Attention Mommies: Your best tips for organization for a mommy of 4?
Q. I have four kiddos ages 5 and under, and my house drives me crazy! Any of your best cleaning/organization tips would be great.... and also, I already know about Flylady, but I'm having trouble with her system. Any tips would be great!
A. I hope I can help you, I am a foster Mom and have 12 nieces and nephews and lots of family in and out through out the week, so messes seem to come with the amount of feet in and out the door. I know about Flylady, Home Organization, Cleaning Queen, and who ever else you can think of. I had piles of cleaning, organization and clutter buster books, and the art of feng shie. You name it, chances are I have it or read it or got it at the library. Here are my best tips for getting on top of things, these are the gleaned, condensed and just plain learned the hard way stuff. Get a timer and a box. Set the timer for 10 minutes and grab the box, simply walk through the house grabbing items you hate, do not like, broken, or stuff you already have 10 of. Into the box. When the bell goes off, tape the box shut and A. Throw it in the trash B. Put it in the car and next errand run, drop it at your charity box, C. List it up on Freecycle or Craigslist and give it away or ask for a small amount of money. D. If money is the issue, take pics and put it up on Ebay and sell it, pack it and send it to someone else to dust! Continue doing this, in addition to your "cleaning schedule". After a few days of doing this, you should have just stuff you LOVE LOVE LOVE or NEED NEED NEED. Now look around, do you have items Aunt Selma gave you, and you were gonna re-paint, but never did? GET RID OF IT, give it to a friend, Freecycle or Craigslist it or set aside a time this week to paint it, fix it or whatever to it, otherwise, out it goes! You have 4 kids? Well, even at the tender age of 2, kids can understand a few basic rules. One toy out, one toy in rule. If they get a toy out, they must return it to get another one out. They can pick up stuff from the floor and hand it to you. They can "help Mommy", THEY LOVE HELPING MOMMY do stuff. They can sweep, they can dust, they can pick up. You can have them HELP with laundry, they can learn to fold clothes with you, as you show them how YOU want it done, or if you do not care, they can FOLD THEIR OWN and put it away in THEIR own drawers. You can have them HELP you load the washing machine, maybe put the soap in YOU measured and so on. This is not CHORE, this is fun for them, if you MAKE IT FUN!. The rewards, if you need to use them, can be, "if you help me clean the porch, we can paint some birdhouses", they can help lay out newspaper to protect a surface from paint, get the paper plates, and so on, they can also help throw them out when you are done. Once I got down to things I love love love and need need need, I found I had less to dust, less to fixate and get upset cause it was taking up space and I still had not fixed it painted it or whatever and just got mad at myself for letting it suck up space and walk around it, I found I could get things done a little quicker, cause the space was opening up. I found some things that were important to me, I do NOT dig filth and was not willing to let my standards down for cleanliness for dishes, clothing, floors and MY bedroom. I could however, give two figs about WHAT the kids drawers looked like, as long as the clothes WERE clean in them, their clothes were NOT on the floor and that at least twice a week I could see a clean floor in their rooms and that the kennels.....uh....er....rooms, were swept, hosed (mopped) and in general CLEANED. Same for bedding sheets. I want them washed once a week, I don't care if they slept on TOP of the covers (as one tried to explain to me as her reason for NOT bringing her sheets down once a week) no DEAL! They come down, even if NO ONE slept on them! LOL! Clothes come down daily into the laundry room. We don't do "Can I have my white t-shirt with the little roses in an hour" routine, when you have 10 other little white t-shirts you can wear instead! If you want it done for tomorrow, then it should be here in time for the next load of whites 2 hours ago. Now the kids I have here, family included, now range from 6 to 20, but I have had them from the day they were born. As soon as they can walk, we make with the "helping". We want kids to "help", we encourage, we reward and we make it a rule! Sometimes, the kids get lazy, try to get over, or just plain don't want to do it. No problem! They don't get to do the fun stuff either, no baseball, no movies, no crafts, no library and so on. HEY! I shouldn't have to do all this myself, I had help making the mess. I have learned to SHOW the kids and HELP the kids when I want something done a CERTAIN WAY!. Like I have this thing about towels, so normally, I FOLD THEM MYSELF! Now the kids know, if they are GOING TO HELP, they need to fold the towels in half, then in half and then in thirds, otherwise, leave them to me, which, sometimes, they do, and sometimes, they do it and give me the "look what I did!" and for that, I GIVE PRAISE, I resist the urge to NIT PIC, as the towels are folded how I like, so what its not perfect, let it go and move on. The things I do not let go of are CLEAN! The dishes must not have food particles on them, no soap residue, and they must not be holding water. One kid couldn't get the idea of adding PRESSURE to pots and pans and dirty dishes, until after a few weeks of being on dish duty, I offered her the plate of MY CHOICE for her to eat off of. I picked one she claimed was cleaned, I ask if she'd eat off one I picked if she thought they were all clean, sure, she said, ok, HOW ABOUT THIS ONE? Uh....no? Well I said, "I don't want to eat off of it EITHER, so now, you wash it again, and then you will eat off THAT plate, clean or dirty!" Now it may sound a little mean, but she TOTALLY got the point! I didn't yell, I didn't punish, I just offered her to eat off ANY plate I picked, and if she was cleaning them, she should be SURE it was clean enough for her to eat off of it, if she thought I was gonna eat off of it. All the sudden, those dishes were clean! Some is also, getting in there and helping them. Some kids simply don't know and we forget, they haven't learned it yet! A good "How about I "help" you with your room today?" and DO IT, and tell them, this is how I want you to clean this, scrub like this, wash this that way and put this over here and take out your trash in this bag, WHILE THEY ARE DOING IT WITH YOU! It can be fun, I talk about school, friends, an maybe talk about clothes, I may even get a little fashion show of what do you think about this with that? Its quality time together AND a chore getting done completely. Now this isn't something you do EVERY DAY, but here and there, you do it. I have 2 days a week that we are dealing with trash. One is on Wednesday, as the trash goes out Wednesday evening and is picked up on Thursday. I empty the fridge of compost and guess what this Was? That way it isn't stinking up the trash cans all week. Then on Saturday, all the trash cans are emptied again (minus fridge waste) and put in the bins outside while we have our push for clean floors, laundry, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Now during the week, daily, we have a dish chore, a floor chore for the kitchen, dining room, butlers pantry and living room. Those floors must be swept, mopped or vacuumed daily. I like the bathrooms cleaned at least twice weekly for the kids, my own, I am picky, so mine is one little chore daily, but on Saturday, anything I missed and a wash down top to bottom. Beds are weekly, clothes and laundry, as a load forms (whites, light colors, dark colors, towels). Hallways are weekly and throw rugs as needed (usually once a week to 2 weeks, depending on how much use and filth shows up, once they LOOK dirty, up they come and on to the laundry). The kitchen is wiped down daily, but a total wash down of counters, stoves and so on is on Saturday. I pick one to two things a week to tackle, such as a closet, organizing a corner of the basement for the gardening, bicycles, tools, Etc. I may wash down the cabinets in the kitchens or a bathroom, empty a linen closet, empty a drawer. Using the timer is a good way to get into this habit. Set the timer for no more than 20 minutes, do not answer the phone, invite no one over. Empty the junk drawer in the kitchen, sort it, throw stuff out, dispose of dead batteries, file it, whatever. Timer goes off, be done! This one worked really good for me, because I would accomplish SOMETHING that was needing to be done and it was something small, but in the end, had a big impact as they added up, one at a time! If you can fit in one afternoon a month, to say, clean out the garage, fine. If not, go corner by corner for 20 minutes at a crack. You can organize one section, one shelf, one drawer in 10-20 minutes. Add it up and at the end of a month, its all done! If you have a zone that gets on your nerves, just give it 10 minutes, grab a box, fill it with stuff that doesn't belong in there, put it where it belongs. Next time, grab the duster, run and dust everything you can in 10 minutes. Next time, empty a drawer and so on. Get a schedule and determine what days you will have free time to say tackle something more extensive, and plan something FUN afterwards. Like cleaning out the garage, a basement, the attic. Spend two hours on it with the family, everyone HELPS! Kids can carry, kids can put this on that shelf, they can be great little gofers and picker uppers. If you have rooms that aren't that important right now, let it go, for now, deal with it when YOU WANT to. I think half of the problem with getting organized and staying clean, is the feeling we must do it all in one day, and the simple fact is, it didn't get dirty overnight and its not going to get DONE overnight either. RELAX! Do it in baby steps, just work on the stuff that giv
What are some good ideas for my 15th birthday party (themes, etc)?
Q. I am turning 15 in December and having my birthday party. 15 girls are invited (no guys). It's going to be a day party I think, not a sleepover. What would be some fun party activities and themes? Keep answers appropriate or I will report you.
There will be NO alcohol or drugs at my party. It's going to be at my house, and I live far away from the town so we can't do anything in town. The oldest girl is 17, the youngest is 14. Thanks!
There will be NO alcohol or drugs at my party. It's going to be at my house, and I live far away from the town so we can't do anything in town. The oldest girl is 17, the youngest is 14. Thanks!
A. 80's theme parties are the BEST.
attire, and decoration:
you can buy afro-style wigs(different colors) and give them out as party favors.
big green plastic belts. Bell bottom jeans. Aviator sunglasses with plastic frames. lots of bandannas. beads, or beaded gasparilla-style necklaces.
A disco Ball, or one of the rotating colored light ball things.
Music:
if you get your parents involved and have them help you find music, they will probably be more excited about the party and therefore willing to get you more decorations, and be more lenient as far as duration of the party, the volume of the music, the number of kids, ect.
Time and Duration:
My house is almost always the party house, and i ALWAYS start my parties a 7:45. might seem weird, but most people don't give it much thought, this however is VERY important to the success of my parties. the idea is that if you say "6 O'clock" or even worse "around 6ish", people will show up between 5:30 and 7:30. When the first person arrives, you will greet them, offer them a drink, and be polite, then you will sit around and wait for more people to show up, and they will trickle in... eventually, you will turn the music on, and people will be reluctant to dance, the whole night, will be "low energy" and "chill". If however you say "be at my house at 5:45, or i'll kill your dog." then everyone will show up on time (at least between 5:30 and 6:00, and you will be greeting people left and right, everyone who hasn't seen each other in a while, will be screaming and hugging, and laughing, then you shout "i'll be right back!" then go in the other room and break out the wigs, hit the music, and a energetic and enthusiastic evening ensues.
(just to clarify - it doesn't matter what time of day, just that you are specific about it.)
Cuisine:
since it's girls, i'd skip the hot wings and pizza, do something savory rather than sweet (i.e. cookies, cake and ice cream) as that would be putting sugar on top of sugar.
i can't think of anything off the top of my head, but if someone called me right now and said that i had 20 screaming 14 year old girls coming my way, i would make something that could spill and not stain, like rice, chicken, vichy carrots... i don't know, good luck with that one.
Activities:
1Dance off - for a prize
2Limbo
3Pinata
4this game is incredibly fun, but if you are embarrassed to tell your friends to do it, instruct your parents say "before anyone is allowed to eat, everyone go to the center of the room... now, everyone has to grab two hands, your right hand should be holding someones left hand, and your left hand should be holding someones right... now, without letting go, you have to untangle yourselves into one giant circle." it's best with 8 or more people.
5swimming - if you have a pool
6sardines - it's like hide n' seek, except 1 person hides while everyone else is in a room with the door shut, then everyone looks around the house, finds the person, tags them inconspicuously, and quietly returns to base... last person back is the new hider.
7i have a bonfire in my backyard every time i have guests.
avoid moves - not really quality time.
i also try to stay away from video games
8text bombing - chose one victim with unlimited texting, and have everyone send them as many messages as possible, at the same time. something like 'who is your daddy, and what does he do?'
(don't make it a mean message, or you could all get in trouble for bullying)
9taking pictures can always be fun.
10water gun fights, and shaving/whipped cream fights are also fun.
11donut baseball
12and shaving cream baseball (just use a whiffle ball and fill it) a tee might be a good idea.
13you could try to convince your parents to cover your entire floor of your bedroom with plastic and have a splatter paint fest that you could cover with paint and re-do next year.
14make-up party
good luck, i hope your party is a blast from the past!
attire, and decoration:
you can buy afro-style wigs(different colors) and give them out as party favors.
big green plastic belts. Bell bottom jeans. Aviator sunglasses with plastic frames. lots of bandannas. beads, or beaded gasparilla-style necklaces.
A disco Ball, or one of the rotating colored light ball things.
Music:
if you get your parents involved and have them help you find music, they will probably be more excited about the party and therefore willing to get you more decorations, and be more lenient as far as duration of the party, the volume of the music, the number of kids, ect.
Time and Duration:
My house is almost always the party house, and i ALWAYS start my parties a 7:45. might seem weird, but most people don't give it much thought, this however is VERY important to the success of my parties. the idea is that if you say "6 O'clock" or even worse "around 6ish", people will show up between 5:30 and 7:30. When the first person arrives, you will greet them, offer them a drink, and be polite, then you will sit around and wait for more people to show up, and they will trickle in... eventually, you will turn the music on, and people will be reluctant to dance, the whole night, will be "low energy" and "chill". If however you say "be at my house at 5:45, or i'll kill your dog." then everyone will show up on time (at least between 5:30 and 6:00, and you will be greeting people left and right, everyone who hasn't seen each other in a while, will be screaming and hugging, and laughing, then you shout "i'll be right back!" then go in the other room and break out the wigs, hit the music, and a energetic and enthusiastic evening ensues.
(just to clarify - it doesn't matter what time of day, just that you are specific about it.)
Cuisine:
since it's girls, i'd skip the hot wings and pizza, do something savory rather than sweet (i.e. cookies, cake and ice cream) as that would be putting sugar on top of sugar.
i can't think of anything off the top of my head, but if someone called me right now and said that i had 20 screaming 14 year old girls coming my way, i would make something that could spill and not stain, like rice, chicken, vichy carrots... i don't know, good luck with that one.
Activities:
1Dance off - for a prize
2Limbo
3Pinata
4this game is incredibly fun, but if you are embarrassed to tell your friends to do it, instruct your parents say "before anyone is allowed to eat, everyone go to the center of the room... now, everyone has to grab two hands, your right hand should be holding someones left hand, and your left hand should be holding someones right... now, without letting go, you have to untangle yourselves into one giant circle." it's best with 8 or more people.
5swimming - if you have a pool
6sardines - it's like hide n' seek, except 1 person hides while everyone else is in a room with the door shut, then everyone looks around the house, finds the person, tags them inconspicuously, and quietly returns to base... last person back is the new hider.
7i have a bonfire in my backyard every time i have guests.
avoid moves - not really quality time.
i also try to stay away from video games
8text bombing - chose one victim with unlimited texting, and have everyone send them as many messages as possible, at the same time. something like 'who is your daddy, and what does he do?'
(don't make it a mean message, or you could all get in trouble for bullying)
9taking pictures can always be fun.
10water gun fights, and shaving/whipped cream fights are also fun.
11donut baseball
12and shaving cream baseball (just use a whiffle ball and fill it) a tee might be a good idea.
13you could try to convince your parents to cover your entire floor of your bedroom with plastic and have a splatter paint fest that you could cover with paint and re-do next year.
14make-up party
good luck, i hope your party is a blast from the past!
What can I do with trouble making neighbors besides calling police?
Q. They make noise all hours of the night
A. Make noise at the butt crack of dawn. As soon as they settle down, you start up. Blast music, bounce a basket ball against a bedroom wall, have a screaming, swearing fight with someone in their front yard.
Ding-Dong Ditch'em isn't just for 8 year olds anymore.
(ring the door bell and run...you remember, right?)
Call up Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, give your neighbor's address and tell them you want to hear THE WORD OF THE LORD!!!
Call a few churches, and see if you can get crowds of religious folk to show up.
Rubberbands are nearly impossible to sweep up. It would be a shame if 6-7 jumbo bags spilled on their driveway. They'd have to spend hours picking them up by hand. Better yet, toss a few handfuls into the grass and plants.
Salt in lawn is a bad, bad thing. Write swear words in salt.
Write hate mail from neighbors.
Write hate mail from their kids.
Write hate mail from their pets.
Write hate mail from stalkers.
Picket them.
Especially if you can get nude/embarrassing photos of them. Blow them up to poster size at Kinkos, think up a cute chant and invite anyone who's been bothered by these people. Get a bullhorn for added annoyance.
Glue lawn statuary in sexually suggestive poses.
Throw porn on their porch. Lots of porn.
Throw pet poop on their porch.
(Forget lighting it on fire...fire is more trouble than it's worth. Arson is a felony.)
Get an air horn from a sporting goods store. Blast it a few times whenever it get super quiet around your place. Randomness is key. A few random blasts, and no one can identify where it came from. After a few days of this, toss the horn into their yard where every one can see it and blame them for the noise.
Teach their youngsters to swear and say obcene things.
I could go on...
Ding-Dong Ditch'em isn't just for 8 year olds anymore.
(ring the door bell and run...you remember, right?)
Call up Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, give your neighbor's address and tell them you want to hear THE WORD OF THE LORD!!!
Call a few churches, and see if you can get crowds of religious folk to show up.
Rubberbands are nearly impossible to sweep up. It would be a shame if 6-7 jumbo bags spilled on their driveway. They'd have to spend hours picking them up by hand. Better yet, toss a few handfuls into the grass and plants.
Salt in lawn is a bad, bad thing. Write swear words in salt.
Write hate mail from neighbors.
Write hate mail from their kids.
Write hate mail from their pets.
Write hate mail from stalkers.
Picket them.
Especially if you can get nude/embarrassing photos of them. Blow them up to poster size at Kinkos, think up a cute chant and invite anyone who's been bothered by these people. Get a bullhorn for added annoyance.
Glue lawn statuary in sexually suggestive poses.
Throw porn on their porch. Lots of porn.
Throw pet poop on their porch.
(Forget lighting it on fire...fire is more trouble than it's worth. Arson is a felony.)
Get an air horn from a sporting goods store. Blast it a few times whenever it get super quiet around your place. Randomness is key. A few random blasts, and no one can identify where it came from. After a few days of this, toss the horn into their yard where every one can see it and blame them for the noise.
Teach their youngsters to swear and say obcene things.
I could go on...
How do you train a puppy not to pee inside the house?
Q. really need some help i just got him yesterday and he is so cute but he only pee in the house and dont warn me or anything
please i need some help with this
thanks
please i need some help with this
thanks
A. Puppies don't know what you expect from them until you properly train them. While potty training your puppy try to keep your temper in check, use patience when dealing with your puppy - it is just a baby after all.
I've outlined 10 tips to use when house training your puppy:
Crate Training: Use a crate while potty training your puppy. Your puppy should be in the crate while you are at work, sleeping, or anytime you are not able to watch it. Dogs are den animals so being in a crate is natural for them. Puppies will cry and want to be released at first, but be patient, it will get used to being in the crate and come to enjoy it. Make the crate a happy place, not a punishment. Teach your puppy a command when going in the crate, for example, kennel or go to your room, this will make it easier then trying to force or push the dog into the crate later. Also, dogs are pack animals so it's helpful if you keep the crate in the bedroom where the rest of the "pack" is sleeping. This is a tough one in the beginning because the puppy will cry and you will be tempted to let it out. Tough love, if the puppy is loose in the house then it will have opportunity to potty anywhere it pleases, keep the puppy crated at night until it can be trusted in the house. You may have to let the pup outside during the night and during your lunch break during the day. Be prepared to lose some sleep, like I said, it's like having a new baby.
Take the puppy to the same area of the yard each time your puppy goes outside go with it. Take the puppy on a lead so you can be sure it goes to the same area of the yard each time. This way the puppy can smell itself and know what it's supposed to do. Only give your puppy about 10 minutes to potty, if it doesn't go, then bring it in and put it back in the crate, wait 15 - 30 minutes and take it back outside. Don't let the puppy play until it potties. Playing is a reward, don't reward bad behavior. Puppies are just little kids, they go outside, get excited, and forget why they went outside in the first place. It helps to give a command to potty, that way it learns a little faster what is expected, and later in life, if your running late, you can give the potty command and your dog will potty and be done with it.
Praise for going potty outside when the puppy potties outside - give a treat, play with a favorite toy, say "good boy", whatever, just make sure that the puppy thinks, "Wow! Going potty outside is loads of fun, I'm going to do this again!"
Tether to you while inside when you are at home, and the puppy is not in the crate, consider using a long lead to tether the puppy to you. If the puppy is loose in the house it can gain the opportunity to sneak off and use the bathroom. The idea in house training is to avoid accidents, the tether works for that purpose.
Take the puppy outside immediately following meals, drinking, playtime or excitement, when you first get home from work, and first thing in the morning. If the puppy gets excited it may have an accident, avoid the trouble by taking the puppy outside.
Take the puppy outside often try to take the puppy outside every hour. If your home, why not take the puppy outside for frequent potty breaks, it'll learn that much quicker and you'll avoid accidents, it probably has to "go" anyway.
Keep a potty journal. Keep track of how quickly food moves through the puppy. This will help you gage how quickly to get the little puppy out the door following meals.
Teach the puppy to let you know when it wants to go outside. Teach the puppy to bark, ring a bell, or scratch the door before going outside. This will help you know when he has to "go". The goal is for the puppy to get to a point where it will alert you as to when it's time for a potty break.
Paper training Using potty pads or newspaper is up to you. Some small breed owners swear by them. I personally think they are confusing to the puppy if your ultimate goal is for them to potty outside. It will take longer to house train if you first teach the pup to potty on paper, then turn around and want the pup to potty outside. Some small breed dogs don't like going outside when it is cold or wet so a lot of owners use paper during the winter season.
Invest in a good odor neutralizer. Mistakes are going to happen so plan for it. If you see your puppy make the mistake act quickly, say NO or use a penny can to startle the puppy, and run it outside to the potty place. If you didn't see the mistake happen, bite your lip, and clean the mistake. Use an odor neutralizer like Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution - these products neutralize odor instead of covering it up. You don't want the puppy going back to the same spot on your carpet.
House training is only the beginning, start thinking about obedience classes. Yes, you can probably teach your puppy to sit, down, and stay, but socialization is good for the puppy. It needs to learn that it is okay for other people, strangers, to touch its paws and ears.
It should get used to going in the car and entering strange buildings and walking properly on a leash now while it's young, that way a year from now you are not stuck with an ill mannered dog. Puppies are a lot of fun but you'll enjoy the dog more if you train properly now. What is cute on a puppy may not be so cute when it's a 75 pound Labrador - plan for the future. A proper foundation is crucial.
Here is an excellent site with some wonderful options 4 U.
I've outlined 10 tips to use when house training your puppy:
Crate Training: Use a crate while potty training your puppy. Your puppy should be in the crate while you are at work, sleeping, or anytime you are not able to watch it. Dogs are den animals so being in a crate is natural for them. Puppies will cry and want to be released at first, but be patient, it will get used to being in the crate and come to enjoy it. Make the crate a happy place, not a punishment. Teach your puppy a command when going in the crate, for example, kennel or go to your room, this will make it easier then trying to force or push the dog into the crate later. Also, dogs are pack animals so it's helpful if you keep the crate in the bedroom where the rest of the "pack" is sleeping. This is a tough one in the beginning because the puppy will cry and you will be tempted to let it out. Tough love, if the puppy is loose in the house then it will have opportunity to potty anywhere it pleases, keep the puppy crated at night until it can be trusted in the house. You may have to let the pup outside during the night and during your lunch break during the day. Be prepared to lose some sleep, like I said, it's like having a new baby.
Take the puppy to the same area of the yard each time your puppy goes outside go with it. Take the puppy on a lead so you can be sure it goes to the same area of the yard each time. This way the puppy can smell itself and know what it's supposed to do. Only give your puppy about 10 minutes to potty, if it doesn't go, then bring it in and put it back in the crate, wait 15 - 30 minutes and take it back outside. Don't let the puppy play until it potties. Playing is a reward, don't reward bad behavior. Puppies are just little kids, they go outside, get excited, and forget why they went outside in the first place. It helps to give a command to potty, that way it learns a little faster what is expected, and later in life, if your running late, you can give the potty command and your dog will potty and be done with it.
Praise for going potty outside when the puppy potties outside - give a treat, play with a favorite toy, say "good boy", whatever, just make sure that the puppy thinks, "Wow! Going potty outside is loads of fun, I'm going to do this again!"
Tether to you while inside when you are at home, and the puppy is not in the crate, consider using a long lead to tether the puppy to you. If the puppy is loose in the house it can gain the opportunity to sneak off and use the bathroom. The idea in house training is to avoid accidents, the tether works for that purpose.
Take the puppy outside immediately following meals, drinking, playtime or excitement, when you first get home from work, and first thing in the morning. If the puppy gets excited it may have an accident, avoid the trouble by taking the puppy outside.
Take the puppy outside often try to take the puppy outside every hour. If your home, why not take the puppy outside for frequent potty breaks, it'll learn that much quicker and you'll avoid accidents, it probably has to "go" anyway.
Keep a potty journal. Keep track of how quickly food moves through the puppy. This will help you gage how quickly to get the little puppy out the door following meals.
Teach the puppy to let you know when it wants to go outside. Teach the puppy to bark, ring a bell, or scratch the door before going outside. This will help you know when he has to "go". The goal is for the puppy to get to a point where it will alert you as to when it's time for a potty break.
Paper training Using potty pads or newspaper is up to you. Some small breed owners swear by them. I personally think they are confusing to the puppy if your ultimate goal is for them to potty outside. It will take longer to house train if you first teach the pup to potty on paper, then turn around and want the pup to potty outside. Some small breed dogs don't like going outside when it is cold or wet so a lot of owners use paper during the winter season.
Invest in a good odor neutralizer. Mistakes are going to happen so plan for it. If you see your puppy make the mistake act quickly, say NO or use a penny can to startle the puppy, and run it outside to the potty place. If you didn't see the mistake happen, bite your lip, and clean the mistake. Use an odor neutralizer like Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution - these products neutralize odor instead of covering it up. You don't want the puppy going back to the same spot on your carpet.
House training is only the beginning, start thinking about obedience classes. Yes, you can probably teach your puppy to sit, down, and stay, but socialization is good for the puppy. It needs to learn that it is okay for other people, strangers, to touch its paws and ears.
It should get used to going in the car and entering strange buildings and walking properly on a leash now while it's young, that way a year from now you are not stuck with an ill mannered dog. Puppies are a lot of fun but you'll enjoy the dog more if you train properly now. What is cute on a puppy may not be so cute when it's a 75 pound Labrador - plan for the future. A proper foundation is crucial.
Here is an excellent site with some wonderful options 4 U.
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Title Post: Attention Mommies: Your best tips for organization for a mommy of 4?
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Rating: 97% based on 9598 ratings. 4,8 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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