My 2 1/2 year old has been on the potty training track for months now, and she's been doing really well. Pooping and peeing on her potty often, even in toilets in public places and other people's homes. I ask her all the time if she has to go, but she will sometimes tell me on her own. As soon as I think she's totally got it, she decides she doesn't want to go on the potty and pees in her Pull-Ups (we haven't moved to panties yet). She TELLS me that she's in the midst of doing it!
My method was star stickers as rewards and every 4 stars she gets to choose a prize. I really liked the idea of her working towards something instead of an instant reward (like Tic Tacs or Smarties). Now I wonder if the system is just getting old for her and she's bored with it. Anyone have any ideas what to do now?! I feel like I want to succumb to the instant reward because it will just be easier, but that would mean doing what my MIL has been saying all along. Thanks. This is my first question with Mamapedia and I really look forward to some other "mom-brain" feedback because mine is totally fried!!
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to give me advice. I decided to put my daughter in real panties that day. She did pretty well, but had a few accidents, which I was expecting. I was nervous to go out with her in just panties, but we did it! I made sure to have an "emergency kit" with a change of clothes, extra panties and a plastic bag. She told me she had to go to the bathroom at the mall. Two times!! SO proud of her! I was a little worried about the timing of all this because she just started preschool. Her teachers were on board with me keeping her in panties if that was what she was doing at home. Her first day (by herself) at preschool she had no accidents. She is doing incredibly well. I'm not even having to worry about the rewards thing because she is excited to keep wearing her "big girl" panties. Thank you all for giving me that extra push! Happy happy happy!!!
have you tried putting her in panties instead of pull-ups? that may help since she will be messy if she doesnt go on the potty, that may help. other than that I have no advice....my oldest is 2 1/2 and he will tell me after he has gone in his diaper, even bring me a clean one and tell me he needs a new diaper, understands what the potty is for etc....he just wont tell me first that he has to go.....le sigh!!
Get rid of the pull ups! They are confusing and expensive. If your gonna do it go all in imo. When i put her in those she didn't know what to do. Yep there maybe more accidents but it cleanable! Good luck mama
you know what....you have reached a stage my son got to, when i finally just said, "you know what, you KNOW how to do it, so it's time to be a big kid." i would try putting her in panties, and letting her know, that she is now expected not to have accidents. only you know how deliberate are her "accidents" - a time out might even be in order, if you feel she is really doing it deliberately. there comes a time when "convincing her" is over. she KNOWS. therefore she needs to do it. it's the first time as a little person that she is expected to do something, it's time to teach her what it's like to have expectations and to be responsible for something. this is her job as a big kid. no more being a baby and going in our pants. good luck!
(if you feel she still needs some "convincing", i.e. that she's not deliberately going in her pants, just needs a bit more of a reward, maybe try doing an m&m or a tic tac when she goes BY HERSELF. meaning not when you tell her to go, etc. but regardless of how you go, obviously the current method isn't working. as moms we all try different tactics. it's a matter of knowing when the current one has outlived its usefulness!)
Have you considered just moving her to panties? That might work, especially if she's doing it so well. You can still buy plastic pants, I think Gerber makes them. I used them with my daughter when we were leaving the house and it made me feel better! She might be less inclinced to go in her pants if she's actually wearing underwear. You could have her pick out her own and go from there. I would suggest however that you'll need probably 10-20 pairs. She can easily go through 5 in one day!
Not that I would know, but in asking around I hear that bypassing pullups may be a good thing. Like that it's confusing to them because you're expecting an accident from them and even that it feels like a diaper. Maybe give that a shot?
at 2 1/2 she should be in panties. Pulls ups are diapers with out tape, and they don't allow a children to feel the ickeyness of going on themselves. and at this age there should be some kid of consequence for not using the bathroom. In my home we started early and by two our sons were learning how to stand up and go. Once we took them out of diapers we went straight to training pants, never step backwards it makes a big difference in success in potty trainng. J.
I didn't read the other responses, but I think you should try going to panties except for sleep times. Try it at home for a week, give her LOTS of liquid so she has opportunities for success and failure. At the end of a week, you'll know if she's ready...and I suspect she will be. :) We did insta-rewards, mini-marshmallows. worked for us. But do what works for you! :)
I agree with the moms that said to move to underwear. She will have an accident or two but honestly that's all it will take. My daughter had 1 accident at home and 1 in a store. I had a change of clothes ready to go and didn't make a big deal about it. She was upset about feeling wet and it never happened again. Also, my daughter loved picking out her underwear. Let that be her final reward for completing potty training. You can keep her in diapers at bed time, just not during the day. The diapers are a safety net for her allowing her to have more accidents. Once she feels what it is to truly go in her pants, she'll get over it fast. Please don't punish her though for accidents or she might get stressed out and regress. You're doing a great job and you're almost there!
Pullups are fine but I think instant tiny rewards work better for younger kids. My son trained really fast (ie asking to go) for poop first. Pee took much longer (like 3 weeks) for there to be no accidents. I told him that if he has no accidents he could get a surprise toy. He never knew when it was coming since I remember learning in psychology that this type of reward system is the most effective. It worked for my son and I only had to buy 2 toys for it to work.
