleeping in your bed for protection from prying eyes.
Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteThough you have to have her potty trained by Christmas, because I don't think she'll be as worried about getting on the wrong side of Martin Luther King's ghost or the Easter Bunny.
Isn't the threat of Santa not bringing presents great? I can't wait for our toddler to understand the incentive of geing good, or pottying, for the sake of Santa.
ReplyDeleteWe "call" santa or threaten to a few times a year. It works for now and anything that works is good enough for me.
ReplyDeletePerfect weapon for potty training. I read somewhere about a women who put a bell in her car. It would ring once in awhile (over a pothole and such) and she'd say, was that Santa? Good luck!
ReplyDeleteGood thing 2 1/2 year olds don't mind people watching them on the pot!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck. As I've told you, my kids would do anything to avoid potty training. My son didn't train until he was 4. Good times.
Ah, I like this...making Santa work for YOU! :)
ReplyDeleteNice to "meet" you!
catherine
The best thing about this coloring page? Looks like Santa's about to visit the loo himself, what with the bending over and such. Oh, wait, that's something else entirely. Never mind...
ReplyDeletehang on to this brief and lovely time. 5 year old Deckan looked me straight in the eyes the other night and asked me if Santa was real.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I lost the Power Of Santa years ago. Daughter is 16, but when she talks back I teasingly say "Santa's watching" and she still stops short... 'cause she knows WHO Santa is now. Which may be even more powerful. Teens know who the ATM / Santa is ...
ReplyDeleteThat's funny. Santa with a cocaine-stare is watching you.
ReplyDeleteThis leads to another question, is that really coal he's leaving?
ReplyDeleteOh the therapy she's gonna need after this one. LOL
ReplyDeleteWhat ever works, I say.
ReplyDeletebut why is santa in that very uncomfortable looking position as he is watching?
ReplyDeleteI'll be using the Santa threat for the rest of my life. I swear!
ReplyDeleteBut hey, congratulations on the potty training progress!
Good stuff! My mom used to pretend to see Santa's elves peeking in the windows and told us they were checking up on us for Santa. It worked and we started behaving instantly.
ReplyDeleteNext you'll have the say that the Easter Bunny is watching too.
ReplyDeletehttp://organizeddoodles.blogspot.com/
I beat you to that one.... I started telling Paige arounf Halloween that Santa wouldn't bring presents to girls who peed in their pants...
ReplyDeleteIt worked for awhile, but now when she has an accident she just confidently says "But Santa didn't see that one Mommy."
That reminds me of a time at the mall when I heard a mom yell at her son that had ran a head of her "You better stop. I just saw kidnapper looking at you."
ReplyDeleteWhatever it takes!!
What a creative way to potty train. To bad I didn't think about that before I got my 2 year old addicted to m&m's! Good luck with continued success.
ReplyDeleteOh geez. And to think I'm conflicted about even mentioning Santa, never mind using him as a threat... I just didn't grow up with Santa, so I find it kinda weird.
ReplyDeleteWe constantly use the Santa card at our house!
ReplyDeleteIt could be a new verse to Santa Claus is Coming to Town..."He sees you when you're pooping..."
ReplyDeletesamokdaddy -- That's brilliant!
ReplyDeleteScarlett Wanna Be -- I've got to remember that line, it may come in handy really soon.
Jenifer -- That's when you bend down and tell her in a whisper "yes, he did...he just told me through telepathy"
Rick -- It's starts to sound a little weird when the animals are watching...
painted maypole -- he's either pooping or I'm also told that he found some left over in the bad by rudy.
Aimee Greeblemonkey -- If my daughter asked me point blank like that if Santa was real, I would ask her if she's been watching the news, because he was in a big accident the previous night.
That should do the trick.
Make sure that you do have plenty of presents for her this year :)
ReplyDeletePotty training methods must be whatever it takes!
ReplyDeleteChildren are on their best behavior for all of December. I'm always telling my girls that if their toys are not put away, then Santa won't bring anymore.
Sounds like you're having a blast with this! I know when my 11 year-old moved in with me (he started out here as a foster child, he's mine--all mine--now), he let me know that he was onto this "Santa Claus thing."
ReplyDeleteI felt I was entitled to at least ONE "Santa Claus" Christmas with my son, so I told him that was fine, but "if you don't believe, you don't receive."
It gave me one season of "Santa's watching you!" threats, even if he was just playing along.
Got any tips on potty-training a 15 year-old?
Use the leverage while you can. Santa's already starting to lose influence here.
ReplyDeleteDon -- Great line! I'll have to remember that one.
ReplyDeleteThe Real Mother Hen -- She's an only child, I can almost guarantee that until she gets a sibling.
Hopefully she'll be potty trained by then
Whatever works! I took the girls to see Santa and Santa was ready to tell Moe what a bad girl she had been. The only problem?> Moe took one look at Santa and burst into tears. Santa felt bad he couldn't tell her she was getting a rotten onion :(
ReplyDeleteYou should be able to milk Santa for years. To this day I break out into song: "He sees you when you're sleeping...he knows when you're awake..."
ReplyDeleteMy kids shape right up.
Santa=Pure Power
Enjoy the ride.
I say whatever works. Just remember, though. You have less than three weeks to work this to its fullest!
ReplyDeleteDamn, how I miss those days. Now, at ten and eleven when I try to use the Santa threat and tell them they won't get any goods if they don't behave, they just look at me and ask if that means my credit card is at it's limit or if I'm simply broke.
ReplyDeleteSigh.
(By the way, I'm gnawing on KFC as I type this...)
You know...
ReplyDeleteIf you change the hat, trim the beard and make the box, 'the bucket',
you could have the Col. pulling out even better Christmas treats from that bag!
dennis -- Honestly, I was thinking that over the weekend as I was eating cold chicken for breakfast...!
ReplyDelete