OT--Potty Training Tips

[Go Saints!]

I have a question as well, my ds3 has a problem going #2 on the potty. He says the potty hurts his rear. We have tried different types of potties and seats, but he will not go on the potty. We have to put a diaper on him. If we do not put a diaper on, he will constipate himself and make himself sick. I have talked to the doctor and nothing seems to work. (She suggested a stool softner, but that only made things worse. We had to keep him in a diaper all day long for a week from one dose.) We have tried rewards and many other things. He has gone in the past, but stopped and will not even sit on the pot. He only asks to go at home or after a bath, so it is not a problem going to stores or any other type of recreational activity. He is also in school and he will not ask until he comes home. I am very concerned because he will be turning 4 in a couple of months and has been otherwise potty trained for 2 years. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[scrappingizlife]

I have a question as well, my ds3 has a problem going #2 on the potty. He says the potty hurts his rear. We have tried different types of potties and seats, but he will not go on the potty. We have to put a diaper on him. If we do not put a diaper on, he will constipate himself and make himself sick. I have talked to the doctor and nothing seems to work. (She suggested a stool softner, but that only made things worse. We had to keep him in a diaper all day long for a week from one dose.) We have tried rewards and many other things. He has gone in the past, but stopped and will not even sit on the pot. He only asks to go at home or after a bath, so it is not a problem going to stores or any other type of recreational activity. He is also in school and he will not ask until he comes home. I am very concerned because he will be turning 4 in a couple of months and has been otherwise potty trained for 2 years. Any help would be appreciated!

DS10 was the same way. He associated #2 and potty with pain. He would sit underneith my mom's dining room table to hide and push. He eventually grew out of it. We used to have to give him suppositories, and I don't think he liked that very much, so he learned.

DS3 refuses to have anything to do with the potty. He hates it and will scream if I put big boy underwear on him. I call him my baby, and he says he's a big boy. I tell him big boys use the potty, and he goes no. I say Daddy uses the potty, and he goes daddy is not a big boy, he's a man. I tell him Alex uses the potty, and he goes Alex is a big big boy.

DD is almost 2 and she is showing interest. So I'm going to get to it this weekend and try the nakey butt method.

 

[Melissa&Shawn]

Wow great feedback here!!!

DD is 22 months and when it gets alittle warmer I want to try PTing her. She knows when she "goes" both #1 and #2 and will tell me. I will ask her if she wants to go to the potty and she says NO! But she will go put Minnie or one of her other stuffed animals on the potty and says "Minnie go poo poo" or something. So she knows that's where you "go". Whenever I put her on the potty, she doesn't seem comfortable and jumps up. I think it isn't secure enough for her. Any recommendations? Better pottys??? We have one of the BRU brand standard ones. She couldn't get on and off the Baby Bjorn ones. I am worried the Elmo/Princess ones will be "fun" and just play.

 

[frtchr]

I have a question as well, my ds3 has a problem going #2 on the potty. He says the potty hurts his rear. We have tried different types of potties and seats, but he will not go on the potty. We have to put a diaper on him. If we do not put a diaper on, he will constipate himself and make himself sick. I have talked to the doctor and nothing seems to work. (She suggested a stool softner, but that only made things worse. We had to keep him in a diaper all day long for a week from one dose.) We have tried rewards and many other things. He has gone in the past, but stopped and will not even sit on the pot. He only asks to go at home or after a bath, so it is not a problem going to stores or any other type of recreational activity. He is also in school and he will not ask until he comes home. I am very concerned because he will be turning 4 in a couple of months and has been otherwise potty trained for 2 years. Any help would be appreciated!

Poor little guy! Will he sit on the potty to go #2 with his diaper on? If he can get used to sitting, even with a diaper on, maybe that would help. DD used to lie down on her belly to go #2, and when she started using the potty, I know it was a strange sensation to her.

 

[mamaLori05]

OP: I hope you don't think I'm hijacking your thread

For all others, when is it ok to 'force' it and just go for it? Is 2.8years ok? Even if they don't have tons of interest? Thanks!

I guess I "forced" my kids. I didn't really give them a choice. Just put them in underwear. dd was trained at 2.5 (after 3 days of potty training), and ds was trained at 2 years and 1 month (after 3 days of potty training).

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

For DS, rewards worked like a charm. He was fully trained 2 weeks after his 3rd birthday. We started requiring him to go 3 times a day (morning, lunch, dinner). Slowly he'd start saying he had to go more than that and it slowly became routine. We went straight to undies and I reminded him constantly that there was no diaper to catch his pee. I'd never let him go more than 2 hours without a trip to the bathroom. (I also told him that he had to be PTd by the time his grandma and papaw took him to WDW - 2 mo after his 3rd b-day - told him Mickey only allowed 1 trip in diapers.)

HOWEVER... DD (17 mo) has decided to start potty training. It started with her putting her hand in her diaper after she went #2. I'll ask her if she has to go and she will tell me yes or no. Last weekend she surprised us all while at my in-laws she went 3 times on her own schedule. I'm just riding the wave, but she's not at all consistant.

My cousin told me that she would give her kids a dum-dum pop while sitting on the potty. If they got up, she took it away. When they sat back down, they got it back. If they went, they got to keep it. If not, it was taken away. She said it really helped to keep them on the pot. I've tried it a couple of times with DD and she seems to respond to it well.

The main thing we try is to really respond after a successful potty trip. I cheer, daddy cheers, big brother joins in too. Sometimes we'll even call grandmas or grandpas too. I'll do anything to save diaper money!

Good luck!

 

[J3nn78]

Here is what worked for us.
NO diapers and NO pull-ups (glorified diapers) once training began. Going back and forth is confusing.
Set up a reward system- we did a sticker chart. For every pee/poo on the potty, they got a sticker to put on the poster
Poop was more difficult, we had to have a greater incentive. So we took them to the store and let them pick out a brand new toy. The toy was then placed in plain sight as a reminder that when he pooped on the potty he could play with the toy. Worked within a day. We would let them play for a few minutes and then put it out of reach again until the next poop in the potty. Once it became routine, they just got to keep the toy.

Be prepared for accidents and deal with them gently. Remind them that it is not where they go anymore. Have PLENTY of underwear. We like the gerber multiple layer ones. I would double up on those for car trips or overnight.

 

[waltskids]

OP: I hope you don't think I'm hijacking your thread

For all others, when is it ok to 'force' it and just go for it? Is 2.8years ok? Even if they don't have tons of interest? Thanks!

I guess you could say we 'forced' it. DS showed very little interest at 28 months but by 2.5 (30 months) we had a new baby coming in a month and I didn't want two in diapers so we ditched the pullups, went to underwear and we potty trained in a few days.

 

[Fall1]

For DS, rewards worked like a charm. He was fully trained 2 weeks after his 3rd birthday. We started requiring him to go 3 times a day (morning, lunch, dinner).

When you started this morning, lunch, dinner at first, did you put him back in a diaper after? Pull up? Underwear? What's best when just starting this way? Thanks!

 

[Disneychix]

Just a question- My DS really doesn't care about being in wet pants or having a full diaper. He'd stay wet all day I think! Does this mean he's just not ready? I don't want to force him on something he's not ready for. Any suggestions?

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

When you started this morning, lunch, dinner at first, did you put him back in a diaper after? Pull up? Underwear? What's best when just starting this way? Thanks!

In the very beginning it was a diaper, but after he started showing consistancy and control the second he went in the morning it was straight into undies.

 

[mjkacmom]

To answer some questions, many kids pee train before poop train (easier to hold in poop), and don't force that issue, or else you risk permanant physical damage. With nakey butt, you are actually less likely to have accidents on the couch, because accidents are far less frequent than with underwear. As for deciding it they're ready, I've found the nakey butt test to be a big indicator (no more than 2 accidents). None of my kids seemed bothered by dirty diapers, and some trained in a few days. I truly believe there is a window, and it's harder if you miss it.

 

[VirataMama4]

I've read almost this whole thread since we've been talking about potty training our 2.5DS. He's been going on the potty chair and big potty for almost a year, but just when he feels like it. He doesn't really care if he's wet in a diaper, pull-up or big boy underwear. I had never heard of the Nakey Butt idea, but thought I'd give it a try today I have to say I'm amazed! He had 1 accident this morning, on the couch, of course But hasn't had 1 since! I have lost count on how many times he's gone pee in the potty so far, but he even pooped in the potty with no problems!
I know its only been half a day, but THANK YOU to those who suggested the Nakey Butt way!

 

[chrisw127]

Wow. Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to take them to Target this weekend and let them pick out some undies and take it from their. May try the nakey butt as well, but with two of them, I'm a little scared.

Again, thanks!

 

[lindap1]

My daughter is 3 and we're having a heck of a time with the potty training. If you take her to the potty she'll go (even if she has to force herself to pee), but if we leave it up to her, she just goes in her pullup. I have also heard that the think pullups are diapers so they just go them. I did buy the thicker training underwear so we'll try those and see if they make a difference. Five out of seven nights, she stays dry.

 

[WendyinNC]

I've read almost this whole thread since we've been talking about potty training our 2.5DS. He's been going on the potty chair and big potty for almost a year, but just when he feels like it. He doesn't really care if he's wet in a diaper, pull-up or big boy underwear. I had never heard of the Nakey Butt idea, but thought I'd give it a try today I have to say I'm amazed! He had 1 accident this morning, on the couch, of course But hasn't had 1 since! I have lost count on how many times he's gone pee in the potty so far, but he even pooped in the potty with no problems!
I know its only been half a day, but THANK YOU to those who suggested the Nakey Butt way!

I'm so glad it worked for you. When I potty trained my 1st child 12 years ago everyone thought I was crazy when I told them I just let her run around naked for a weekend. Back then everyone used pullups. Best of luck!

 

[mamaLori05]

My daughter is 3 and we're having a heck of a time with the potty training. If you take her to the potty she'll go (even if she has to force herself to pee), but if we leave it up to her, she just goes in her pullup. I have also heard that the think pullups are diapers so they just go them. I did buy the thicker training underwear so we'll try those and see if they make a difference. Five out of seven nights, she stays dry.

For the first week of newly being potty trained, we don't wait for them to tell us. Even though they have the hang of it after about 3 days, I still take them every hour or so. Then I gradually ease off and wait until they tell me, if they do and they make it, I leave it at that. If they don't, we go back to reminding them every 1-2 hours. (they are usually accident free and going on their own after a week) Then if we are somewhere where the kids are very busily playing (like monkey Joe's or a birthday party), I will remind them after a few hours if I don't think they have gone in awhile.

 

[mamaLori05]

My daughter is 3 and we're having a heck of a time with the potty training. If you take her to the potty she'll go (even if she has to force herself to pee), but if we leave it up to her, she just goes in her pullup. I have also heard that the think pullups are diapers so they just go them. I did buy the thicker training underwear so we'll try those and see if they make a difference. Five out of seven nights, she stays dry.

and one more thing, get rid of the pull-up and I bet she will be fine! I'm convinced pull-ups are a parents worst enemy!

 

[princessmom29]

and one more thing, get rid of the pull-up and I bet she will be fine! I'm convinced pull-ups are a parents worst enemy!

I think you are right!!! Ditch the pullups!!!

 

[blessedby3]

I tried training my 2yr 4mo old dd in Jan. I was so frustrated with it I gave up after a solid week of staying in the house and taking her to the potty every 30 mins. She just didnt seem to get it and so I am waiting until after our May Disney trip. I was hoping she would be good and trained, but since she was showing NO intrest I figured I would wait until after our trip.
I will probably try the nakey butt method, but honestly my dd didnt care if she peed in her panties or the floor!! She would get up from the potty and pee in the floor, so I dont know how the nakey butt thing will work for her.
This is SO NOT my favorite part of parenting!! She is my fourth (and last) and I cant wait for this to be over with
I also used panties, no pullups, and a diaper at night