We have been receiving some fantastic stories from all of you. With mother’s day coming up we thought this story from Shawna Handke about using Tattly while potty-training her son was the perfect one to share.
Shawna wrote to us a couple of weeks back to share her Tattly story. A year or so ago she had been having a heck of a time getting her son Eli to cooperate when it came to potty-training. After trying a slew of tried-and-true methods and tricks including, and certainly not limited to, potty-training apps, special potty-training charts, stickers, and employing M&M’s in a variety of ways (think offering them as a reward and at other times encouraging him to pee on them!), she came to discover that the one thing that really encouraged Eli was to offer something slightly more permanent: Tattly temporary tattoos.
No stranger to temporary tattoos, Shawna and her family have been Tattly enthusiasts for years after using them as party favors for her eldest son’s Superhero birthday party. That was when Oliver turned three (he’s now six), and since then they’ve been used as birthday presents, stocking stuffers, and a fun family activity. Application party anyone?!
It was out of potty-training desperation that Shawna decided to try offering Tattly as a reward. After using the toilet for the first time on his own, Eli was allowed to choose one Tattly to apply. And the reward stuck! Shawna is convinced it was the permanence that sold her son on the reward. It was a great reminder for him of his “wee” achievements, and he would head to school and proudly share with his friends and teachers why he had such a fierce sleeve of tattoos building up. Eli’s favorites were Julia Rothman’s Robots (possibly born out of his love for “The Robots” by Kraftwerk), but he was also a pretty big fan of the monsters, dinosaurs and animal drivers too. So, was it a success? “A week (or less) later, he was fully potty trained and has been for well over a year now.” Sounds like it!
Oh, and it sounds like they also worked a treat during Eli’s older brother’s transition to his “big-boy” bike. Oliver would wear a Tattly on his right hand to remind him the right lever was the one for the rear-wheel brake. So clever!
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Shawna! We love hearing how our community are creatively wearing and sharing Tattly in their day-to-day lives. All of your stories warm our hearts. Keep ‘em coming!!
*All photo were taken by Shawna Handke. Eli, we all think you’re looking super cool in your Robot by Julia Rothman, Stegosaurus Fossils by Wee Society, and Soft Serve by Julia Rothman. Yay!
Super sweet story! Might be something to try with potty-training Zoe!
