Need Advice!!

[Manna]

So Breanna's ready to potty train. Or at least, she seems to be. Has been for a few months now. But with wrapping up college and everything else going on here, I decided to wait until Summer, because I wanted to be informed and have enough time to commit to it (consistency is the key in parenting...THAT much I know!).

I'm reading The Everything Potty Training Book, and looking up advice online. But I wanted to hear your stories. How did you potty-train your children? And I mean I want to hear ALL about it! I want the poopy details! lol...

Honestly, I have NO idea what I'm doing here! lol...I have never been this ignorant in anything concerning parenting over the past two years!

 

[Momma2H]

Well, I haven't gotten to that point yet, but I will soon enough. But, I have been through siblings being potty trained and even my 7 year old SIL. All my MIL had to do for my SIL was buy some "big girl" panties, which were Dora, and tell her that if she wants to wear them, she has to go potty like a big girl. It worked like a charm for her. I think the "reward system" is the best approach to potty-training. Just my opinion though. Good luck with it!

 

[Sophia7]

If you really want the "poopy details," I have some to give! I have a six-year-old son and twin four-year-old girls. I pretty much just let them decide when they were ready to go potty in the potty chair. I encouraged them to sit on it when I thought they were old enough to understand what it was for, but nothing happened until they decided that it was time.

We had a potty chair sitting in our bathroom for a long time before our son was ready to use it. He was about three before he even took an interest in it. Then he learned pretty quickly to go potty. He even learned pretty quickly to stand up like his dad to go potty. The problem was that during nap time, he wouldn't always bother to come out of his room; he would just go potty in his room, aiming it toward the wall. A couple of times when I went into his room, he said, "I didn't go potty on the wall." I had to keep inspecting his room for wet spots. Until recently, he would even sometimes get out of bed at night without really waking up and think he was going potty in the toilet when he was actually going potty in a Lego bucket in his closet. Until he was about four, he also had the bad habit of going poopy in his room (on purpose, not while sleepwalking) occasionally, which was really disgusting. I had a terrible time keeping his carpet clean for a long time.

People say that potty training girls is easier, but for me, it was even harder; they just started the process earlier. The twins were two when they all of a sudden decided to start going potty in the potty chair. Before that, though, they gave me a very hard time. When they were about 18 months old, they started taking off their dirty diapers in their room and smearing them all over the floor and/or their bed. At first I thought that maybe I could potty train them then, but they weren't ready yet. I dreaded going into their room after nap time or in the morning when they woke up, for fear of what I would find. Sometimes they even went poopy in buckets or on other toys in their room; I told them that I would not wash their toys when they did that and threw them away instead. I invested in a handheld carpet spot cleaner. I also looked up some parenting forums on the Internet and found some suggestions. I tried duct taping their diapers, which worked for a while, and then they figured out how to peel each other's duct tape off. I tried putting their pajamas inside out so they couldn't unzip them, and that worked for a while, also, until they figured out how to wriggle out of their pajamas without unzipping them. I tried giving them cold showers when they needed to be cleaned up after such an episode. I tried so many things, but nothing worked for long. I was so discouraged because I felt as if they would never get over it. They did finally get better after they started going potty in the potty chair, but it took months for them to grow out of it completely.

One thing that did help somewhat was giving them rewards. I used gummy bears--one for going potty in the potty chair and two for poopy. Some people use stickers or other non-food items. The only problem with the rewards was that the girls learned to manipulate the system and would go potty about every five minutes, so I had to put some time limits on the rewards.

Bed wetting was another frustrating thing. The girls actually quit wearing Pull-ups at night much earlier than my son did. He was four before he could stay dry at night, but then he hardly ever wet the bed again. The girls were three. They stayed dry for months, and then suddenly they began wetting the bed at night, every night, so they had to wear Pull-ups again for a few months. Then they were dry again for a few months. Then one of them started wetting the bed almost every night again. Fortunately, they have both been dry again for the last few months, except for one accident recently, so I am hoping that they are finally growing out of this, too.

I know that everyone's experience with potty training kids is different. Mine was extremely frustrating and exhausting. Sometimes I couldn't see any hope that it would get better. I hated to even go to bed at night, knowing that I would be awakened in the morning to the sounds of "My poopy," "No, my poopy!" over the baby monitor. However, I took comfort in the thought that almost everyone (with the exception of perhaps some disabled people) eventually learns to use the toilet. It probably sounds weird that I would have to take comfort in such an obvious reality, but that's how discouraged I was about the situation. It was a tough battle. I, too, felt as if my parenting skills were completely inadequate in this area, but it is such a relief now that all three kids are finally potty trained.

 

[Neenie1]

My son is 4. He really only potty trained at 3. (I did try earlier but he just didn't really get it, so I had to wait)

The best time is in the Summer, where they can run around outside in less clothes, maybe some easy to get off shorts and a little t-shirt. Also the washing seems a little easier to deal with, because in the first week or so, you will be doing lots and lots of washing.

Basically just introduce a potty, or if you want to go for the toilet straight up, with a special seat and stool then that is good too (we just went for the potty)

Tell them what it is for. Encourage to sit on it at regular intervals, maybe even with a book. Lots of praise when they do something in it. (try to not be too disapointed with setbacks because they will see the disappointment)

YEah, you will know when they are ready.

 

[Leanna]

Hehe, David is ready too.... so I'll be watching this thread...

He actually tells me when he has to go "poopoo" and then runs into a corner. Same for "wet" .... so despite thinking about waiting until he was more than 2, I think I might start next week..... kinda scary!!!

 

[TamaraLynne]

If you really want the "poopy details," I have some to give! I have a six-year-old son and twin four-year-old girls. I pretty much just let them decide when they were ready to go potty in the potty chair. I encouraged them to sit on it when I thought they were old enough to understand what it was for, but nothing happened until they decided that it was time.

We had a potty chair sitting in our bathroom for a long time before our son was ready to use it. He was about three before he even took an interest in it. Then he learned pretty quickly to go potty. He even learned pretty quickly to stand up like his dad to go potty. The problem was that during nap time, he wouldn't always bother to come out of his room; he would just go potty in his room, aiming it toward the wall. A couple of times when I went into his room, he said, "I didn't go potty on the wall." I had to keep inspecting his room for wet spots. Until recently, he would even sometimes get out of bed at night without really waking up and think he was going potty in the toilet when he was actually going potty in a Lego bucket in his closet. Until he was about four, he also had the bad habit of going poopy in his room (on purpose, not while sleepwalking) occasionally, which was really disgusting. I had a terrible time keeping his carpet clean for a long time.

People say that potty training girls is easier, but for me, it was even harder; they just started the process earlier. The twins were two when they all of a sudden decided to start going potty in the potty chair. Before that, though, they gave me a very hard time. When they were about 18 months old, they started taking off their dirty diapers in their room and smearing them all over the floor and/or their bed. At first I thought that maybe I could potty train them then, but they weren't ready yet. I dreaded going into their room after nap time or in the morning when they woke up, for fear of what I would find. Sometimes they even went poopy in buckets or on other toys in their room; I told them that I would not wash their toys when they did that and threw them away instead. I invested in a handheld carpet spot cleaner. I also looked up some parenting forums on the Internet and found some suggestions. I tried duct taping their diapers, which worked for a while, and then they figured out how to peel each other's duct tape off. I tried putting their pajamas inside out so they couldn't unzip them, and that worked for a while, also, until they figured out how to wriggle out of their pajamas without unzipping them. I tried giving them cold showers when they needed to be cleaned up after such an episode. I tried so many things, but nothing worked for long. I was so discouraged because I felt as if they would never get over it. They did finally get better after they started going potty in the potty chair, but it took months for them to grow out of it completely.

One thing that did help somewhat was giving them rewards. I used gummy bears--one for going potty in the potty chair and two for poopy. Some people use stickers or other non-food items. The only problem with the rewards was that the girls learned to manipulate the system and would go potty about every five minutes, so I had to put some time limits on the rewards.

Bed wetting was another frustrating thing. The girls actually quit wearing Pull-ups at night much earlier than my son did. He was four before he could stay dry at night, but then he hardly ever wet the bed again. The girls were three. They stayed dry for months, and then suddenly they began wetting the bed at night, every night, so they had to wear Pull-ups again for a few months. Then they were dry again for a few months. Then one of them started wetting the bed almost every night again. Fortunately, they have both been dry again for the last few months, except for one accident recently, so I am hoping that they are finally growing out of this, too.

I know that everyone's experience with potty training kids is different. Mine was extremely frustrating and exhausting. Sometimes I couldn't see any hope that it would get better. I hated to even go to bed at night, knowing that I would be awakened in the morning to the sounds of "My poopy," "No, my poopy!" over the baby monitor. However, I took comfort in the thought that almost everyone (with the exception of perhaps some disabled people) eventually learns to use the toilet. It probably sounds weird that I would have to take comfort in such an obvious reality, but that's how discouraged I was about the situation. It was a tough battle. I, too, felt as if my parenting skills were completely inadequate in this area, but it is such a relief now that all three kids are finally potty trained.

Oh my goodness...........what you have wrote is exactly my experiences.........right now my 18 month old is wearing his pajamas backwards so he can't reach the zipper.(I cut the little feet part off the pajamas to turn them around) Done the duct tape to and he has not figured out how to peel the duct tape off but he will tear the diaper up around it.
I have gone through this with all my kids..........and I agree that they do let you know when they are ready and rewards work very good...........even if it is clapping our hands and saying "yeaaaaaaaa......."

Love
Tam

 

[andiesmama]

I was clueless when I started with Andie, too, but here's how we did it:

We had a potty chair in the bathroom, so she was familiar with it before we even started. I began "talking it up", and one day we went out & bought her the big-girl panties PLUS her "reward"....candy, as she has a sweet tooth just like her mommy! She picked out Hershey Kisses, and when we got home I put them in one of my pretty crystal bowls and put them in a VERY prominent place on the vanity in the bathroom. She knew she would get one whenever she used the bathroom on the potty.

I also had a little "bathroom bag" with new fun stuff in it like bubbles, books, a doll....stuff she ONLY could play with while she was sitting on the potty trying to go.

The day we started, I ditched the diapers (used pull-ups for nap & night). I set the timer for 30 minutes initially, but that was too long (I wanted to be sure she had accomplishments in the beginning rather than failures), so I backed it to 20 minutes, & we'd go sit on the potty every 20 minutes without fail. Then after a couple days, I bumped it up to 25 min, then 35....etc.

It only took maybe a week & a half before she was daytime potty trained. Not too many accidents, mainly when she got busy playing and just didn't think about it...

Good luck! I know you'll get a bunch of good tips...just gotta keep trying until you find something that will work for your daughter....

 

[Leanna]

Is there such a thing as waiting "too long"? I would really rather wait another couple of months at least, but he seems so poopoo and wet obsessed, I am afraid to put it off?

 

[jgonz]

None of my kids were ready until they were really close to 3. And I agree with the other moms who said that spring/summer was an easier time to train because of less clothing. Here in El Paso I can include fall in that too... since it runs all the way until November. LOL

We used a potty seat On the regular toilet seat, and a step stool to get up to it. I never had room for a separate toddler potty chair, plus I figured it was just more to clean. lol

I continued to use PullUps for naps, at night, and if we had to go somewhere for a few weeks. Otherwise, it was training undies all the time (the thick 5 layer ones).

Night time training took longer (usually several months or more) except for my youngest DD (now 3.5), who trained at night before she trained during the day! (She has always had to do things differently than her siblings. lol)

HTH~

 

[jgonz]

No Leanna, I have Never heard any mom say that she "waited too long". Usually the Opposite is true. The older they are, the quicker they train. Plus some kids just plain don't care how wet or gross their diapers are, and they seem to do even better waiting until they're older and Really understand what's going on and why they Need to train.

 

[Manna]

I've actually had one mother tell me that she waited too long. Her daughter was uncomfortable with a wet diaper and let her mom know whenever she pooped or peed. The mom put it off, and eventually the kid stopped telling her and seemed to become adjusted to wetting herself. She said they had a HORRIBLE time training her later. But that IS just one mom...lol