2 Potty Trainers

My kids are 12,11 6 and 4. The latest potty trainer was 2 and a half. I am seeing that nowadays it seems to be later? I think as long as you are consistant and give them praise and incentives everything will be fine. Maybe i started early? I also was at home in the day to keep on top of it... i guess that was a big plus...

I just finished potty training my now 2 1/2 year old son, and his cousin, now 3 used to come over all the time and I tried potty training him as well. My son would go pee on the potty all of the time, but did not like to poop and would be like DS in regards that he'd walk around in poopy pants all day if I let him. My nephew did not like the potty at all and would protest about going in there. So, I made them both a chart and they got stickers. My son had both a pee pee chart and a poopy chart. My nephew had one chart that he would get a sticker for going into the bathroom to watch Logan go pee, then for sitting on the potty (then he refused to sit because his daddy stood at the potty), then for standing, etc... He used to stand there and then get in the bath and then pee in the bath. One day I told him that it was unacceptable to pee in the bath because then he was washing his face with pee. He never peed in the tub again. My son would get rewards for getting a certain number of stickers on each chart, the pee chart went from 2 to 5 to 10 to 15 pees for a prize and the poopy chart went from 1 to 2 to 3 since this was our nemesis. He picked the prizes out himself (little cars) and we kept them in a basket in the bathroom. He loved getting the prizes. When he seemed to have "gotten it" I stopped taking him to the bathroom every hour and a half. Then, the problem came that he would be more interested in playing than using the potty, so I was constantly cleaning up pee from my floors. Solution: I put whatever toys he was playing with at that time in time out and he couldn't get them out until he had a successful trip to the potty. For the poop, we used Once Upon a Potty for Boys. It worked wonders, along with spying his pre-poop routine.
My nephew actually ended up accident free before my son because he wanted a puppy dog and my brother told him that he could have one for his birthday if he stopped going in his pants. From that minute on, he didn't go in his pants anymore. That was about 3 months before he turned 3. My son was potty trained at exactly 2 1/2. Now my daughter, 13 months, is interested in sitting on the potty when her brother goes into the bathroom.
I've learned a lot about potty training since my whole "experience" with my son. Some things: have a 30 minute potty interval for a while, once that is set, increase to 45 minute intervals and then 1 hour intervals. Watch out for the poop signs (hiding, squatting, my son would go under the table after dinner, ignoring what you are saying, etc...) and run them to the potty at first sign. Have fun/distracting things to do in the bathroom while they are trying to poop. After my son poops (to this day) I say to him "I am so proud of you, are you proud of you?" He loves it! AND DO NOT USE PULL UPS!!! Have them either wear no bottoms, just undies, or undies and shorts. It will be a lot of cleaning for you, but it will take less overall time. My son didn't care about the potty as long as he had a pull up on and neither did my nephew. It was the uncomfortable feeling of wet underpants that did it, well for my son, getting his toys wet while he was playing.
The key, they'll do it at different times. Have different rewards for each based on where they are in their training. You know, a lot of people will say not to push it, that it takes kids till 3 to 3 1/2 to be potty trained, but it is possible to train them sooner. All of my siblings and I were potty trained between 18 and 30 months. My nephew (now 8) at 22 months. It just takes consistency and praise. Back then, they had a lot more time (and probably patience). Best of luck. I have to say, I'm not looking forward to potty training my daughter, or my next one because it just isn't any fun. But, in the end, no more diapers! Yay!

I am in the middle of training my 18 months old. if asked she will say she has to go or even take her diapers off when they are wet even a drop,but once she sits down nothing. I figure i'll just keep asking and keep taking everytime i go. Know i do have 3 older kids 15,13,11 they was all potty trained by 2. Back then i didn't even have a problem. i think my girls are so close in age that when my middle dd saw my oldest go she wanted to be a big girl to and just did it. took a bout a week if that. with my son he was 19 months and he loved dunking the cherrio's he use to get so excited and at one point my mom would say he just pee'd to be able to play the dunk game .good luck

Hi Dee

I haven't done any potty training with a girl yet, but my son didn't have any interest until he was over 3. He decided one day he wanted to pee in the potty and wear big boy underware and he was less than a week before he didn't have accidents. Now, pooping on the potty is a whole different monster for us. He goes to his room, gets a pull up, poops in it. My pediatrician says it a control issue and not a battle she think's I'll win until he is good and ready to use the potty, and we have defiantely has a battle or 2 about it... Maybe if you focus the attention on your daughter, he will decide he wants some of the attention too and then decide to try. It just sounds like he isn't interested, especially since a dirty diaper doesn't bother him.

she is bit young, sure some will but very very few. Usually about 2 1/2 for girls and 3 to 3 1/2 for boys.

when you going back to work?

forcing the issue can make it worse. If really want to force it, and yard easier or gate up area without carpet and let them go nakie for few days.

i am the mother to a 15 month old and i actually am scared to go through the potty training stage. my cousin, who has 3 girls, ages 9, 6 & 10 mo. says not to push them into potty training. they will come along to the idea and let you know when they are ready to start using the potty. i guess be patient and don't yell at them b/c this will only discourage them from using the potty. i actually got the potty training dvd from huggies (it's free if you go to their website & order it). i have yet to watch it b/c we're in the process of moving but i do look forward to learning all the pointers i can before that time comes for my little guy. i wish you luck!!

I was recently in a similar situation. My kids are 14 months apart, though they are about year older than each of your children (my son just turned 4 and my daughter is almost 3). From my experiences I would concentrate on your son. His body and his mind are more developed than your daughter's and even though he isn't showing interest you might make more progress with him. My daughter, at 1 1/2 was not ready at all for potty training. Even at almost 3, she does exactly what your daughter is doing. She shows every sign that she is ready, but when it comes down to it she won't put anything in the potty.

I would take both kids into the bathroom and put my son on the toilet and my daughter on the potty chair. We would read books, sing songs, etc. We would make a fuss when they put anything in the potty. We praised them for pulling down pants, getting on the potty, washing hands, etc. We used a sticker chart to track progress (1 sticker for simply getting on the potty, 2 for pee, 3 for poo). We gave little rewards at the end of the day if they did in fact pee/poo in the potty that day (prize box with inexpensive stickers, play doh, books, etc).

All that being said, be careful how much you force the issue. I know you want them trained before you go back to work, but their bodies might not be on the same time table. Keep things positive. Don't get upset if they don't seem to "get it". Accept that it might take longer than you want. If you are stressing about the situation, they will too and then you won't see any results. Good luck to you.

I am currently potty training my almost three year old daughter. It is alot of work whether they are one or four. Dont rush them, the will regress if you do. Take your time, praise them for anything that goes into the potty. I let my daughter run around naked in the house and stay home for a few days...Put the potty where there is no rug, and they will most likely sit on it to go, instead of the floor. You may and prob will have accidents, but it is still teaching them. It is okay for accidents...they happen all the time. Praise them for trying even if they do not go. I bought a whole bunch of stickers, lolly pops, mini mm's, and if she goes pee then she gets 1 thing, if she goes poop she gets two items......Most likely they will not be potty trained before you return to work, but they will soon. Do not give on eof your children more attention than the other for any reason, help them both. If your daughter wants to sit on the potty, then go sit with her, and have your son sit also, but he sits on the potty......(big)......Your doing a great job, just be patient

there are books and websites on Potty Training in one Day. you can do it with kids as young as 18 mo.

www.pottytrainingconcepts.com

Dr. Phil used this on his show, i had forgotten until i looked it up. I used it with my second child and it was wonderful.

I would get a potty chair that is free standing, and place it in what ever room you spend the most time in, I put mine in the kitchen because it was close to the living room but had vinal flooring,
YOu can use a dolly to show the kids how to use the potty and then have the kids teach the baby doll,
Also give the child lots and lots and lots of liquids,
put them in undies--no pullups except for sleep,
take them potty at regular intervals (it might be something like every 15 mins)
if they do something praise them big, stickers, candy what ever.
if they pee in their pants, they clean it (you stand their with them and firmly but pleasantly Make them wipe, get the dry pants, mop up any messes on the floor, put the wet ones in the laundry, and wash their hands)
then they practice running to the potty from the point in the house where they had the accident- you just take them to the spot, then say, "practice, practice going potty" and if they don't run to the potty and pull down their pants, you take their hand and again pleasantly but firmly Make them do it.
after the first day or two they should have the idea, you may still have accidents for the next week or so, but if you stick to the "practices" and intervaled potty times ( gradually increasing from a half hour to an hour to two etc), they should get it and have it down pat. You may not get pooping right way but once they start peeing everytime and you are doing cartwheels for being so excited it should follow quickly. having them blow bubbles while they are pooping also helps.

Considering you have two, you could get two potty chairs a do both kids at the same time or you could start with one and then the other, OR maybe an even better idea, if you have someone, would be to have hubby,or grandma or whomever take one kid and you take the other.

This is intense, it means YOU have to work. YOU have to be Consistant. You can't leave the house for a few days and all you are going to be doing is running your kids to the potty. BUT if you want your kids potty trained by a deadline this is the way to do it. And it isn't mean, there is no yelling, no shaming them for accidents, just natural consequenses if they don't use the potty.

To all you potty training moms out there, GOOD LUCK They will get it eventually.

As much as it would be nice for you kids to be potty trained by the time you go back to work, it probably won't happen. If you force the issue, you may end up with your kids fight you even more on the issue. Potty training should be a pleasant experience for you and your kids. When they are ready, you will know.