Fellow blogger and friend The Suburban Mom is expecting her second little princess. She asked for Mom Blogging advice and I completely missed her submission deadline (I have been preparing my eBay store for the upcoming holiday season and slacked).

In the past, I have shared that naming a baby is difficult but here is something all parents-to-be should consider when tossing around names. Keep in mind, I have a boy (and a very busy one at that) so I am thankful I tested this theory before naming him.

When deciding on your child’s name, practice saying it firmly and even consider yelling it. While this may seem silly, it will come in handy if you need to send out a warning shot. This has worked well for us, my son knows my tone and can sense the firmness in my voice when I am serious.  He knows he is potentially crossing a line and his behavior needs to change or there will be consequences.

We had two names on our list. The first one (which is what my son is named) works perfectly and I could almost make a growling sound when saying it. Option number two just didn’t work, no matter how much force I used, it still ended up sounding wimpy.

I used this theory at a recent play date with other mom bloggers. The host’s little boys came downstairs to say my son wasn’t sharing toys and all it took was me saying his name forcefully once, and his behavior changed. At that moment, I realized this advice needed to be shared with all soon to be moms!

I do not like to think about my son growing up, but I am sure this will come in handy when he is a teenager.

Last week I put the potty training smack down on my kid! I was sick and tired of spending money on diapers and knew my son was capable of using a potty! He was hiding to go #2 and afterwards would climb on top of his diaper changer and yell for me to change him. Those were true signs that he knew exactly what his body was doing, so it was time to teach him to go to the bathroom when he has those feelings.

I decided to make him go cold turkey, no more diapers. I call it the “I am sick of buying diapers and refuse to do it anymore boot camp“. I pulled out his new Disney underwear and we were ready to begin.

From chatting with other moms, this seemed like the only option that would work for us. We tried the Pull-Ups route in the past, but it was unsuccessful. He felt as though they were diapers and wasn’t concerned about going to the potty (could be because we received a case from Pull-Ups for our Potty Ambassador gig and used them as diapers…ooops).

Let me tell you…from day 1 of wearing underwear, he quickly realized there was no absorption whatsoever. He was not a fan of being wet and kept begging for a diaper. Eventually, I hid the entire stash so they were out of his mind. By the end of day 2 he was going #1 in the potty successfully every time! On day 3, he even started going #2 on the potty!

In all honesty, it was an exhausting and messy week – but it worked. My son even went back to napping regularly <insert cheers and fist pumps>!

Below are tips in case anyone is considering a similar potty training method. Obviously all children are different, but hopefully this will give you an idea of things to try and possibly avoid.

1. Commit to staying home during the training process. You cannot be multi-tasking, your focus needs to be on your kid and the big task at hand.
2. Be a parrot. Your toddler has a million things on his or her mind and most likely, using the potty isn’t one of them. Constantly ask “do you have to go potty”. You will feel like a broken record, but trust me they need the reminder.
3. Use a process and stay consistent (pants down –> use the potty –> wipe –> dump & flush –> pants up –> wash & dry hands –> celebrate).
4. Use a potty that your child is comfortable with. We bought my son a soft potty seat as well as a potty chair. He prefers to use the potty chair (it would be less messy if he used the potty seat instead, but it is what it is).
5. Stay strong! Do not give in if he or she begs for diapers. It is difficult seeing your child sob, but if you cave then all the training will literally be down the drain. Your child is testing you, show him or her that you are determined to help them be a big kid.
6. Be patient and have a sense of humor. Remember, this too shall pass.
7. Keep it fun and positive! Go crazy and celebrate when your child has success. Using a potty is a VERY big deal! You can reward your child (yes, it may seem like bribery, but it works). We celebrate every success by cheering and giving high five’s, M&M’s are received when he goes #2 in the potty. We also got him excited about a Cars 2 Tokyo Spinout Track Set and told him he could have one if he continued having success. We kept reminding him of the race track and it worked! He received his track this past weekend!
8. Expect accidents and remain positive. Tell your child it is ok (don’t show your disappointment or frustration). Let he or she know they need to listen to their body and make it to the potty on time. <– This one can be tough sometimes!
9. The first couple of days will be very messy, so make sure you have the proper cleaning supplies handy. We are lucky to have hardwood floors throughout, which made for much easier clean-up.
10. As trainer, you will need a release of some sort. Thankfully, my son went back to napping so I was able to use that time to blog and workout. A glass of wine at night is also very helpful.
11. My pediatrician advised not to call my son a “big boy” until he started using his potty. I kept using that term and my son loved hearing it. I kept repeating how “babies wear diapers and big boys use a potty”. That seemed to help him understand why he was no longer wearing diapers and that he was not being punished.
12. Keep your child excited with potty training dvds, books and fun tracking charts!
13. Don’t potty train during a week when you have a bad case of PMS!
14. Even after your initial potty training is complete, pack along your child’s portable potty when you run errands. You cannot expect your kid to immediately start using a public facility (and I personally cringe at the thought of it). Just make sure you bring along your potty cleaning supplies and antibacterial gels as well.
15. Pack an extra change of clothing, you never know when your child may need them.

We still have an occasional accident, but I am so proud of my little man’s success in such a short period of time! He’s such a big boy! Any other tips or advice? Please share!

Let me paint my morning scenario for you…I took my three  year old grocery shopping in a very quiet store. We were just about finished our shopping when he spotted bunny fruit snacks and began begging for them.

I told him it was too early for candy but I would purchase a box of the same gummies to eat later (which had 5 packages in total). He threw a complete fit because he wanted the individual packages with the inflated price. He decided he’d scream to get his point across, which forced me to put the gummies back on the shelf and just walk away completely.

I was mortified by the public tantrum, but took the attitude “it is what it is”. I refuse to let a three year old dictate what I am going to do. The louder he yelled, I calmly told him that he was going to be punished with no outside play, no tv and no playground. I guess he didn’t like my bartering skills, so the screams became louder following by flailing arms and legs. An outsider would have thought someone was being tortured by the sounds the child was making. It was a scenario that every parent hates being in! But, I was not taking him out of the store and leaving, my grocery shopping was complete and I was ready to check out.

The nicest cashier (former nanny) reassured me that I was doing the right thing by not giving in to the child’s wants and remaining calm. I know that if I would have given him the darn gummies, the rest of the experience would have been pleasant. BUT what kind of message is that sending to my kid? If I scream, mom caves and I get exactly what I want. So, I was firm and he knew he was in trouble.

Another mother jumped in line behind us and told me to hang in there (how sweet is that?!?!). She told me she has two boys and that years 3 and 4 are the absolute worst, but to be firm with the discipline and he will become a better person as a result. I have to tell you, the kindness from these strangers was appreciated today!

I know I cannot be the only parent that sometimes questions if I am the right person for the job, right?

I know every child is different, but how do you handle situations like this?

This story is best told with music and photos…

My son’s vocabulary has increased significantly. I love hearing him puts words together. Well, that is if those phrases are not ”no mommy” or “stop it mommy”.

I woke up Sunday morning to my son yelling for me to come and rescue him from his crib. I picked him up and gave him his usual morning squeeze, complete with bear grunting sounds. As I routinely laid him on his diaper changer, he looked me straight in the eyes and said “love you mommy” in the sweetest little voice. I was completely dumbfounded. It brought tears to my eyes! This is the first time he has ever told me he loves me, usually I’ll say “do you love mommy” and he repsonds with “yes” or “uh huh”. Not that morning!

It was the absolute sweetest thing I have ever heard, my heart actually melted a little! What precious words! It almost makes up for all the back talking and toddler tantrums that he strategically throws in public….you heard me, almost.

And so…the climbing out of the crib begins…again. See, the last time it happened my son scared himself so badly that I thought he wouldn’t attempt it again. But obviously, he forgot about slamming onto the hardwood floors and screaming hysterically.

Sure enough, twice in the past couple of days he has jumped out and then climbed back in to make me think he didn’t do it. But, guess what smarty pants…I have a video monitor. I see it all!

Reality is hitting, it is indeed time for a big boy bed! He will be three at the end of the month so perhaps this is his way of telling me that he is growing up. We will be making a trip to Ikea very soon!

Last year, I purchased this really fun cardboard medieval castle from Zulily. If you are not already a member, you can join here. The site offers daily deals for moms, babies and kids! I could go on and on about how much I love their discounts, but that is not the point of this blog.

I pulled the castle out when my nephew and niece visited a few months back and all the kids had a blast playing inside and decorating it. Today, it is raining like cats and dogs, so I decided to pull it out again.

My kid has been playing in it for hours! Check out all the fun he’s having below! This was definitely a great purchase!

What activities do your kids enjoy on rainy days?

My son has been driving me nuts since he doesn’t want to clean his room is working on cleaning messes that he makes. Last night at bedtime, I was fed up, the toys that he had played with earlier were scattered all over his floor. Keep in mind, it was a rainy day in Central Florida so…we were confined…inside our home…all day long…which means LOTS of toys…everywhere! You couldn’t even tell he had hardwood floors in his room!

I warned him that if he did not help clean up the mess, I was going to do it and he was not going to like my method. I told him he had a few minutes to start cleaning and then I was coming back to check.

The first inspection was a complete fail. I warned him again and walked out. I returned in a few minutes and he was still playing and not cleaning up. I asked him again and he said “no mommy”.

What did I do? I waltzed into the kitchen and grabbed a trash bag. I returned and started putting his favorite toys inside. I let him know they were all going in the trash!

How did he respond? Well, after the sobbing and screaming he finally got it! I explained that he could have his toys back ONLY if he helped clean up the mess. Guess what? IT WORKED! Everything was put away in the correct locations, he even lined his shoes up in his closet!

Mean tactic? Perhaps. But, he learned a valuable lesson…that his mommy doesn’t mess around! I bet clean-up tonight goes much smoother.

The other day, I took my son to a very populated place (Disney World during Spring Break…what exactly was I thinking) and let him run wild in one of the play areas to release some energy. When it was time to leave, he had a massive meltdown. It was so bad, I have been checking YouTube obsessively to make sure no one caught it on video.

This sparked a thought, isn’t it amazing how technology has changed our lives? Now, you never know when someone is using their smart phone or flip camera to capture your moments (even not so great ones when you’d prefer to crawl under a rock to hide). Then, they are sharing it with the entire world with one simple click!

I have one word for people who do that…karma! You think it’s funny, but something like that WILL happen to you! Toddlers are unpredictable and public humiliation is mortifying. Someday, it will be your child throwing a tantrum while others point and stare, just wait!

I did something last night at Epcot I swore I’d never do. For those who have never been to Epcot, you really need to go! I refer to it as the grown up Disney World. If you stay in the back portion and visit all the countries represented, you’d never know you are in a theme park! Instead, you have about a mile and a half of culture, food and adult beverages! It’s quite tranquil at night, which in my opinion is the perfect time to visit.

Our goal was to stay for Illuminations but my son was starting to get squirmy inside his stroller. I wanted to enjoy another wine in Italy, so I confess…I bought him a Buzz Light Year spinning light toy to take his mind off of escaping. I am not typically one to buy a toy to make him shut-up, but last night I did. It worked too, 45 minutes of PEACE and QUIET! He was a little angel and I wouldn’t flinch to do it again.

Two Florida Resident Annual Passes: $800+

One Evening of Epcot Food & Wine : $100

Buzz Light Year Spinning Light Toy: $14

Toddler silenced for 45 minutes = PRICELESS