Baby Topic- Question about Potty training for any experts?

[shmoogrrrl]

So my Daughter has been very interested in potty training. She just turned two on June 1st, and for the past few months she’s been asking to “pee-pee poppy” (Katie to English translation = Pee-Pee in the Potty). Anyway, we’ve been taking her when we can and letting her sit there as long as she wants. She has used it occasionally, but that is more of being in the right place at the right time, if you know what I mean. She is also staying dry longer and has started waiting until we put a diaper back on her to pee, if we let her run around naked. However, she will only occasionally come tell us when she has a wet diaper, and she is happy to sit around in a poopy diaper almost all day if she thought she could get away with it. She tells us all the time that she will get chocolate (a Hershey kiss, or a few mini M&M’s, our bribe for going) if she does it, but then she doesn’t do it.

The problem is that the potty is becoming an obsession and she asks to sit there at extremely inconvenient times, as well as when she wants to get out of something, like a time-out or bedtime. She never actually uses it though, during these times.

So the question is, do we humor her and let her sit on the potty whenever she wants to, or do we tell her no? I don’t want to discourage her, but I also don’t want her to use it to get out of things, or because she is just bored. I also don’t want to try forcing her to train, as I know that can backfire.

We aren’t in a HUGE rush to get her potty trained. I am HOPING that she is at least trained by October of 2005 so that she can be in the kids program on the Disney Cruise trip. She’ll be three years and four months by then, so hopefully it is a reasonable goal!

So do you have any wise advice for a first-time potty training Mom?

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

Bribery, when she actually uses the potty give her a little treat. When I potty trained my oldest I bought a bag of Starburst, when he used the potty I gave him one, by the time the bag was empty, he was potty trained.

 

[coliebird]

Thanks for posting this question. We're kind of in the same boat. My daughter will be 2 on July 1st. She had expressed an interest in the potty so I went and bought one for her. She sat on it a few times, but never did anthing in it. Then she found out it could be a step stool as well so now she doesn't want the potty anymore, she just wants the step stool part. Like you, we are going to Disney in October 2005 and I would like her to be trained by then as well. I look forward to reading the answers.

 

[southernclass]

She's precious. My daughter Kansas is three and was potty trained at 18 months. I am not an expert but I just used the old psychological positive and negative re-inforcement technique until she got it down packed. Every time she went she got Mc. Donalds ice cream, every time she wet she got to watch Kayden eat his. I stayed at home with both of them until the divorce so I had plenty of time to monitor them. I just basically did not let them leave the bathroom until they went and it turned out that they were both good at about 18 months.

 

[Griggle]

The problem is that the potty is becoming an obsession and she asks to sit there at extremely inconvenient times, as well as when she wants to get out of something, like a time-out or bedtime. She never actually uses it though, during these times.

So the question is, do we humor her and let her sit on the potty whenever she wants to, or do we tell her no?

I have to LMAO at this - DS2 is also doing the same exact thing. He is obsessed with "have to pee" - but all he does when he gets on is sit there - say "I done" - wipe the little thing, jump off and flush.

If I say - oh no you don't, sit there until you pee - he says: "It's broken, mommy. It no work.".....

My son isn't potty trained, we're not potty training (I know he's not ready) - but gosh, don't I sound like the world's worst mother when we're out in public and when DS8 has to go, DS2 says "Have to go pee too, mom"....and I say "no"....

Good Luck!

 

[Beth76]

If she's using it to get out of something, then DON'T let her do it. Especially since you know that she doesn't go at that time. My son was doing that for awhile too. We'd get him all tucked into bed and then he would say "I have to go potty". I would even ask before he went to bed if he needed to go. I knew it was a stalling tactic. I don't have much advice as we are still in the process. I do know that while some kids can be trained at that age, it's still pretty young. I wouldn't worry about Disney next year. If she's already starting the process, I'm sure she'll be done by then. I think it's good that you're allowing her the opportunity to sit on the potty. It might just be something that she "decides" to do one day. Good Luck!!!!

edited to add: just because she's interested in the potty doesn't mean she's actually ready to be potty trained. Encourage her to sit on it, if she wants, but let her go on her own time. She's probably just getting used to it right now, learning about it, thinking about it. But, not ready for it full-time yet.

 

[castlegazer]

I have a friend who's daughter did this exact same thing - I don't know how they broke her of it but because she showed so much interest and was sitting on the potty she was trained shortly after two. I think girls are sneakier earlier so they get the hang of bribing their parents pretty fast. I don't think you should discourage it but maybe save the rewards for actual tries. We actually stopped rewarding for just sitting and instead would just give hugs and tell how proud we were.

I've got to tell you that potty training early like this means you go through ups and downs and interest wanes and then comes back again. The main thing to keep up is to encourage going all the time, ask all the time, and you should be very, very proud tat she has actually gone on the potty.

My son only did his first success a week ago and he is 25 months. He has been sitting on it since he was 18 months. The key I am finding now is trying to find out if they really know when they are going to go - they have to have this down to be able to be trained, and if they don't know this - you must then stick them on that potty every two hours or less and hope you catch the right timing.

Let her keep up her rouse - but make a little less of the "attempts" versus the attempts.

 

[CEDmom]

You might want to consider getting a stand alone potty chair so that your DD can use it anywhere in the house or even the yard for that matter. We also take ours in the car if we're going somewhere far. We once were in a traffic jam and DD had to go. Since we were completely stopped in traffic I got her out of her carseat and had her use the potty in the car (I put a ziploc bag inside to make disposal easier).

If your DD wants to go when she's having a timeout or at bedtime I'd let her and then continue the timeout or take her back to bed. This worked for our DD since she knew we would take her needs seriously but it wasn't a way to get out of anything.

It's great your DD is showing interest. I'd just continue to encourage her as you are but don't be surprised at setbacks. Our DD went back and forth from diapers to using the potty a few times before she was fully trained. BTW, we used M&Ms also and they worked really well.

P.S. Your DD is too cute. My DD went through a period where was LOVED Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. She more into Princess things now but there's definitely some tomboy in her.
Good luck.

 

[mickeyboat]

As far as bed time goes, I think you should encourage her to use the potty right before you put her diaper on for the night. Then she can't use that as an excuse to get out of bed. Maybe if you started to take her to the potty at regular intervals (upon waking, before nap) after meals she will not feel the need to use the potty as an excuse.

Good luck!

Denae