Info Please..... - Denton,TX

I have never heard of such a thing, I don't even think kids notice who is potty trained or not. They are too busy living in their own world.

That is so not true. If the school accepts children who are not potty trained they will treat them the same as those who are potty trained except they will be changing diapers instead of taking them to the toilet. Where did your husband get this information?

Every preschool is run by different people. How the school treats children depends on the personality, values, expectations of the director and employees. If you want your son to go to preschool check out the preschools in your area and enroll him in the one that best meets his needs.

As far as the booster/high chair. Any simple booster will work fine for him. Get one that is simple, that allows him to sit higher. It's like a deep firm cushion. He's too big for one with arms and a tray.

He may prefer to just sit on his knees or even sit down on a regular chair. My 19 mos old granddaughter doesn't like a booster seat. She actually sits on the chair. Her chin barely reaches the top of the table so her food is at eye level. It works for her and her family.

As for potty training. It's good that he's comfortable with the potty chair. Using it as a stop stool or sitting on it to play is a very good first step. Hiding the diapers will not help. When he's ready to use the potty it doesn't matter if sees diapers or not.

Putting him in training pants or regular pants is one way of training. However, what is important is if his body is ready. He has to be able to feel that he needs to go and also be able to hold it until he reaches the potty. At 3 he's still young and I wouldn't worry about getting him trained.

Are you doing anything about the constipation? He needs lots of fiber in his diet. If he's been constipated for awhile he probably needs help by giving him something like Miralax. Miralax draws water into the colon so that the feces becomes softer. You can get it over the counter.

Our preschool worked on potty training while they were in the 2's class. They were all trained by the time they moved up to the 3's class. It's true they wouldn't take untrained kids in the 3's class because they didn't deal with diapers there, though they were willing and able to handle the occasional accident with recently trained kids.
My kids never used a high chair once they could safely sit on a basic booster seat, around 18 months. We just used a cheap basic plastic seat from Target, the kind with rubber on the bottom to keep it from sliding around. I'm sure you can easily find something like that :)

My son was 3 and in preschool, they had the classrooms split around that age for older 2's/young 3's (including non-pottytrained 3's). When you were potty trained and an older 3, you moved to the older 3's/younger 4's room. So they were "organized" into potty/non-potty, but it was driven by age as much as potty training.

Now, not treated equally/separated sounds completely wrong, but I've never heard of that. He may be making assumptions that the "separation" is a discipline thing - it's more of a development/cleanliness management thing in my experience. And also, when kids see others learning to potty, they want to learn as well. That's how it worked with my son. It took him less than a month after we started in his daycare.

Not true....

Our daughter did not potty train until she was almost 4. She was very well behaved, could follow directions and had great communication skills. That is what they are usually looking for.
Just call and ask.. And find out where your husband got his information..

It depends entirely on the preschool. Many will not accept a preschool child who is not potty-trained. This doesn't mean 100%, but reasonably trained. Accidents happen. Most preschool classrooms do not have the facilities to change diapers. That's the real issue. If the constipation is cured, then time to get serious about the training. Get rid of the diapers entirely. No "pull ups" either.

As for a booster seat, check out any toy store and see what the height/weight limits are.

My kids had to be potty trained in order to attend pre-school. It was a pre-school, not a day care, and it was only for kids who were three and four years old. Children had to be completely independent in the washroom, as the teachers did not assist in the washroom. If you use a day care there are care givers who can change diapers and such, but he may go in the room with the two year olds, simply because the three year old room usually isn't equipped with diaper change facilities.
As for a high chair or booster seat, at three he should be sitting at the table in a regular chair, especially if he is tall. My kids were shorter, so they usually sat on their knees.

A lot of depends on the preschool. Ours would not take children who were not potty trained at all. Daycare is different. Some will separate (move the potty trained one 'up' a class) because the potty trained kids have a different schedule, others don't separate.

Potty training rules vary from preschool to preschool. Some schools will not allow a child who is not potty trained to attend.

Some schools will separate the kids because they require special attention (diaper changes).

Check the policy at your school.

My daughter suffered from severe constipation. It lasted for a few years. Her medical condition had nothing to do with potty training. However, I do realize that your son's situation could be completely different.

Send him to preschool! They will help train him, he'll see the other kids, etc. Definitely call the preschool yourself and ask what their policy is. If it's truly a "preschool" and not a "daycare," they may not take kids who are not potty trained. But find out for yourself!

As for the constipation, have you tried Miralax? (Consult your doctor first, of course.)

Yes, there are boosters for bigger kids ... try a store like Target or Wal-mart, or look online.

Good luck!

If you have concerns about how your son will be treated at day care for not being potty trained, you will need to have a meeting with the teacher before school starts and discuss the issue with her. Let her know you are trying, why it hasn't happened yet, and what can you do to prepare him for school to not make this disruptive. Communication is key here. I don't think he'll be separated or mistreated at preschool. He will not be the only 3 yo who isn't potty trained.

Is your husband unhappy about him not being potty trained? Does your husband think he should be? From what you've written, it sounds like your husband is trying to scare you into forcing your son into potty training.

I don't know about the booster seat. Usually a booster seat is to help a child who it not tall enough reach the table. If your child is tall, then I don't understand the question. Any store like Walmart or Target sells booster seats that have a height adjustment.....

Our school district has several types of preschool programs and pre-k programs. It is required that all children 3-5 who attend must be potty trained. Private preschools may not have the same rule. It's been five years since our oldest was in pre-school and she was trained before she went!

It really does depend on the pre-school. OUR pre-school actually did potty training AT SCHOOL. It was part of the 2/3 yr old curriculum for those kids who weren't trained yet. So you have to ask the pre-school about their potty policies to get the right answer.

I was on e told that Texas law requires kids in day cares to be potty trained by 3, my day are told me this so I am not sure how accurate it is. They said that they are not allowed to help the child clean themselves after 3. I don't know about keeping them separate, unless the school won't move them up in class due to the potty training. I would talk to a preschool, let them know the medical issues, they should be able to tell you what you need to know.

It depends on the school - they either require potty trained kids or they don't, but I've never heard of them separating the ones who aren't trained! 3 year olds have no idea what other kids are doing with regard to the bathroom. I don't think your child can train until the constipation issue is solved - do you know the cause? Is it a condition that has been diagnosed (such as encopresis or autism) or is it diet-related? Do you need help eliminating this? Be careful doing miralax - it doesn't solve the issue, just treats it very short term. But a lot of kids aren't potty trained until age 4, regardless of whether they have a constipation issue. So it's hard to know if that's why your child isn't trained. Hiding the diapers may not work at all - usually potty training has nothing to do with whether or not a child is "thinking" about it and it's much more related to an individual child's developmental schedule.

I work with a lot of kids with this problem so get in touch with me if you want to. In fact, I was in your area (Phoenix) a couple of years ago at a conference that dealt with this health issue. I know you say you are in Texas but your info says Phoenix. Anyway - not important, just an item of interest.

I would get your son out of a high chair and into a booster seat - much more versatile. Look for one that has an adjustable seat so it can be adapted to different chairs and be taken with you to relatives' houses or even restaurants.