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Potty training advice?
2texasmoms
Posts: 299 ✭✭
Teddy will be 3 in February and is not even close to potty trained. Fortunately, daycare is allowing him to move up to preschool when he turns 3 even though he's not trained, and I think that will help--going from a toddler class where he's one of the oldest and hardly anyone else is potty trained, to a preschool class where he's one of the youngest and all the other kids are potty trained.
He sometimes likes to sit on the potty, and I know they have him "try" at daycare and he's peed in the potty a few times--but mostly by coincidence. We have him "try" at home, too, but only when he asks or shows interest. I'm reluctant to force it on him. The other day he asked us to put him in underwear and then called, "I have to go potty!" but he had already peed on the floor. Seems like he still can't identify the feeling of "need to go, need to get to the potty" but only recognizes it after he's already gone.
Any tips or advice? We tried the 3-day method over the summer and it did not go well at all.
He sometimes likes to sit on the potty, and I know they have him "try" at daycare and he's peed in the potty a few times--but mostly by coincidence. We have him "try" at home, too, but only when he asks or shows interest. I'm reluctant to force it on him. The other day he asked us to put him in underwear and then called, "I have to go potty!" but he had already peed on the floor. Seems like he still can't identify the feeling of "need to go, need to get to the potty" but only recognizes it after he's already gone.
Any tips or advice? We tried the 3-day method over the summer and it did not go well at all.
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The things that helped, though? Letting her go at her own pace. She was/is also very fastidious, and doesn't LIKE being wet at all, and wanted to be like the big kids and wear underwear and not diapers, so she was self-motivated, if that makes sense. Also, when she was still figuring out how to GO on the potty, vs just sit on it, we were at a friends' with a slightly older and further along in potty training child, and I asked that parent if my child could watch her child go potty (a weird request, I know!). But once my kiddo saw another kid do it ALL BY HERSELF, she desperately wanted to too, and started sitting on the potty and going and wiping and getting her pants back on all by herself, too. Which was AWESOME.
She's just over 4 now, and has had one accident in six months. I don't even have to prompt her anymore, except before trips that'll take us to a store or a checkout line or something super fun she'll not want to tear herself away from long enough to go potty.
Night potty training on the other hand... that's a whole 'nother thing.
But the point of all that? It sounds to me like he's making perfect progress. And you're right about being in the classroom with the older kids. That helped a lot for mine -- peer motivation I guess. Wanting to be like the others.
I hear those moms who had their kids perfectly potty trained at 10 months, and just want to shake them a little. Like... good for you! Yey! Really. But it always made me feel bad about my own's progress, you know? Don't feel bad about how far yours is coming -- he's right on target based on MY experience, and especially for a first kid. Second kids, I hear, potty train sooner because they have a role model. But.. take the pressure off yourself, you know? He's doing great.
And it's a glorious, delightful thing the first time the potty flushes mysteriously all by itself and your child's voice rings out, "Mommy, I went potty!!". It'll happen.
~ Sandy
2nd daughter born 3/8/2016 (bfp after 7 attempts at home ICI, 2 miscarriages, 1 D&C)
age 36
age 39
We are moving on trying some cloth training pants as he moves up to preschool on Feb. 1. I like his toddler teacher, but her methods of having him "try" by sitting on the potty for 45 minutes at a time are just not working either. He had his soon-to-be-preschool teacher before she moved up from toddlers, and I'm confident she will help get him there, as well as being with all "big kids" who all use the potty. Right now he still is just really showing no interest whatsoever. Blergh.
We started school anyway in January. In underwear...and hoped for the best. The month of January he came home with a grocery bag of wet clothes almost everyday. Then it gradually stopped, twice a week, once a week, and then done. They were patient, burn persistent, and kind. They were not momma and mommy.
We wanted this done before his sister was born, due in a few months. A good school and teachers, know what to do. Watching other kids helps. It seems you already know this. Our son was not interested. He liked his pull ups and did not want to change. Honestly he still waits till the last minute and thinks going to the bathroom is a waste of his precious time. Later, when he's older, you will look back and understand how much of this is his little personality.
This makes me feel so much better...thanks! Yes, I'm hoping that sending him to preschool in cloth "training underwear" will help. They should at least contain accidents so he's not making puddles on the floor, and then my hope is that, as with your son, he will gradually learn. He also hates stopping what he's doing to go sit on the potty; he's the same way with diaper changes, too! "I don't want my diaper changed, I'm playing now." Kid, you stink! Time for a new diaper! LOL
2 year old brother, on the other hand, is a potty rockstar.
Yes, please! Emailing you now.
I do think moving up and seeing all the other kids going will help. My mom swears that is what helped me potty train when I was young. It's all about the preschool peer pressure!
Our daughter now recognizes when she needs to pee and gets herself to the potty in time, manages her pants, and can wipe herself with minimal assistance. Today we were even successful with a large poop & she was ecstatic about it! We take her potty chair with us on small outings and yesterday she used it successfully (in our subaru outback, the hatchback works great as a toddler bathroom) & her pants stayed dry. today we tried to stay out a bit longer & she wet her pants even though we had just attempted the potty a few minutes prior, we were already driving when she said "pee pee!" again. ugh. So it's one step forward one step back. But, it's only been 4 days and she's actually getting it. The main thing the book stresses is 2 full days of staying home, toddler going naked (no lower body clothing) on day 1, then if all goes well & the chid at least recognizes when he/she needs to pee, you have them go commando on day 2 with easy to manage pants but no training pants or underwear... this apparently erases any muscle memory the chid has of diapers... and underwear still feels like a diaper. Also, it feels pretty gross to have an accident with no underwear, it trickles down the legs & really makes the child aware that something is not right. So, Im sure this would not be possible to do if your child were in day care... I'd assume for hygiene reasons. We're lucky right now our daughter is not in day care & we're able to devote some time to this. After about a month of going commando & no more accidents, then we'll introduce panties. We're still in diapers for naps & overnight...that is another hurdle we'll attempt once she is fully day time potty trained. But, amazingly, this method seems to be working.
2nd daughter born 3/8/2016 (bfp after 7 attempts at home ICI, 2 miscarriages, 1 D&C)
age 36
age 39