I know there are tons of questions regarding potty training, but I have a slightly unique situation so I thought I would get some 'personalized' feedback.
I have a 27 month-old son. I started introducing the potty since he learned how to walk (11 months). There was no push to get him trained, I just sat him on there first thing in the morning and after nap time. The main reason why I started early is because I wanted him out of diapers before he was 2 because I wanted to do cloth diapers, and my husband flat out refused. So this was my bit to try to 'save the environment.' Anyway, he started actually doing stuff on there about 14 months. After he started peeing in the morning and after nap, we did the baby sign program where you teach them the potty sign to tell you he needed to go, and was poop potty trained at 18 months (Will stop playing and will tell me he needs to go). I was very happy with the progress and the fact that he would pee occasionally was nice. When he turned two, I pushed a little harder to get him to stop peeing in diapers. I tired the pee-on-cheerios trick, but he kept trying to pick them up out of the toilet. I tried a sticker chart, because he loves sticker. I tried bribery (with watching his favorite TV show, extra sticker, little candies, etc...) , watched potty DVDs, but nothing seemed to work. About 2 weeks ago, I invested in training pants (they are washable and since he no longer poops in the them my husband it on board.) The first few days were bad with pee all over the place, but now he has much better bladder control (usually 2-3 hours between potty visits) and will tell us he needs to go.
My problem: Today he went all day (from 6AM until 3 PM) in his trainers, telling me he needed to go and peeing on the potty. Then about 30 minutes later he peed through his trainer, pants and onto the floor. When I asked why he didn't tell me, he said he was 'busy'. Some days he only needs 1-2 trainers (where they are just a little wet), other days he need 6-7 (with puddles on the floor). I am not sure what he was 'busy' with as we were playing together when I noticed his pants were all the sudden wet. Sometimes it is when I am in the room, other times it is not. I try not to make a big deal, but I do stress that he needs to pee on the potty.
I am sure that I am going to get a lot of responses that 'he is not ready', but my theory is that he has the ability to control his bladder, tell me when he needs to go, can get to the potty, pull his pants down, climb on (or stand up), flush, pull his pants up, and wash his hands all by himself...so he is ready. He just sometime chooses not to go. I will also get some, count my blessings since I have had a handful (probably about 5 poopy diapers since he was 18 months). But we are expecting our second kid in a few months and I would really like to have only one in diapers.
The only thing that I can think of that I can try to do is to buy an 'egg timer' and have him set it and every time it goes off have him try, but I am doing the 'Tell me when you need to go' so he initiates the potty times.
Any suggestions to try to make him make potty a 'priority'?
Hi Christine
My son was trained before his 2nd birthday.
What I did was not to make a big deal of it. Normalise it.
I didn't bother with training pants just straight to boys pants.He pee and pooed in his pants for the first week as we were running to the toilet but quickly got the hang of it as he didn't like to soil himself.
Remind him every few hrs for the toilet , bring him to the toilet and that should do.
I think it is not neceesary to use other methods-cheerios,sticker chart etc as it is too much of an overload of information.Keep it simple.
Let him watch his Daddy peeing in the toilet,I did and my son was so proud that he pees like his Daddy.Let him pee standing up.
Use a child seat on the toilet for poos.
I kept diapers to night time for the first two weeks and then finished with them also.
He has had only two wet nights in the last year.
Good on you of thinking of the environment x
B.
1 mom found this helpful
Report This
C.S.
answers from
Victoria
on
You know he has the capabilities, you just have to get him to want what you do as much as you do. i did this by telling mine, here is how it is. no more diapers, or pull ups. big kids & grown ups use the potty & you are not a baby anymore. no bottles, paci's, & no more diapers. I then would withhold whatever it is that he really enjoys (his currency) and let him know that when he chooses to use the potty like you know he can, then he will earn his currency. So when he asks for currency you ask did you use the potty today? he will get the point. You have to withhold the currency though & not give in regardless of any fits. Aso after a week no cooperation, then withhold another currency item... essentialy all things not necessary to his health. My daughter's currency was chocolate milk. She could have milk, just not chocolate. My son's currency was tv time. I use this method for all transitions. When kids decide they don't want to clean up their rooms......Kids decided they didn't want to bathe themselves, brush teeth etc.... Cooperation = currency. Such is life.
Report This
A.
answers from
Albuquerque
on
Probably along the lines of what you don't want to hear: he is normal and progressing normally. Many parents of 2yo would be jumping for joy to be where you are. If you make a battle of pottying, you have already lost. You will lose what progress you have made and there will likely be regression when the next baby comes. Use the egg timer or get a little watch that beeps at regular intervals when EVERYONE (even you) will go sit on the potty. They sell kid watches just for this at One Step Ahead (or at least did last time I checked). He is still young enough to be motivated intrinsically be his success. He probably wants to please you still. So clean up the messes calmly but praise the heck out of his successes. He is doing great, really. He will continue, at his own pace, to improve until he is day trained. Night times may or may not take longer.
Report This
K.M.
answers from
Flagstaff
on
Something I find helpful when my potty training kids have a hard time going because they are "busy" I make them practice going to the potty. They have to go to each area of the house (kitchen, bedroom, tv room) and you say, "If you are in here playing/watching tv/eating/etc. and you need to go potty, what should you do?" Then you make sure they tell you the right answer, "Go to the potty (or whatever you call it)" and then make sure they run there and go through the whole routine of pulling down there pants and pretending to go potty. I usually do each location a couple times (don't be mean about it, almost like it is a game). It is usually best to make them practice right after there is an accident while they still have on the wet bottoms. Also, have him help you clean up the mess made from peeing on the floor and in his clothes. You can adjust it to fit your needs but this helps around our house.
Report This
L.N.
answers from
Flagstaff
on
I know the frustration! I also started early potty training with my daughter (now . almost 3). I'd rather let her initiate going potty, but I've had to take the initiative a little. She's been going in her carseat lately, so I've been trying to remember to take her before leaving.
People talk about potty training as a light switch - all of a sudden the kid is ready and then accidents are minimal. With my daughter it's been much more of an up-down journey. Yes, she is "ready" physically....just mentally she goes through phases. A regression is normal after a new sibling, so I wouldn't count on having only one in diapers, even if he gets better before the birth. For my daughter, her regression was 2-3 months after my 2nd was born - later than I would expected.
But things that may help is keeping potty time interesting. A reason for regressions are just being bored with it. Things like special potty toys/books might help.
