OT- Potty Training, what's the next step?

[waltskids]

DS just turned 28 months old and has been very interested in the potty for quite a while now. For the last few months, we have been putting him on the potty just to try it out and for the last 6 days he has went pee about 2-3 times each day in it. At this point, he will tell us when he has pooped (or is currently going) but never makes it to the potty (I know this will come later, at least what people have told me). I guess what I am asking is what is the next step in potty training? Some people have said the 'nakey butt' method, and some have mentioned the timer set for every 30 minutes. I have also heard about going straight to underwear. He is aware when he goes pee in his diaper but knows that the pee is supposed to go in the potty. He uses both a kid size potty as well as the potty seat on the big toilet. He is so happy when he goes in the potty but we are telling him to sit on it at this point, and would like him to become more consistent. I know he's younger than some boys, but we want to continue since he is showing so much interest. What methods have you used for a boy that have worked? Thanks so much for any advice.

 

[mjkacmom]

I've trained 5 - 2 using traditional underwear, 3 nakey-butt, and BY FAR the easiest method for us has been nakey-butt (both girls and boys). Potty in the room, tell him to use it when he needs it, if he has more than one accident, put him back in diapers for 3 months. If he's ready, he won't have accidents. Nakey at home, pullups only for outings (and tell him not to pee in them), and when he's 100% (a day or 2), pants, no underwear. It took months to train my oldest with underwear (they were 3), and less than a week for nakey-butt (age 2 1/2). Underwear feels like a diaper, which they've been peeing and pooping in since birth.

Poop sometimes comes later, so if he wants a diaper to poop, put one one, or he could sustain permanant physical damage from withholding.

 

[waltskids]

Thanks for your advice. Keep it coming!

 

[mjmoon]

I wish I could give you some advice but my 3.5 yo is disproving everything I thought I had learned about potty training! lol

With my first son it was easy. He's a little OCD in that he doesn't like to feel wet. If he gets the smallest drop of water on him he's peeling off his clothes so all we had to do is go straight to underwear. It took about 2 days for him to figure out that the potty avoided the yucky wet feeling and he was completely trained on the urination side. It took another day or two for him to realize the poopy goes in the potty too. That was it.. he's been completely potty trained since. He had just turned 3 but I think we could have done it much sooner if I realized how easy it was to take advantage of his distaste for wetness. My older son also responds positively to rewarding good behavior. He's the kind of kid who will eat a plate of Brussel sprouts if you tell him he'll get desert out of it. So giving him a sticker or temporary tatoo when he used the potty helped reinforce it too.

My youngest. None of these approaches have worked. We started out with rewarding him and even took him to the store to pick out anything he wanted the first time he went "number 2" in the potty. We made it a big celebration. That was months ago and he hasn't done it since. He actually flat out refuses to do it. I asked him once, "Why did you do that in your underwear", and he said to me, "Because, it's my job". If I ask him, "why won't you poopy on the potty?" his response is, "because, I don't want to".

It's soooo frustrating because I'm not sure what else to do. I've got him back in pull ups because there are only so many loads of laundry I want to do in a day. Also, he is not the kind of kid that responds to rewards.

I'm looking forward to hearing what other have to say here.

 

[brymolmom]

My best advice is to figure out what works best for you and DO IT NOW! I have a theory about a 'window of opportunity' when a child can be trained (and I am talking about being trained (with accidents until they learn NOT to do what has been taught since birth - which is to go in your pants)) and if you miss this window - you have to struggle through until the child decides to basically do it him/herself. Some people prefer to wait until they do it themselves, some (like me) like training them sooner and being OUT of diapers sooner (not without some work and effort though).

We did the straight to underwear thing. Talked a lot about underwear being big kid and only for kids who use the potty, etc. Then set a day to start (when you do not need to leave the house for a couple days) -and talk about it and RAVE about the 'big day'. Maybe offer and discuss a 'prize' if the big day goes well. Then wake up that day and put on the underwear. Then, just stick to it. It might take some time and some accidents to figure it out. Set a timer if that seems to help OR do the naked thing. Be prepared to clean up some messes. But IMO if your child seems ready (and it sounds he is based on your info) - now is the time to stick with it and go for it. Or you might end up missing this opportunity and waiting until he decides to do it (like when he's older 3 or 4).

Good luck. Potty Training is a very difficult part of parenting. Hang in there!

 

[mandanjeremy]

My DS wanted nothing to do with the potty at 29 months. I tried absolutely everything and i finally caved in and bought this book someone told me about. It was "HOw to potty train in less than a day." It was great. We put the potty in his room, and filled him up with drinks. I had him sit on the potty every 15 minutes or so, whether he had to go or not. In between trips to the potty I would have him check his pants and see if his was dry. It was so easy I dont know why I hadnt thought of it before. He had it down by the end of the day. We went straight to underwear, even at bedtime, and he only had a few accidents the first couple of days. We didnt have any trouble getting him to poo poo in the potty either. He's been diaper free for months now, and can go completely by himself without any help now.

Make a HUGE deal about it when he goes in the potty, and keppy your patience too. I would get so frustrated, and I could see that in him too. But when I lightened up so did he. HTH

 

[waltskids]

Thanks for all of the great advice!

 

[puffkin]

My DS didn't show a whole lot of interest in his potty (regular or kid one), but he definitely knew what he was doing by around 26-28 months. He would do #2 EVERY evening while I was making dinner. He would go to his "private spot" and do his business.

I, being the mean and horrible mom that I am, decided he was ready for potty training doing #2. I am not a big believer in kids will do it when they are ready. To me, they need to be taught acceptable behaviour and how can they learn if you don't teach them???? Anyway, the next night when he gave his "signs" I grabbed him and put him on the potty. I sat in there for 45 minutes talking soothingly and telling him all about the potty and what he needed to do. Every time he got up, I put him back down. He cried and cried for his elmo (what he called his pampers) and I said no. FINALLY, he went in the potty and he obviously got a HUGE and very positive reaction. It was HARD, but I didn't cave. The next night it only took 30 minutes, the next 20, etc. In about a week he was trained for #2 on the potty.

Peeing came MUCH easier with him. He would do it in the potty, the hard part was getting to the potty in time. We did Nakey-butt and it worked great. Sometimes he used the little potty and sometimes the bigger one. I didn't care as long as he went in one of them. He only had one or two accidents where he didn't make it. We also tried to sit him (or at least remind him) every 30 minutes or so to use the potty. We talked a lot about the big boy pants but he just didn't have the control like he did with nakey butt so he was still in diapers/pull ups out of the house. Then, one day it just clicked for him and he said he didn't want to pee in his diaper anymore. He was 2 1/2 and has been potty trained since with virtually no daytime accidents and just a few night time accidents.

 

[waltskids]

You have all been so helpful! I have heard about the 'window of opportunity' for potty training, and I think we are in the middle of it right now, so these suggestions will help us alot.