Potty Training Advice (inspired by Minnie824's thread)

[kimwim8]

DS will be 3 next week. Wants nothing to do with the potty. He goes to daycare 4, sometimes 5 days a week, and is in a class where he must be 3 & potty trained to move over to the much more exciting preschool side of the school. With DD(now 5), that's all it took was to see a couple friends move over to the preschool side & she wanted to go too.

DS could care less! He's perfectly happy doing his business in a diaper, pull-up, feel & learn....whatever!!!

Any advice? How old were your kids when they were potty trained?

TIA

 

[jel0511]

No advice here, except to say, I'm right there with you!! DS could CARE LESS about the potty. We actually had him running around the house on Saturday for 6 HOURS naked, to try to entice him to use the potty. Well, what did he do? He held it the WHOLE TIME!! Yep, the WHOLE TIME!! When it was time for his nap, I had to put the diaper back on, and of course when he came back downstairs, it was COMPLETELY FULL!! I'm at my wits end here, and hoping some magical potion will be invented tomorrow that will magically train boys......

 

[kimwim8]

jel0511 -

Must be something in the NJ water! How old is your DS?

 

[decker96]

My two oldest were both 2 1/2 (youngest is only 11 months right now), one girl, one boy. With DD we did a sticker chart. Every time she went on the potty she got a sticker. Then there were bigger rewards after a certain number of stickers. After 5 she got to go to Target and buy a new book (she LOVED to have stories read to her). After 10 stickers I took her out for lunch at McDonald's, a treat because it's something we hardly ever did. After 25 stickers, she got to pick out a new computer game. This worked really well with her.
DS was not into stickers at all. Our problem with him was just getting him to go on the potty one time. I knew if he did, he would "get it" and would have no more problems. That's just his personality. So I told him if he went on the potty he could go to Target and I would buy him this truck he had really been wanting (it was about $10). It took three days of wet pants, but he finally made it to the toilet. Once he did it once, he was fine, just like I thought. He was fully potty-trained (#1 and #2) in five days.
Also, with both of them I put them in those thick cotton training pants when we started, no more diapers or pull-ups except at naps and at night. Those new feel & learns weren't around then so I don't know how well they work, but diapers and pull-ups are too absorbant. They may know when they go, but it's not uncomfortable so they don't care. The training pants make it more uncomfortable and my kids, at least, didn't like it. Yes, it is a little more messy, but it speeds up the process in my opinion.

 

[Hillbeans]

I'm in NJ as well, and you can do a search on my 100 posts about toilet training troubles.

I can only pray that on the day my DS gets married, he's not in a pull-up. All of the experts say no, however I feel that he'll be the exception to that rule!



Edit to add DS is 3 yrs 8 mos

 

[jel0511]

Originally posted by kimwim8
jel0511 -

Must be something in the NJ water! How old is your DS?

He was 3 in April...... Urgh......

 

[chrissyk]

This happened to my friend's son, although he was 4 years-old and about to be held back from the preschool class. We got very creative, and we told him that he'd won a prize of some special "big boy briefs". We even had the mailman deliver the "prize" in a big box, LOL! This actually worked...I think that he only had 1 accident after this. He didn't want to mess up his big "prize"

 

[jel0511]

Originally posted by Hillbeans
I'm in NJ as well, and you can do a search on my 100 posts about toilet training troubles.

I can only pray that on the day my DS gets married, he's not in a pull-up. All of the experts say no, however I feel that he'll be the exception to that rule!



Edit to add DS is 3 yrs 8 mos

I'm sitting here laughing, because I tell myself the same thing EVERYDAY!!! There definately must be something in the NJ water, because my neighbor's son was also late to the potty training game. I think we need a support group, or a potty training boot camp like the one mentioned in another potty thread!! I would pay THOUSANDS if they could guarantee DS would be potty trained at the end of the day!!!!

 

[Hillbeans]

Don't laugh, but i'm actually very close to redoing one of my 3 toilets in a "Thomas the Train" motif and if that doesn't get him to go, nothing will.

Lets see, blue toilet, Thomas face cover on potty seat....I could probably get it to look just like Thomas the Train and the more I think about this, the more I think it just may work.

Now I really don't want a blue potty, but i'd do it if it'll help.

 

[kimwim8]

I promised DS Buzz underwear if he went on the potty. He said "I don't want underwear!".

I remember with DD that I tried too early & just got both of us frustrated, and once she wanted to do it, it worked instantly.

But WHEN is he going to be ready?????

 

[JetMom]

I am the Director of a Pre-School and the mother of 3 DS's. I have NEVER required a child to be potty trained to attend any program that I run. IMHO it is just one stage of the child's total development and should be taken into account with all other aspects of development. I know that many pre-schools have potty training requirements, but I feel that it is wrong to hold a child back academically because of an aspect of physical development.


That being said...all children potty train at their own rate. None of my DS's potty trained before 3. With my youngest-- potty training had evolved into a giant power struggle and-- I actually (hang head in shame) told him that Mickey Mouse did not allow diapers in WDW.

My oldest taught himself to read when he was 3, but did not potty train until one month before his 4th Birthday. He also continued to have accidents (maybe once a month or so) until he was 5 1/2. It was a total physical issue and IMO it would have been cruel to keep him with 2 year olds just because he wasn't trained.

Just for the Record - I was teaching in Pre-Schools for 3 years before DS was born and I had the same potty training philosophy even before the reality came to my house.

 

[Lizzydoll73]

My DD was 2 1/2 when she was potty trained. The way I could get her to poop in the potty was give her a Disney dollar every time she would go in the potty instead of her diaper. It took about a week and approx $10 disney dollars.

 

[Minnie824]

Disney dollars! Thats a good idea! I've managed to get DD to like everyone already. Maybe we'll try that. DD will be 3 in 2 weeks, which is why I am going to try the book I mentioned in my other thread. Shes smart, she knows when she goes #2, stands in a certain place, no desire to go on potty. For #1, she's been telling me after that she did, just not before hand. She had one of those inflatable toys you climb in with the 1000 plastic balls to play in...well it went into the basement about a year ago, and when we were cleaning the basement, I told her we could bring it up once she went on the potty all the time. She liked that, still not enough motivation. She goes to preschool, but not long enough to have to use the potty there or know about other kids. I've turned the water in the potty purple, bought her new undies, gave her stickers. Nothing. Did I mention she's stubborn? We've just dropped it for a month now, and waiting to see if she'll bring it up. My friend has a boy that all of a sudden at 37 months, started telling her he wanted to use the potty. She said it took 3 weeks. Hopefully that will happen soon too.

 

[kimwim8]

Jetmom - I totally agree with what you said. I definitely would not allow the school to hold my child back academically, simply b/c he was not potty trained. With DD, it wasn't an issue, but if DS continues to show no interest & seems to be bored or not learning at school, then I would set up a meeting with the director to see what can be done.

He's a smart kid, he's just not bothered by messing in his diaper or pull-up. Honestly, I'm not at my wit's end or anything. He's a little peanut & my last baby, so if he wants to take his time, that's ok too. We'll just make sure he's in underwear by the time he starts kindergarten (not sure when that will be, since his birthday is right at the cut-off, but that's another issue!)

Thanks for all the advice. It's also nice to know I'm not alone!!

 

[jel0511]

My preschool also uses the same mantra as JetMom, DS didn't need to be potty trained before he started this fall. They will accept children in pull-ups and he's doing FINE! It's just such a power struggle, since I know he's physically ready, just he doesn't want to do it. We're going on DCL in November, and of course if he's not potty trained he can't go to the clubs, or down the Mickey Slide. I've kept telling him this, and he understands that he won't be able to go, but it still doesn't provide enough incentive. He also FLIPS OUT when DD can go to the club at the grocery store, and he can't. I keep telling him that he needs to use the potty to go, says he'll use the potty, and of course nothing! Oh well..... I keep trying and failing, but I'm not pressuring. I just keep asking.... and asking.... and asking.....

 

[kimwim8]

He also FLIPS OUT when DD can go to the club at the grocery store,

Wait.....what??? You have some kind of kid's club in your grocery store?? What grocery store is this?? What a great idea!

(sorry, kind of OT, but I guess since I started the thread, I can ask!! )

 

[jel0511]

Two of the grocery stores around here have kids clubs, ShopRite and Wegmans. We usually go to Wegmans, and the kids club is GREAT there. They have a little play area with a maze, computers with games, tv with movies, and coloring stations. DD LOVES going and always asks to go the kids club when I go shopping with them. I can't wait until DS can go too, shopping ALONE!! I can get some things done now that DS is in preschool, but after drop-off and going back to pick him up, I only end up with about 2 hours alone. So, I can't really accomplish much. The clubs are VERY popular and usually there are at least 5 kids in the club. It's also free!!!!

 

[kimwim8]

I'm gonna have to ask at my local ShopRite if they have any plans to open a kids club!

Well, good luck to all with potty training...I guess one day we'll all be saying "that wasn't so bad!"

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I have 2 DDs, and let me tell you DD2 is as stubborn as they come (hmmm, does she take after mom? ). DD2 was born 5 weeks before DD1's 3rd B-day. 2 weeks after DD2 was born, DD1 declared she was wearing big girl panties to school. I was too tired to argue, so I packed her off to daycare with an extra change of clothes. We haven't looked back. Took about another 18 moths before we could go without pull-ups at night, but that was it.

DD2 is now 5 weeks shy of her 3rd B-day with no inclination of giving up diapers. Hopefully she will be trained before we move in a couple of months, but I am not holdng my breath. DD2 has the same teachers as DD1 had at this age. They have all commented that she is a totally different child that her sister. I guess I am doing something right in that I am raising 2 individuals!