Can you guys please give me your best tips? Pretty please.
Layla is 2 and a half and can be so stubborn. I feel like I really don't know what I'm doing in regards to potty training. Serena is 11 and you would think I've done this before, but back then I was working full time and my sitter did it for me. I know I continued with it once I brought her home, but I really can't remember what I did with it being so long ago.
I have the potty for Layla, have underwear and have started and stopped a few times.
We started when Madeline was 2 1/2 and she wasn't ready. It wasn't until she turned 3 that things really clicked. I'd back off and wait until she's really more ready. Forcing her is only going to make it miserable for both of you.
Eddy, the not making it a battle crossed my mind today since I made her put on underwear after I changed her morning diaper. She took them off and cried and whined and I let her go on like that for about 12 minutes hoping she'd see I wouldn't budge, but I caved and put her diaper back on. I'm constantly talking to her about going in the potty and she each time she says "Okkk" like she understands, but she never tells me when she has to go and just goes in the diaper.
We tried when DD was 2.5 - she balked completely. We tried again at 3 and she potty trained herself in 2 days including overnight. Stop pushing, trust me.
It seems like most people start around 2 so I figured I'd give it a shot. Not to mention I've got another one in diapers and it would be nice to have to change one less diaper lol.
I tried at 2, he just wasn't ready. He was ready at 3.5 and it was so easy. He was PT in about a week. I just had to quit listening to the dumb people around me insisting he HAD to be PT by 3.
Post by ElizabethBennet on Nov 18, 2013 11:59:31 GMT -5
She doesn't sound ready at all. And making it a battle of wills sounds like the worst possible thing to do while potty training. Do it when she is ready, not when you are ready.
Post by hopecounts on Nov 18, 2013 11:59:40 GMT -5
I did the bare bottom method. I fixed her pure juice (usually its watered down) then kept us in the kitchen with the little potty (any enclosed room would work) I watched her like a hawk and when she started to go hurried her to the potty with a "pee pee goes in the potty" reminder if she went any in the potty I rewarded her with m&ms. By afternoon she was taking herself to the potty to pee and poop. The next day we added in panties and returned to normal beverages and kept the same routine watched her closely. She had one accident first thing in the morning but after that she got it and would ask for help and go in the potty. She's had a few accidents here and there usually when we're doing something fun and she doesn't want to stop but for the most part it was super easy doing it this way once we got through the 2 days. We stayed in and home for 3 days straight to make sure that she got it before we tried outings. We started with the library on day 4 because it's relatively close to home and pretty low key so less distractions. Then we went back to normal with change of clothes and other emergency stuff just in case.
Eddy, the not making it a battle crossed my mind today since I made her put on underwear after I changed her morning diaper. She took them off and cried and whined and I let her go on like that for about 12 minutes hoping she'd see I wouldn't budge, but I caved and put her diaper back on. I'm constantly talking to her about going in the potty and she each time she says "Okkk" like she understands, but she never tells me when she has to go and just goes in the diaper.
My DCP said something very wise to me that made me reframe how I approached this. Kid's this age only have control of two things; 1. What they put in their mouth and 2. how they do to the bathroom.
She has to WANT to PT to be successful. At some point she will decide it is gross to go in the diaper and boom you will be done.
One thing I did do was make diaper changes really unappealing. So I would change when he was having fun with something and I would take a loooooong time. I wanted him to figure out that he could go to the bathroom, and be back at his activity in no time. but I did that closer to 3 when I knew he was on the brink of PT.
It seems like most people start around 2 so I figured I'd give it a shot. Not to mention I've got another one in diapers and it would be nice to have to change one less diaper lol.
i think a lot of people introduce it. so, books about potty, having them sit on the potty before the bath. taking them to the bathroom with you. that sort of thing. but potty training boot camp? no, probably still too early for that.
This. We offered the potty starting at 2, but while Anna was interested and fuly trained by 2.5, Sophia didn't show any interest until almost 3. She was trained for pee just before her third birthday, but it took her another 3 months or so for poop. In hindsight, I should have gone back to diapers once I realized she wouldn't poop on the potty instead of spending three months cleaning shitty underwear.
Oh yeah and we told him once he pooped in the potty we would go directly to Target to pick out a toy. He was SOOOO excited when he finally did it, but the offer was out there for a couple months.
Also, don't just jump into the big girl underwear. That's really stressful to kids. Keep the diaper going and suggest going potty a few times throughout the day. Bring books to read in there while she sits on the potty. Make it as fun as possible. Elmo Potty Time was a big hit in my house too.
If she's not ready, back off and try again in a few months.
I had no intentions of buying her underwear until we went to a children's store a month ago and little sticky fingers was trying to shove a pair behind her in the stroller as I was checking out. I ended up buying her 3 pairs because she liked them and I thought it might help her get excited about wearing them.
Henry is 2.5 and we are just starting. Right now we are following his lead and doing potty training lite. Lol. He pooped on the toilet yesterday and was so, so proud of himself.
I remember when we were on the brink with Jack and he said something really intelligent (I wish I could remember what it was) and both H and I looked at each other and were like "Okay kid if you can talk like that you can pee on the potty." lol.
My son turned 3 at the end of August, and we're still not there; he just doesn't want to. He has all of the readiness signs except wanting to do it. Part of it is the 2 times we have gotten him into big boy undies, he sat on the potty for a bit, stood up and not even a minute later he peed out on his clothes; so now he associates underwear with the horror of being wet (he's very clean and fastidious about it). We are just making it completely low pressure, keep talking about it, and when he wants to sit on the potty or wear undies we encourage it; but I think he will just be one of those kids where when he's ready it will happen all at once.
Eddy, the not making it a battle crossed my mind today since I made her put on underwear after I changed her morning diaper. She took them off and cried and whined and I let her go on like that for about 12 minutes hoping she'd see I wouldn't budge, but I caved and put her diaper back on. I'm constantly talking to her about going in the potty and she each time she says "Okkk" like she understands, but she never tells me when she has to go and just goes in the diaper.
honestly, given that you've been making it a battle of wills, i would completely go away from it for at least a month or two and then bring it back really slow, WITHOUT the control factor. start asking her if she wants to try, implement a reward system (m&ms or sticker chart) and then put a BIG lure at the end. i know that DotAndBuzz had some sort of amazing,y huge princess toy thing and she just kept it in the box in the living room and reminded the little one that once she starts to pee/poop on the toilet, she can have the big girl toy. having that present in her face 24/7 was really motivating.
but don't make it a battle of wills. you will lose every time!
Yes, we did that but only because she was flat out refusing to use the potty. Like, she'd hold it for 7 hours, and then pee all over the floor. She had mastered the control, and got what it was all about, and at that point it had turned into an epic battle. Because she *could* do it, she just didn't' want to. So we used the Ariel Princess Salon table (unopened, in the box) as a way to help her want to do it. We decided to let it be her choice to work towards that. We did a sticker chart so that she could track her progress. The deal was she had to go on the potty whenever we asked/reminded her, without any fights for a whole week, and then she could have the toy. If she put up a fight or tried to resist, we said ok, no problem. We'll put this away until you decide you want to start the week again. That did the trick, and walla, she got the ugliest, tackiest piece of plastic with play scissors and a curling iron (WTMF DISNEY?!!?) in her room.
HOWEVER. She was right around age 3 at that point. We started the potty training around 2.5, and it was less than great. She got it, sort of, but then the power struggles started. If yours is 2.5 and not feeling it, don't push it. Our pedi said that most kids will be able to PT by age 3. So you can either start early and PT for a year (or 6 months, or whatever), or you can start at age 3, work on it for a week or 2, and be done. I think that is so so so true. If she's showing definite signs and is wiling earlier, by all means, go for it! But I wouldn't really push it until she is closer to 3.
In the words of my friend's pediatrician: "You can start potty training at two and finish at three or you can start and finish at three." I don't think that's true for all kids, but it sounds like it might be for yours. It was for mine. One day (at 34 months) she woke up and said "mommy I want to potty train." This attempt went much better than our earlier tries. She's in a pull-up over night and for long drives (at my insistence) but otherwise doing well.
2.5 sounds early. The norm in DD1's preschool was 3-3.5. I know our mothers all claim to have had us trained by 18 months, but with my older daughter this would have been impossible.
When she seemed ready, we did a "say bye bye to diapers" day, then we just started putting her in underwear and watched her like a hawk. It took about 3-4 days for her to get the hang of it. She still wore training underwear at night for a long time, specially since she had sleep apnea before her tonsils came out.
Hart is 3 and we just started reintroducing the idea.
If it helps, we found that wearing no underwear or pull up keeps him clued into potty breaks. He forgets when he wears underwear, I assume because they feel like pull ups/diapers.
This has made for moderate success. That and Smarties for rewards.
In the words of my friend's pediatrician: "You can start potty training at two and finish at three or you can start and finish at three."
OMG this is sooooo true. One of my best friends - I love her, but god her approach to PT'ing is annoying, and must be exhausting to be implementing. Starting when the kid is around 18m, about every 10 minutes she asks if he has to go potty, makes him come with her in the bathroom, follows him around to see if he starts crouching in a corner, etc. Our older kids are about the same age - she started "PTing" hers about a year ahead of us, and they were finally both out of diapers at the same time.
I tried potty training my daughter a few times with no success. I tried the 3 day potty training method, but she just wasn't ready. I was feeling pressured because I had a few friends whose kids were younger than DD and already potty trained.
It was very frustrating because I knew she could do it if she wanted, but she just didn't want to... so I quit pushing.
One day she came home from daycare and said she had to use the potty. Went over and did it and never looked back. I was amazed. I truly believe when they are ready they are ready. This was a month or 2 before she turned 3.
Going poop in the potty was another issue though. She would pee no problem, but she was scared to poop and would always cry for a pull up. I bought a toy I knew she wanted and kept it on the kitchen table. I told her when she pooped on the potty she could have it. About a week after I bought it she finally went.