Potty Trainning - Sparks,NV

Hi C.,
I know it's frustrating. My son showed signs of being interested at 2 and a half. Now he's approaching 4 and he was still not potty trained. We've tried Elmo potty videos, potty games, reading, singing, got a special potty, no diaper in clothes, underwear, pull ups, naked and outside...Nothing worked. What's worse, it got to the point that he didn't want to sit. He cried because he didn't want to sit. So I was feeling frustrated and like the worst mom in the world.
So here's what is working now:
On the advice of another mom, we tried "potty for prizes." My son is car-crazy. My husband picked up a bunch of hot wheels and we lined up 4 or 5 (still packaged) on the back of the toilet. He's not allowed to touch them while he's trying. If he goes, he gets to pick one out and we make a big deal about it. If he doesn't go, we just say, "that's ok, next time you go potty, you can pick out a prize."
He does have tantrums, and we just explain that the rules are that he can try to go now or try later.
In 5 days with this method, now he's telling me he has to go, a new development! This morning he was so excited that he did go that he forgot all about the "prize".
I know every kid is different, but this is what's working for us...
Good luck!
S.

Even though it totally sucks, I would say just take him to the bathroom every 30 minutes or so for a few days. When I started potty training my daughter I had the same problem. If I put her there she would go but when asked she would say she didn't have to, and she would never tell me she needed to go. So, I set the timer on the oven for 30 min. and every time the timer went off I would take her in there. I was giving her lots of chocolate milk (her favorite) so she would NEED to go, I wanted her to feel it. It took about a week of taking her constantly but...we finally got it down. Hope this helps.

I would back off. Your little girl is 20 months old and the older kids always digress when there is a new sibling. He's only three. Wait a few months and then try again. He'll get it before you know it:)

I suggest you learn sign language for your son, teach him how to sign , this is a gift for him to learn, 3 yrs old and foing what he is doing is common , and normal, you will find 9 - 10 do the same thing

He is clearly telling you that he isn't ready. Listen to him. If you wait until a child is ready, potty training is as easy as can be. Wait 6 months and try again. He has enough to deal with without pushing potty training on him. There is no rush. Stop the fight. This is not a power struggle, it is developmental. There is more to it than knowing what to do when put on the potty. You have to pick your battles in parenting, and potty training should never be one of them. Back off, apologize to him for the fighting, and relax! He will get it when he is good and ready.

I don't have first hand experience with this because my son is only 11 months old, but my sister had a real hard time with potty training like you. What seemed to finally work for her son was to leave him outside (of course in the warm weather) with no underpants. When he went, he realized how "yucky" it was and started to comprehend the idea. Good luck!

Just a question....do you use sign language with your son? I am looking into a company that has a baby sign language potty training program. They say it works really well. I am an interpreter now. This program has certified interpreters who teach sign language to babies and small children. of course, it can be used to teach adults also. Contact me if you would like more info. ____@____.com

You had mentioned that your son is hearing impaired and you are currently playing catch up with his language development. The first thought that occurred to me is that he may not have enough language/communication skills in his tool box yet to be able to tell you when he needs to go. Are you working with a speech therapist to help him with his language development? If so, bring this issue to his/her attention and make this one of your son's goals. Your ST should have a pretty good sense of where your son is at in his communication level and which protocol to help him learn to tell you when he needs to go to the bathroom.

Also, when you feel comfortable with it, get rid of the pull ups once and for all except for at night. Pull ups make kids lazy. Also, this probably doesn't need to be said, but a reward system and showing a lot of enthusiasm (including tickles, raspberries, tossing him into the air) for every little success is a really great motivator.

If you do not have a speech therapist, e-mail me privately and I will be happy to share some suggestions of things you can do to help your son learn to tell you when he needs to go to the bathroom. My son is not hearing impaired but he is communication delayed and so, we have had to deal with similar issues not too long ago.

my son has special needs and we've been trying to potty train him for over a year, he's four. His pediatrician just recommended this device that helps with potty training, let me find the brochure and I'll let you know the name of it. I know you can find it at a local medical supply store and it costs about $60 but some of them come with a money-back guarantee

I'm currently potty training my 26 month old and yesterday was an accident free day! I ask her every 30 minutes or so "do you need to go pee pee?"... sometimes she tells me no and I leave her alone, only to ask again 30 minutes later.

Persistence.

I'm glad you mentioned the learning impairment in your bio -- it actually may have an impact on your son's not telling you when he needs to go. Many kids w/ special needs actually take more time to sense what it feels like when the need to go before they actually have an accidental release in underpants. You may want to discuss it with his dr. There may be therapies to do to help him learn what it feels like, but at age 3 it is still early, so unless you can't afford diapers (I know they're expensive), you have 2 options: one continue status quo knowing he can't really tell you ahead of time when he needs to go and you'll just have to keep on schedule (don't make a big deal over accidents) or 2) go back to diapers and wait a bit.

Dear C.,
Congrats to surviving 'it all'! I had 7 and am still surviving so I can empathize!
Sounds like your son might be a visual learner. If you can make it a game - use the potty training chart on this page:
http://www.gomommygo.com/pottytraining.html
If you can make him understand the game, he'll catch on!
Blessings,
R.

Take a step back, mom. He is not ready and does not want to. Get him some batman underwear and put it in his drawer and tell him that when he is ready to use the potty all day long, he can choose to wear his cool underpants. Don't pay for the pull-ups, just go with diapers. Try to have him spend time with other kids his age so he can see the role models of other kids using the potty. When you have to go, tell him that you are doing so and that is what big kids do, etc. but don't push him. It will take 5 minutes for him to potty train when it is his idea!

Spend 3-4 days with him home and naked...then he'll use the potty.

HI! I used a potty prize chart for both my boys, right around 3 and it worked like a charm! I looked up the one posted below and mine was similar but really simple! I just used a half sheet of construction paper, drew 5 squares on it and told them every time you go pee-pee in the pot you get a sticker. When all the spots are filled you get a prize. Then I had a prize bag ready for them to pick from. (matchbox cars, party favor stuff, whatever your son is really into!)If anyone gives you a hassle about "bribing" your child you just tell them you are using a "positive reward system"! ;-) As he masters it more and more you can add more squares to the chart so you're not giving 10 prizes a day! It doesn't last forever with the prize thing, soon they forget about it and just go to the toilet. Also, I agree with the person below that you should plan to stay home 3-4 days in a row and be really consistent, no pull ups during that time. And yes, letting him run around naked works great so he REALLY senses when it's coming and just how fast it comes out and when to run to the toilet. Good luck!

Hi C.,
I just wanted to say that I think it is good that he goes on the potty when you put him there. He may just not be ready to do it on his own yet. I have a daughter with Special Needs too, and it took her until she was almost 4.5 years old, but she does it! The biggest thing is letting them do it on their own time, and to stay encouraging and not to get too frustrated. He will do it in time. My mom used to teach the hearing impaired and I know that sometimes because they can't hear, sometimes development may take longer. Give it time, and it will come, he's doing great, and you are doing great. I know it is hard to be a parent of a child with special needs, and you just need to know that milestones that typically come at a certain age don't always come at that time with our kids and it's ok, you are doing good as a mother, and he will get there!!!!