(1) Potty Training (2) Nose Picking Questions?? Please Help!!

Potty training little boys is a little easier in one respect, if they are naked you can TELL when they have to go potty! I potty trained my two older boys that way. I know it sounds odd, but every time we were at home, I took their pants and pull ups off. Whenever it looked like they needed to go I would ask them (creating awareness) if they had to go and then got them to the potty. Pretty quickly it progressed to just taking their pants off and leaving the pull up on (it was easier for them to go potty) and shortly after that we were done. Nose picking we still deal with, sorry! Ha Ha!

Hi Tiffany! I have a little boy who turned 2 this past July. I have experienced all of these problems ans then some! Ok, on the potty training issue, try not to push it too hard. My son was doing GREAT for a while, and then he just lost interest for a while. Just recently, he's been interested again. I have tried every method of potty training, and I have found that having them (boys only) stand up and pee is SO fun to them! I started this when he would get ready to take a bath I would position him on his stool and then turn on the bath water (which always makes him pee). He LOVES going potty like a big boy now! Hope that helps a little bit!

On issue #2, I know some parents may not agree with this, but when my son started picking his nose I told him that if he picked his nose (not blew his nose, but specifically picked it), then the Boogie Monster was going to get him. i told him that the monster only liked little boys who picked their nose. Now occasionally I'll see him start to do it and all I have to say is "he's coming" and he'll stop immediately. When he sees other kids doing it he says "that's yucky and the boogie monster is going to get you." It worked for us! Good luck with both issues!

(1) Potty Training- I have a 4 year old little boy, Skyler, and potty training him was really hard. We went through the same kinds of things-him telling me after he would wet his pants. Honestly, I just stop trying for about a month and then slowly started sitting him on the potty without his pullup to get him use to the thought. He was 3 years old before he was fully potty trained. My advice would be just to stay with pull ups a little longer but keep taking him to the potty every 30 minutes or so. Just be patient- it will happen on his time.

(2) Nose picking- Skyler and his sister Parker (3yrs) still have their fingers in their nose every once in a while. Try not to make a big deal out of it. All I do is tell them that its gross and if they have a boger then they need to get a tissue. I think the most important is staying calm. The bigger deal you make of it the more they will do it...at least thats how mine are...

Good luck!

On the potty training issue I would go with your idea of the big boy pants but without the pull-up and take him to the potty about every 15 to 20 minutes. When my 5 year old was potty-training he also would not go if he sat on the potty chair. He wanted to use the big people potty. And we also let him run around naked sometimes because if they know that something is not there to catch they won't go--all the time. I had to clean up a few messes and had to use carpet cleaner but it got the job done faster.

On the nose picking issue--never been there--yet.

My daughter will be 2 on the 15th and we have "started" potty training. I say "starting" because we aren't fully training - if she tells me she needs to go, I take her or if I think she needs to go; we go. Two is still somewhat young to be doing this but some kids are just ready. It sounds like your son is like my daughter and is somewhat ready. One thing that I tried when my son was younger was the timer. If you say he wets every 30 minutes, try setting a timer for every 20 minutes and then take him. I also used the doll method. I bought a baby doll that wets and he helped me train the doll and he caught on from that. It was pretty easy - it only took a day or two with that. But, my son was a little older than 2 when I did that. Good luck!!!

As for the nose picking - no suggestions. Neither of my children have ever done this. I have a niece that does and I just tell her to stop and distract her when I am keeping her.

I used the big boy underwear but not with a pullup over it. I made sure to get the underwear that had his favorite character on it so he didn't want to get them wet. I also made him go and sit on the toilet every 30-45 minutes even if he had to go so that hopefully we would catch it and eventually he learned the sensation that comes along with having to go potty. One other thing I tried was, I went to the dollar store and bought a bucket with some really cheap dollar toys in it and each time he succesfully used the potty he got to pick a toy out. That worked the best, the only problem I have now though is because of that everytime he had just so much as a drop in his bladder he would go to the bathroom just to get a toy and now he is still doing this although he doesn't get a toy he just has to use the toilet a lot. Hope all works out for you. As for the nose picking thing I never had that problem so I don't know what to tell you.

Hi Tiffany, I have talked to you before about discipline. What you need to do first is focus on what he does right an dtake focus off of what he does wrong. Otherwise he will always keep doing things you focus on. All kids pick their nose. Mine does. Just dont make a big deal about it.

Potty training comes in time. My son is 2 1/2. I have been introducing him to the potty since he was 18 months. He is still not potty trained. He stillhas accidents. But he does tell me when he has to go and I immediately get up and take him. When he goes in the potty, make a really big deal about it. We used several things. Candy is not a good treat. We gave Thomas money to put in is piggy bank. He loves it. So find something taht he does right and praise him for it instead of punishing him for what he does wrong.

When it comes to the potty training. I found that letting them do it there selves is the best way. There is a lot of cleaning up after them. Only practice training at home. And never make a big deal about accidents. Nose picking I can't help you with sorry.:(

Hi Tiffany,
One question first. When you lay your son down for a nap with his diaper on, does he wake up dry? If not, he is not ready to potty train. There is no time frame for potty training, and most parents do more damage then good by trying to potty train their children too early. Girls potty train at much earlier ages then boys. I have both. My daughter potty trained herself at two, but my boy is now three and not much closer to being trained now then when he was at two. Here is what I recommend. Buy a potty chair, put it in your bathroom with you, and every time you use the bathroom take your two year old with you. He will learn by watching. Ask him if he has to go potty. If he says "no", don't push it any further. Also buy a children's Potty book, and read it to him. Talk to him about what it is and what its for. No reward system in the world is going to work if your son is not able to comprehend the purpose of the potty chair yet. Nor will it work if his body is just not ready for it. Most two year old boys do not have the mind/body connection they need to know that they have to go potty. Just give it time, patience, and go at your son's speed. If you push it, he will be traumatized and it will take much longer. Also, let him associate with other little boys his age that are potty trained. Sometimes seeing another child do something is the fastest way for yours to catch on. Good luck!

The nose picking thing i just went through tthat one with my 4 yr old. he finally stopped I tried everything except ignoring the process I would always tell him stop that that is nasty do you know how many germs you are putting in your body but he finally quit it took about 4 mths. and the potty training that just takes ALOT of PATIENCE it does happen my youngest is 4 and he just got trained in the last few mths. it is all up to the child you can not make them they will when their bladder works like ours right now their little bladders have to adjust to their growing bodies. dont worry it will happen and then you will look at him and say can you go back to wearing dippys please. cause then you have to wipe their bottms. Good luck

My youngest will be 2 in jan. and I'm not even thinking about potty training yet. I messed up with my 1st and tried too soon and it took till he was almost 4 to get him fully trained. Unfortunatly my son isn't talking good yet so i'm not gonna start till he's closer to 3 probably. If he's showing signs of not being ready back off for a while and then try again b/c pushing too early may make it take longer. Sorry I know this isn't what you wanted to hear!! As far as the nose picking thing I have no idea but if you get any good advise send it my way my 6yo still does it!!lol

As for the nose picking. Try telling him to go to the restroom to pick it. Tell him it is a private thing. That's the truth!!!

Tiffany,
I have never used a pull up over the underware but for my 2 year old daughter I used the the plastic pants over big girl panties and it worked for. She still has the occassional accident but for the most part she is potty trained.

Good Luck!!!
E.

Hi Tiffany,

If its one thing Ive learned about boys and potty training its they will do it on their own time, you can't force them. It was like pulling teeth trying to get him potty trained. He is 3 about to turn 4 in april and we have been potty training him since he was 2 and he finally did it all by himself. He just decided hey I am gonna pee and poop on the potty all the time and he did. He has been trained for almost 2 months now. So I just say put pull-ups on him and tell him if he wants to be a "big boy" he has to go on the potty all the time. Just have patience(trust me I know its frustrating) and put him on the potty as often as you can and when he is fully ready he will surprise you. It was a long road for me but every child is different in their timing but they all learn things on their own time, you can't force them. I hope I was helpful!

M.

P.S. I did try everything, rewards, stickers, charts, underwear over/under pull-ups, and nothing. He decided.

2 is kind of young. He might be able to tell you he's wet, but not actually control the muscles to hold it long enough to get to the potty. I'd wait awhile longer, when he's wetting his pullup less frequently, before trying to potty train.