Potty Training!

[andiesmama]

So I'm thinking it's that time for me to start on Andie & the whole potty thing... (that's me being nervous! lol) For those who don't know me (or her! lol), she's 32 months old, she'll be 3 in June.

For you guys who've gone through it with kids (your own, nieces/nephews, while babysitting, etc)...what worked best? I'm just looking for ideas here on how to even start! Well, I mean, we've got the potty chair, she knows the "routine" & has done it a few times but not on purpose, by accident I'm sure! But she's just in the comfort zone with the diapers, and I'm know she's got the "smarts" to move on to the next level...

Thanks in advance for the tips & suggestions...and prayers! lol

 

[Addicted2~Jesus]

There's a whole bunch of thins that work you'll have to find er button though For Kat it started out wit communal pottin wit me er her ma, we did that for probably a good month, also took her when we thought she'd probably be due, such thins like when she woke up, an we gave her a lot of thatagal when she went in the mornin. We also got er some panties an told her how these were big girls pants an diapers are for babies to which she wasn't any longer, though we also did not make it a big deal when we decided to put her back in diapers, night time an the like. I think if you stress to much that diapers or for babies an panties are for big girls they can git a bit confused. So we didn't stress the diapers but did stress the pants. We still put her to bed at night in diapers but she wears her panties durning the day.

At one point she regressed massivly and it had become quite frustratin for all of us until we started givin her a lil mint that she likes when she'd go in the potty an if she had an accident we made sure to tell her she couldn't have a mint. Took probably jes a week er so to git er back on track.

Like I said you'll have to find her button, wit Kat since she liked to be all grown up an do EVERTHIN that daddy does it worked out well.... (as a result I pee sittin down these days LOL)

 

[andiesmama]

There's a whole bunch of thins that work you'll have to find er button though For Kat it started out wit communal pottin wit me er her ma, we did that for probably a good month, also took her when we thought she'd probably be due, such thins like when she woke up, an we gave her a lot of thatagal when she went in the mornin. We also got er some panties an told her how these were big girls pants an diapers are for babies to which she wasn't any longer, though we also did not make it a big deal when we decided to put her back in diapers, night time an the like. I think if you stress to much that diapers or for babies an panties are for big girls they can git a bit confused. So we didn't stress the diapers but did stress the pants. We still put her to bed at night in diapers but she wears her panties durning the day.

At one point she regressed massivly and it had become quite frustratin for all of us until we started givin her a lil mint that she likes when she'd go in the potty an if she had an accident we made sure to tell her she couldn't have a mint. Took probably jes a week er so to git er back on track.

Like I said you'll have to find her button, wit Kat since she liked to be all grown up an do EVERTHIN that daddy does it worked out well.... (as a result I pee sittin down these days LOL)

Hmmmm.....I've been thinking along those lines. I'm thinking we'll go out & let her pick some "big girl panties" (if they have Dora on them all the better! lol). I'm thinking she'll be less apt to go in her pants if she's got some on that she's proud of. And I"m thinking "pull-ups" for nap & night time, that way maybe she won't equate them with diapers.

I'm also thinking about rewards, too....for Andie, it's M&Ms all the way! lol So I'm thinking about sitting a jar of M&Ms in the bathroom in plain sight of her potty...but just out of reach...and letting her know every time she goes on the potty she can pick an M&M (or 2, 3..whatever!).

Thanks for the tips & ideas!!

 

[BeanMak]

There is a book called Potty Training in less than Day.Although, it toook more than a day, there were GREAT suggestions in it. I suggest reading it. Take a weekend, clear the calendar of everything else. Start Saturday morning, give her LOTS to drink so that she can know when she has a full bladder and keep it up all day. Don't go anywhere; no company; focus on just that. You would be surprised how fast she will get it.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671693808/qid=1108763039/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9039045-2658503?v=glance&s=books

 

[andiesmama]

There is a book called Potty Training in less than Day.Although, it toook more than a day, there were GREAT suggestions in it. I suggest reading it. Take a weekend, clear the calendar of everything else. Start Saturday morning, give her LOTS to drink so that she can know when she has a full bladder and keep it up all day. Don't go anywhere; no company; focus on just that. You would be surprised how fast she will get it.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671693808/qid=1108763039/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9039045-2658503?v=glance&s=books

Thanks for the link, I"m going to check it out now!!

 

[CarrieAg93]

We used M&Ms as a reward and it worked pretty well. One thing we did was move the potty chair to the living room or whereever he was going to be playing. That way he didn't have to leave his toys/books/TV to go. Once he figured out what the sensation was that meant he had to go potty we moved it to the bathroom. When we first started he would get tired of sitting on the potty because he wanted to go play. We only had it in the living room few days before we moved it. Good luck.

 

[erin74]

That book is supposed to be excellent.

One word of warning with M&M's. I know someone who did that, and their daughter used to sit on the toilet a squeeze a little bit more out every time she wanted a chocolate. Not actually very good for them. But it is a personality thing. We use stickers with my son - and he loves it.

Another personality thing. My son is a big routine boy, and so changing his routine is really hard. We started with a potty, and then found moving him to the toilet was really difficult. So if she is a bit of a routine person, start with what you want her to be on, the toilet. You can get one of the little seats. It's quite good, cause it's easier to get them to try when your out then.

We are now having the battle of getting him to sit down on other people's toilets, or at preschool. He just refuses, because it's not the same as at home. We have been able to convince him to stand up to wee, but he just does his poos in his pants when he is out, and doesn't want to use the facilities. He has just turned 3!!!

They say with boys wait til the summer that they turn 3. Girls are meant to be easier on the whole though. So I hope it goes well for you. Buying the undies is a grea idea. My son loved it when we got them. Actually it was his grandmother that bought them for him, and that was even more exciting for him!

Good luck

Erin

 

[Neenie1]

I replied on the womens forum, but heres some more. Maybe start out at a regular time, say before bed or bath that she sit on the potty. If you have to read to her to keep her sitting there, do it. That's how we started out, and he doesn't need the books anymore, so don't worry that if you start it, that she'll expect it every time she needs to go.


Same with rewards, we used them on occasion too, just don't go overboard.

 

[lucypevensie]

Well, you seem confident she can learn it and I think that's very important. So, go to the store with her and get a few packs of undies and a big bag of m&m's. If she wants to get started with the candy right away then just put the undies on and get started right away. Don't put another diaper on her again (unless of course things take a turn for the worst which doesn't seem likely).

In our case wet pants were the #1 motivator to use the toilet. There was no punishment for accidents, only that strange, very wet sensation. So I took a different approach with sleeptime that worked really well (not saying it works for EVERYONE). But we never used a diaper or Pull-up for naptime or bedtime either. We put a waterproof pad under the sheet. They both wet the bed during a nap ONE time and the feeling of that was enough motivation for them to not do that again.

 

[HeatherJay]

We used a waterproof mattress protecter underneath their sheets as well. But, also recognize that for some kids, nightime training is just beyond their control at such a young age. We did Pull-ups at night and really praised them when they made it through dry, but we didn't scold them for waking up wet.

We also used the little seat that fits on the regular toilet instead of a potty chair. LOL, SO MANY benefits to that little invention!! No yucky chair to clean out, and practically no transition from potty seat to regular toilet seat. The first reason was reason enough for me, girlie.

For my little one, 'jewels' were her motivation. Everytime she made it to the potty, she'd get to pick out a jewel to put in her 'marble jar'. That worked like a charm. Also, she has some panties with poodles on them that she really loves, so I try to keep a clean pair for her all the time. LOL, our little motto is "Don't pee on the poodles!" She laughs everytime we say it, but she knows if she has an accident in her poodle panties then she can't wear them again until laundry gets done.

I'm sure Andie will do great. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed she'll be which will make things WAY less stressful on both of you. Just prepare yourself before hand that she will have accidents...just clean up and move on. Good luck girl.

 

[erin74]

Another good idea I heard for night time training was to put a mattress protecter, a sheet, another matress protecter and another sheet. That way if you have an accident in the middle of the night you don't have to change the whole bed, just pull off a layer!

But we never used a diaper or Pull-up for naptime or bedtime either. We put a waterproof pad under the sheet. They both wet the bed during a nap ONE time and the feeling of that was enough motivation for them to not do that again.

I wish!!! My son has reverted to wetting the bed in his day sleep a couple of times a week. If I wakehim up before he gets up he stays dry, but most days if he wakes up on his own, then he is wet. It's driving me crazy. We are now giving him stickers for waking up dry. Hope it works - he usually comes good with stickers or plastic money - seems weird - like paying him for not weeing!!!

Erin

 

[andiesmama]

well, wish me luck you guys! We're going on Thursday after her nap to buy her big girl panties....I've got Friday-Monday at home with her, so hopefully we'll get lucky!!

 

[koppee1]

ahh here's a tip for when you start potty training. FORCE your kid to sit down on the toilet. Our kid wouldn't sit on the toilet...he would act scared as if something bad would happen to him. We weren't sure if something traumatic happened so we didn't really force him. But because he kept trying to poo standing up in his shorts, the poo wouldn't really come out. After months of constipation and going to doctors, we were forced to put him on laxatives. He was really scared of suppositories and would cry every time we'd put one in. It was really horrible for both him and us. We finally went to one doc who said that no matter what we should force him. So I did. I forced him to sit on the toilet no matter what and in about a week of being forced, he eventually realized that it was easier to poo in the toilet....now he's potty trained.

 

[BeanMak]

Another thing, it is REALLY hard for those little hineys to balance on a big toilet, and that is a major reason some kids are afraid to sit. Turn the kid around so that he/she is facing the back of the toilet. That gives him/her something to hold on and they can concentrate on business, not worrying about falling in!

 

[fairyshyone]

I am helping potty train my nephew. He is 3 1/2 and he is finally telling us that he has to go potty.

 

[HeatherJay]

Another thing, it is REALLY hard for those little hineys to balance on a big toilet, and that is a major reason some kids are afraid to sit. Turn the kid around so that he/she is facing the back of the toilet. That gives him/her something to hold on and they can concentrate on business, not worrying about falling in!

They make the little soft seats that fit right into the regular toilet seat so that it fits their little hineys perfectly. They cost a couple of bucks and are well worth the money.

 

[andiesmama]

They make the little soft seats that fit right into the regular toilet seat so that it fits their little hineys perfectly. They cost a couple of bucks and are well worth the money.

That's what we've got...the seat on her little potty chair lifts out & you can put it on the big potty...

 

[BeanMak]

That's what we've got...the seat on her little potty chair lifts out & you can put it on the big potty...

LOL... you kids are SPOILED!!! Back in my day..... <<getting out the geritol>>

 

[andiesmama]

LOL... you kids are SPOILED!!! Back in my day..... <<getting out the geritol>>

LOL!! That's so funny because I was just talking to my mom online about me starting this weekend & she was saying the same thing!!

 

[erin74]

That's what we've got...the seat on her little potty chair lifts out & you can put it on the big potty...

My advice - I'd go straight to the seat on the big potty - we did the other first and then had the drama of changing to another. It also means you can just take the little seat with you when you go visiting and they can use it there (I just take it for like holiday visiting, not every time we go to friends.... but we have taken it to friends 30 minutes out of town).

Hope it goes well

Erin