Potty learning starts today

[starbuckmom]

Wish me luck! It's an all or nothing approach. I feel my ds really doesn't care if he has a wet or poopy diaper but when I say it's time to change it, he will tell me if it's wet. He is 3 years and 2mos old. I am going to try for a week and if he still doesn't get it, then we are back to diapers. I don't want an unhappy child. I bought him underwear and we will try that and keep going to the potty every 1/2 hour with lots of liquid in between. I am going to make a chart too with stickers and see if that would work too.

Any type of tips, hints or suggestions, please let me know.

[blossomgoat]

Go for it!!!

We started at 30 min, then 45 min, then an hour, and now we're at 1.5 hours to 2 hours. Plan your week to include lots of time in the kitchen or other places with lots of tile or linoleum or other non-carpeted surfaces. At 23 mos, we are about as fully trained as we can get without her telling us WHEN she has to pee. LOL. Be prepared for it to take more than a week, too.

We never did rewards, but then DD was 19 months when she started and didn't get the reward thing anyway. We did lots of potty books and videos, tho.

I hear a combo of salty snacks and juices to drink works wonders for filling the bladder. Also, I hear that the child must help wipe up any accidents. Maybe make cookies as an excuse to spend time in the kitchen?

[starbuckmom]

Thanks, blossomgoat! Everything you said, I have heard before so I am excited to try having this knowledge under my belt. Thankfully, we have hard floor throughout the house. Hardwood floors that is. I like the idea of making cookies and my ds loves to help! I intend on having a bucket of water and vinegar ready to go for wiping up messes. The only other thing I can think of is having a very positive attitude about it all. Ds just needs to finish breakfast and the potty training starts!

[syndibee]

With the all or nothing approach i say NEVER go back to the diapers. Or he'll be more resistant if he makes it past the time of no diapers and then gets them back. Make it truely all or nothing
I agree with the be prepared for lots of accidents and plan on staying home through this period.
Maybe symbolically have your son throw away the package of diapers if he's in disposable. If he's in cloth bag up the diapers and have him throw them away (you can sneek in later to pull them out of the garbage). This shows him that you are serious about the no more diapers thing.
Yes he's ready to be potty trained, and he's obviously very stubborn for not doing so yet. Stick to your guns and if your approach doesn't work, don't give up but try something new......WITHOUT going back to the diapers.

my son used a "peepee" cup instead of a potty to pee in. he was afraid of the potty (this was just after he turned 2). We took a regular drinking cup and he and I both drew on it with permanent marker and set it in a very easy to get to place. It was easily transported from one room to the next. He loved peeing in it then dumping it into the toilet and flushing.
His reward for using the potty is still being able to be the one to flush it.
Many people throw a cheerio into the potty for their boys to aim for. I just tell them to make peepee bubbles in the water. My son also wouldn't use a small kiddy potty, he wanted the big one...without a seat ring.
for rewards if your sticker chart doesn't work, then maybe a single m&m or skittle after each pee and 3 after a successful poopie.
I'd give him rewards for letting you know he has to pee even if he doesn't make it to the potty.
most of all GOOD LUCK TO THE PARENTS and lots of patience!!!! stick to it, potty training can be harder on you than the little one.

[starbuckmom]

I am going to have him help me put the diapers away in the nursery and let him know that they are now for the babies when they come. I still need night time diapers as I know he isn't ready for that.

So far he has been in underwear for almost an hour and no accidents. It's about time to sit on the potty again tho. I hope he does go a little bit so he gets the idea. He has already eaten 2 M&M's for at least sitting on the potty for as long as he did. I read 3 books to him.

[syndibee]

YAY keep it up momma
your enthusiasm is great, I'm sure he'll catch a drift of that. Now it's all about the learning.
Though don't discard the "garbage" idea completely. It's easier for a 3 yr old to grasp than saving for future babies in the nursery
You might want to get a few pairs of very absorbent training pants for night time as another reward for being such a big boy during the daytime so he doesn't need the diapers anymore at all.

[starbuckmom]

Ok, just had our first accident. Not even 2 mins after sitting on the toilet for at least 10 mins. I made sure he had something to drink while he sat on the toilet and before too. I was hoping, but at least we are trying. I am going to give him at least 15 mins then it's back to the toilet. He had quite a bit to drink. I wonder if he feels when he is going potty? He just came to me and said that he need a towel to clean up the floor. I made him clean it up and then wash his hands. I did have him remind me where potty goes. He said the toilet. I still wonder if he isn't mature enough. Physically and mentally. I hate that I am second guessing myself here. I really want this to work.


Had the first poopy accident now too. I am down to one pair of undies. I have no clue as where to go now. I guess I just let him run around w/o underwear on. I still don't think he gets it yet and doesn't care.
I had a positive attitude earlier but now I am getting frustrated. Not the dirtying the undies, but frustrated that I don't think he gets it and I have no control over that.
I don't know if I am going to make it thru the day.

Not even 1 min after sitting on the toilet, he pees in his underwear. What am I doing wrong?

[blossomgoat]

Just keep doing it. DD has had moments where she has accidents when I would have thought there couldn't be one... like peeing on the potty 2 times in 45 min and also having 3 accidents in that time. ??? Or she'll not pee on the pot and then 10 min later pee on the floor. It takes practice and patience.

I definitely second the not going back to diapers idea. We started when DD was 19 months old and had 3 weeks of huge success. Then DD got a stomach bug and I put her back into diapers and trainers. After the bug went away I figured I'd just go back to our potty routine but leave her in the diapers just in case. WRONG. She wouldn't even hold it 30 minutes anymore. Finally, after a month of failure, our daycare lady said, "put her back in undies." Within 3 days we were back to being 95% potty trained.

THey know diapers and toilets are for pee and poo, but undies aren't.

[syndibee]

aw you aren't doing anything wrong.
sure he doesn't get it...that's the "learning" part.
he'll get it, just stick it out.
and you need more undies....i say at least 15 pair!!!
I never gave extra drinks to my kids, just did the every 30 min's potty. reward for success and reminder at the accidents.
you're doing great
sure it's frustrating, but you will all get through. don't look at the whole day, just make it to the next sit down on the potty time, then the next, then the next.
maybe he would get a thrill out of standing to pee. try it out. the little boy i watch just turned 3 (today is his birthday) and we are also working on potty learning for him.
he's enthusiastic about standing to pee though just doesn't understand the feeling of having to pee yet.
I'm right there with you today
lets make it through the day together.

[starbuckmom]

I am so frustrated that I am in tears. How is it that I was able to potty train 3 children that were in my care as a nanny but I can't even do this for my son? I feel like such a failure. Thats what I get for having high hopes for this week. Right now he is in a diaper. I don't think he cares at all. He could be in diapers till he's 5 and he'd be happy.The only thing I can think of is letting him run around with no underwear at all and let him pee when he needs to and maybe he will start understanding what it feels like when he needs to pee. I don't know what else to do.