potty training

Tonya - posted on 02/10/2009

I worked in a preschool in the potty training room for two years and the way we potty trained was based on consitancy. We would take the children to the bathroom every hour or every half hour if need be. There were stickers on a chart that they would get when they went. When there was an accident they were changed and sat on the potty. Then if they went even a little they would get a sticker. If not no sticker was given for their chart or book. I found that the acknowledgement for the good deeds and no response for the accidents seemed to work the best. Some kids would like the negative reactions just as much as the positive because they would get attention so just rewarding the positive worked well.

Brandi - posted on 02/10/2009

Oh and the baby food wasn't used as a punishment, I actually gave her the choice...

She could go in her pants, but she would eat baby food, or she could go in the potty and get a sticker...  just wanted you to know that she didn't get punished for going in her pants.

Catherine - posted on 02/10/2009

You could try to use the book "Toilet Training in less than a Day" by Nathan H. Azrin and Rchard M. Foxx. It says in it that you can still use the method if your child is already partially trained but recomends that someone besides the person who origionally did the training uses the method.

Brandi - posted on 02/10/2009

My 3yr old had been completely potty trained for a little over a year whenever we had our second daughter; w/ the new baby around, my oldest decided to start going in her pants again. I had to get creative when nothing else worked... I gave her baby food whenever she went in her pants and I told her that only babies pottied in their pants and if she was going to act like a baby, then she had to eat baby food... a couple of bites of green beans and broccoli chicken, and she decided that it wasn't for her! It was an easy fix to a difficult problem and since it was baby food it was completely safe. (She had the baby food when she went in her pants, and I rewarded her w/ stickers when she went in the potty) You may disagree w/ my methods, but it worked and it worked quickly. I've also heard of the M&M reward system that Cheryl suggested. Does she look forward to starting school? If she does, you could explain to her that it is important for her to keep her pants clean and dry to go to school. Good luck to you!

Deborah - posted on 02/10/2009

She will get there. Did you let her pick fun underwear? That helped me son. One day he just "got it". Hang in there. When she gets to school and sees her friends going to the bathroom - she is not going to want to have any accidents. Pushing her, etc. will not help. Encouraging is key. Make a HUGE deal when she goes and be SAD when she has accidents - but not degrading or MAD. She'll see your joy in her going successfully and she WILL get it. I promise.

Cheryl - posted on 02/10/2009

hmmmm well have you tried a award system.....if she does #1 she gets 1 m&m and if she does #2 she gets 2.....that is a thought as i have heard that has worked for others