2yr old Challenges

Melissa - posted on 10/28/2011

My suggestion to get rid of the bottle first, then wait a week or two and take away the dummy. Then give her maybe a month and attempt potty training. If you take away too many things at once it will be very overwhelming for her. She has to understand that only babies have bottles and dummies and that she is not a baby, she is a big girl. I know my oldest had a hard time with getting rid of her pacifier because my youngest had one, but it had to be done. Be prepared for her to try as hard as she can to make you give in. But stick to it. She will grow more without the bottle and dummy and maybe even be more happy to potty train without those things. I bought my girls a "potty book" when they were little, and as they sit on the potty we read books. With my oldest I made a chart and she got to put a sticker on it everytime she went potty in the potty. It worked for us. I've known parents who used m&m's as rewards when their kids went potty in the potty. And even when potty trained sometimes kids revert a little. Mine have at different points when they don't feel they're getting enough attention, etc. It's hard when you have more then one, but (if you don't already) get her involved in helping out with the baby. It will make her feel important and will help her grow both in her relationship with her brother, but also to grow emotionally. Good Luck!

Ashley - posted on 10/27/2011

My son is 2 years old a 3 months he is potty trained. He refused to use the small training potty we bought him so we went straight for the big boy potty. I made I huge deal EVERYTIME he used the potty. I clapped danced and acted super excited and he loved it. Different things work for different children.

Alisha - posted on 10/24/2011

My daughter is 2 1/2, I started potty training her at 16 months, which went pretty good. Then softball season started up (which my 10yo plays) and there are NO potties at the fields for practice and we were at practice for 3-4 hours, so I had to back off. Which I hated, I would have carried a toddler potty but my daughter will not use it. So we have started back, and she will only tell me she has to go when we are at the football games (which my oldest plays in the band so we are at ball games yet again.) I am at a loss as to what to do...at home I put her on the potty every 15-20 mins and she will not use it but as soon as I put her pullup on she potties in it. But she will tell me at a game that she needs to go. HELP??

Heidi - posted on 01/27/2011

We backed off. Tried for a few days, and then she would get upset sitting on the potty. My plan right now is to wait for warmer weather and then let her run around naked, she doesn't care if her underpants are wet, but she didn't like it running down her legs. She also has a "lovie" as we call it. If it was up to her Mousie would go everywhere. She loves it so much, it is scary! The food thing is annoying too. She asks for things and then says, "YUCKY" and just doesn't eat. If a toddler can live on yogurt alone, then we are all good. She loves gogurt and ate 3 the other morning.

Ashley - posted on 01/25/2011

My little girl is almost 27 months and was showing signs of being ready to potty train also. But after 2 days of trying it she started to cry when I sat her on the potty so I am definitely backing off. I know when she's going in her diaper but I can't tell right before she needs to go and she won't tell me yet either. I am glad to hear everyone says to back off and take it slow, that is comforting. The last thing I want is for potty training to stress us both out! My daughter also goes through "food streaks" as I call them. One week she will eat broccoli everyday and the next week wants nothing to do with it. Dinner is always my biggest struggle though. I always offer her what we are eating along with some fruit that I know she likes. If she hasn't eaten much all day I will try 1-2 more choices, just to get her to eat a little something. But there is usually one night a week where she will only have 1-2 bites of food for dinner. I tell myself if she was starving she would eat, she's fine.

Clara - posted on 01/21/2011

The reason why it takes longer to potty train our little ones is because the nappies are so good !! They dont feel uncomfortable when wetting themselves, why would want potty train ?

Clara - posted on 01/21/2011

my daughter eats what she wants when she wants !! We only have healthy option available, but she decides what she eats at every meal !

If she eats grapes for breakfast and eggs for dinner, at least she ate !!

Children eat when they are hungry - we never force her to eat, I do alot of research, as I want to become an attachment consultant.

STOP worrying about food period !! They will eat when they are hungry !!

She is just a normal 2 year old ...

How are you dealing with the attachment to the new baby ?

Amelia - posted on 01/20/2011

Thanks ladies for the advice. I have given up on the potty training for now as I can see that she isn't ready yet. I will wait for her to lead me. I have taken away the bottle as she drinks with sippy cups during the day anyway. Now I just put her rooibos tea in a sippy cup before bed and it went perfect last night with it. She doesn't even use the dummy during the night, she doesn't even want it clipped to her pajamas. She only puts it in her mouth during the day when she puts her doll's dummy in her mouth. So I have put them away too. For today it went good. Will see how it goes for the next few days. I just really wanted her potty trained before winter in SA and because I have a 4mnth old on nappies too, but I will wait until she is ready. Don't want to bring too much change in her life at this moment. Tell me are your kiddies also sometimes just very fussy with food, one day she will eat rice and the next week she doesn't want it, ons day meat, the next week she doesn't want it. I try and give her what we having for dinner, but sometimes have to go make something else as she wouldn't eat the food. Just interested if I'm alone with this one...?

Louise - posted on 01/20/2011

I agree with Clara my daughter is 26 months and is not potty trained and has a dummy at night only with her blankie. She also has one bottle a day in the morning as she refuses to drink milk out of anything but. I have two adult children to who were the same I let them decide when they wanted to drop the dummy and believe me they all do in time. My son was 2 years 6 months when he was ready for potty training and my other son was 2 years 4 months so I have plenty of time with my daughter. I would not even attempt potty training if your daughter is not showing any interest as all this does is stress you and her out and keep your washing machine in action. Take the lead from your daughter to have a successful, stress free toilet training. If you have not already then restrict the dummy to her bed and for sleep only and she will eventually leave it out her mouth and ignore it. As for the bottles she will one day realise that she is a big girl and not want them anymore. trying to take her bottle and dummy and nappy away all at the same time is to much and is a recipe for disaster.

Clara - posted on 01/19/2011

My daughter is 2, not potty trained, not of the bottle, loves her blanket and is the happiest toddler on the block. I wouldnt want it any other way....

Clara - posted on 01/19/2011

naomialdort.com

Jaclyn - posted on 01/15/2011

Toilet training..ahh yes how fun :) my son wouldn't use the potty in the toilet or just the big toilet either i actually started him off where he felt comfortable say she goes into the pantry to do it..put the potty in the pantry and slowly once a week bring it out and work it down to the toilet my son started int he loungeroom and ended up in the bathroom but it is a hard thing to do my son was only 2 1/2 when i trained him because he was just not interested. My other son is 2 at the moment and he still has a dummy and a bottle. But .. the dummy to take away you can always put a little hole in each dummy and fill it with lemon juice..once she realizes the bad taste in them she will most likely stop wanting them. As for the bottle..try changing it to a drinking cup to take to bed and then make it just before she goes to bed she sits up with you while you read her a book and she has her drink of milk then and tell her how she's such a big girl now praise her for everything.!! But sometimes if they're not ready...don't force them it will make them feel very upset and scared. If you scare her with the potty training..she WILL NOT GO and you'll have to postphone it...if u think she's ready then do it..but really watch for the signs that she's interested . Good luck