Or as Baikal says, "I go potty, I get one egg!"
So we are potty training here at chez Miller. I am using a book that my mom used with me called "Potty Train Your Child in One Day." I have been using the toilet successfully for 31 years, so I figure it must have done a pretty good job. It recommends using a doll to model training and using treats and snacks as rewards. I decided to add another element to the training. I am going to digress for a moment... After a recent conversation with my brother regarding gaming theories (if you know my brother, you know that this is a normal topic of conversation) I decided to use the jackpot concept with training. For most of us who are not aware of this, I'll explain. Studies have shown that rats, when given a button will push it more often when the reward is variable, rather than predictable. In a practical application of this, casinos have slot machines that are programmed to give out a variable amount (from 0 to jackpot) at every turn. It is this variability that keeps people putting money into them. So back to potty training, after Easter I had a bunch of plastic eggs around the house. I decided to fill them with candy, stickers, and other goodies in varying amounts with a few jackpots in the bunch. After Baikal uses the potty she is allowed to pick one egg at random. So far, she has been using the potty successfully for three weeks. Jackpot!!!!
