"potty-training" patience! need advice.

Nancy - posted on 05/12/2010

Every kid is different my son learn in 4 days regular underwear day and night make sure u have extra pants, underwear and to change the bed in the night. My son start going when I tell him that if he learns he gets to go to school soon (he has been asking to go to school) everything else did not work (candy, toys, stickers etc) he learn to go to him self but now I just need to show him #2. He is going to be 3yrs and it took me 8 months no luck until I did it with underwear only. Good Luck!!

Suzanne - posted on 05/07/2010

Potty training can be a major challenge unless you have a 'plan'. I always recommend finding a potty training program that you think will fit your parenting style, and then following it to a 'T'. I wrote a guide a while back that goes over all the different methods out there...you might find it interesting. The link below takes you to Amazon.com, where the guide is written.

http://tinyurl.com/25lctbx

Congratulations, though, on talking the initiative. Potty training is HARD WORK but so worth it end the end!

Warmly,
Suzanne Riffel, author of 'The Potty Boot Camp: Basic Training for Toddlers'
www.thepottybootcamp.com

Karen - posted on 05/05/2010

I'm in the midst of potty training my 2.5 year old son...After having taken 6-9 months to potty train my daughter, I'm not over zealous about doing it yet...I take him to the potty after he's had something to drink and know it might be time. I have him in pullups and tell him if he goes he gets one M&M. He knows if he doesn't go he doesn't get one. I originally put him on the big potty and thought, maybe if I bought a little potty chair, he could go on his own or at least have access to go on his own...That little potty chair lasted for 2 days I think and now he just wants the big potty. He is pretty regular with his poop, going in the mornings shortly after he wakes up so I keep a diaper on him until he has done that. (I'm not ready to tackle the poop in potty yet...small steps :) ) But anyway...being that it took my daughter so long, I'm not putting a time table on my son. I just don't know when to introduce the underwear instead of pull-ups. I tell him when I put the pull-ups on that we don't pee in the pull-ups we pee in the potty but he doesn't get that, or at least doesn't show me that he does...Also, I wonder if he is still too young b/c he can't even pull up/down his shorts on his own. What started me potty training him was I sat him on the potty and told him to "put the pee in the potty" and he looked at his pee-pee and went. And has done that everytime he goes...so I know he can control it. Or can boys just pee on cue? (this was something that took my daughter forever to get that concept). Now being just 3 weeks in the process I am not consistent when we are out running errands or away from our house, fyi...

Gina - posted on 05/05/2010

Hi fellow moms! My friend suggested letting our potty trainee go naked during the day. This way, the sensation of needing to go is not inhibited by clothing. It has worked great so far! We actually have way less accidents than when she's clothed. We also use easy on and off clothing when we go out so she can get to the potty quickly, setting her up for success. It's good to read that others have the same frustrations and the tips are great! Don't lose heart!

Cristina - posted on 05/05/2010

Dear Mums, many thanks for those tips, I am planning to start potty-training my 2 1/2 years old next month when the weather will be a little warm than now. And yours experience encourage me to be more patience than I am planning to be.

Rebecca - posted on 05/03/2010

I actually have both but mostly she uses the potty chair just because she can do it all by herself easily. She will use the toilet seat if needed however. When we are out now, i can just hold her on a regular toilet seat and she will use it. It took us some time to get to that point though.

Angie - posted on 05/03/2010

Are you using a toilet or a potty chair? Our oldest was "scared" of the toilet we realized and a potty chair solved a lot of meltdowns!

Rebecca - posted on 05/03/2010

I went through something similar with my daughter. When I felt she was ready I tried using the pull ups route and taking her to the potty several times a day. In the end she just resisted and went in her pull up. I found that I had to just put her in undies and reminder her constantly to go pee pee, and poo poo in the potty. For months she would have several accidents in her pants and at times it would seem like she was making great progress and have almost no accidents and then she would digress and almost never make it to the potty. Bribes did not work with her, only praise. We made sure to give her tons of praise every time she went. We just kept at it and now accidents are a very rare thing. She now only wears a diaper at night and nap time. We now even trust her outside of the house with no diaper/pull up. I have to say that this took us about 4-6 months to get to this point.

In the end, you just have to keep at it and be patient with them. Find the reward that work for your child and over exaggerate your excitement when they use the potty.

Jayme - posted on 05/02/2010

wait a week giv him a break an ur self an tell him hes a big boy an pampers r to small for him now an watch him an when u think hes goin take him to the toilt thourgh the wk after the wk than wake him 5 mins befor he gets up an put him on the potty an keep him there intill he goes then let him no how happy u r an at night do the same an hour b 4 bed after 10 mins take him off thats the 1st wk if he says he wants to go let him durin the day a little while after drinkin put him on the potty for like 10 mins if he goes b happy if he dont say maybe next time the 2ed wk if hes doin ok meaning sometimes than start puttin undies on him an let him know its not good to dirty them an if he does hav him help u clean them still do from first wk also take him to store an hav him pic what he wants best of luck

Heather - posted on 05/01/2010

If he doesn't like the toilet, back off a bit. has he watched you or dad use the toilet. It might be less scary for him if he knows mom and dad are using it.

Sheila - posted on 04/30/2010

thanks so much for your encouragement. it is so, so appreciated.

Colette - posted on 04/29/2010

what age is ur son? i am training my boy for 3 mts now an yesterday he only started tellin me wen he wanted 2 go 2 do wee wee (as he calls it) i ad d same problem at d start but he will eventually get it ,i used 2 take my boy 2 d bathroom every 15 -20 mins at d start an now i take him every hr an he hasnt had an accident in a long time but as 4 poopin in d toilet that is another story he hasnt mastered that yet but i do not push him he will wen he is ready i know it can be frustrating but it will get better i av seen great progress in my little boy over d last 3 mts. hope this is of some help !