OT:Potty training

[Omma]

After potty training three kiddos I can tell you this...no matter how young I started, what method I tried, they were all "potty trained" at 3 yrs old and had no more accidents at 3 1/2. Make it fun...praise success...discipline only causes power struggles.

I do have a "trick" for getting them to poop on the toilet. My sisters and I have gotten 7 kids total trained this way. We bought "poopy prizes". For my son it was Matchbox cars. I bought 7 of them and put them on top of the fridge. Every day he pooped in the potty - he got a prize off the top of the fridge. After one week - never had a poop accident again. Worked w/ my girls and all my nieces and nephews too. Just pick a prize that motivates them.

Good luck!

 

[WantToGoNow]

My advice - get rid of the Pull-ups. There really is no difference in them and diapers. Put on underwear -- yes, you will have to clean up a few messes but your child will understand the difference. Whatever your child's favorite character is -- buy those. My cousin finally got her nearly 4 y/o son potty trained when she got rid of the Pull-ups and bought Thomas the Train underwear -- he didn't want to poop on Thomas. My children all started potty training by age 2 and were finished well before 2.5. My dd4 turned 2 on December 8 and I have pictures of her in panties and skates (nothing else) on Christmas morning.

 

[eburg]

tried the underwear thing. His favorites Mickey Mouse ( perfect for this board), scooby Doo and Spiderman. I am going to get a few prizes like suggested ( i.e hot wheels) and show them to him and let him know if he poops on the potty , he will get one. I will let you know how it goes this week

 

[katiesmom2]

Trust me, we've tried the "don't pee or poop on Diego" thing and it worked for awhile, but now Diego gets a bath.

I think one thing is definite - there are no definite ages by which a child should be trained. Implying that a child should be trained by 2 1/2 or 3 if the parent is doing it right is WRONG. Of course the parent plays a huge roll in the whole thing, but the child has got to be ready physically and intellectually too.

 

[barnaby1]

IMO, 2.5 isn't really young to potty train if the child is biologically able to make themselves go potty.
I think it is far harder to train at 3 when kids have begun to realize how much control they have over what they will and will not do. Also, potty training isn't just about the child being ready it is also about the parent being ready. It is a commitment on the parents' part. I know others will disagree. JMO.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree. Sometimes later isn't always better for the above reason. I certainly wouldn't punish a child for not using the potty but use sensible constructive rewards (star chart etc not a toy for each wee or poo - that just gets a bit silly I think - I had a friend whos ds, nearly 4 had about 400 reward dinosaurs in his room but still wouldn't use the potty!!)

The other key is not to use pull ups, they feel just like nappies.

Give it time and make sure you are ready for potty training!

 

[RMulieri]

I' ll tell you what my pediatrician,mother,mil,sil etc told me.Don't push them, when they are ready it will happen.My DD is 4 y/o and has only been potty trained since 3 1/2. I would beg plead,bribe and she would have nothing to do with it.One day onher own she started using the potty and never had a problem after that.No good nites, or pull ups required.

 

[Alex&Evan'sMom]

I tried pullups but to no avail. Finally I reached a breaking point and made them wear underwear. I made sure to buy them some that I knew they would like and made them wear them. They only had a few accidents and were trained within a week. But I can still remember when I thought they would be wearing diapers to college so I know how you feel. Take heart that training will happen eventually(hopefully soon) and until then here's a big hug!

 

[crisi]

I knew I'd gone too far when my four year old son told my three year old daughter Mom would buy her a VW Beetle if she potty trained. Rewards work for some kids, some kids work off praise, some just need to do it in their own time. My three peices of advice:

1. It will be the last thing you try. And then you will swear to everyone that "stickers work!" By the way, sacrificing virgins makes it rain, too.

2. Barring a medical problem, your child WILL potty train before leaving for college.

3. In a few years, you'll look back on this time and wonder what the big deal was.