Potty Training before Disney trip

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Am I nuts to think I can get DS3 potty trained in 2 months?

He has shown a slight interest in sitting on the potty but not much else. I have sat him on the potty when he wakes up dry until he went but he still acted completely clueless about what he was doing. He turned 3 in May. We go back to WDW in mid November. I almost think it would be easier to wait until after the trip but I also think he is plenty old enough to get this ball rolling!

Any tips for getting this boy trained in 2 months?

 

[mjkacmom]

I nakey-butted my 3 youngest, and it took less than a week. I've found that 2 1/2 is the easiest time, so it might take you longer. No pants, and he'll probably be nakey-trained in a day or 2, then put on pants (no underwear), and gradually introduct (LOOSE) underwear. You can start out with a potty in the room, but use the toilet also, so the child doesn't become dependent on the potty chair. Pullups are not your friend.

 

[Hannathy]

go with the naked butt or underwear. At almost 3 1/2 he is old enough for you to just explain it to him that he is old enough to be out of diapers and going on the potty from now on. He is old enough to understand and to talk to you.
I would think with a child that old you should be able to train him in 2 weeks let alone 2 months. You have to be consistent, firm and no going back-especially just to make it easier for you- you may not go anywhere for a couple of days but it can be done.
I would also make him go sit on the potty every half an hour until he starts making the connection. Does he see you or your DH use the bathroom? that also helps if they see others using the bathroom.

Does he know about the trip? cause a little bribery never hurt and some idle threats. like if you are still in diapers we won't be able to do some of the big boy rides when we get to Disney...........Motivation works for everybody!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I nakey-butted my 3 youngest, and it took less than a week. I've found that 2 1/2 is the easiest time, so it might take you longer. No pants, and he'll probably be nakey-trained in a day or 2, then put on pants (no underwear), and gradually introduct (LOOSE) underwear. You can start out with a potty in the room, but use the toilet also, so the child doesn't become dependent on the potty chair. Pullups are not your friend.

He would absolutely freak out with no pants on. If he has an accident and we have to change his pants and he is just in a diaper until we get new pants then he cries for his pants. He may not be a nakey-butt candidate but maybe those thick cotton training pants so he can feel the wetness would work. Do they even make those anymore?

go with the naked butt or underwear. At almost 3 1/2 he is old enough for you to just explain it to him that he is old enough to be out of diapers and going on the potty from now on. He is old enough to understand and to talk to you.
I would think with a child that old you should be able to train him in 2 weeks let alone 2 months. You have to be consistent, firm and no going back-especially just to make it easier for you- you may not go anywhere for a couple of days but it can be done.
I would also make him go sit on the potty every half an hour until he starts making the connection. Does he see you or your DH use the bathroom? that also helps if they see others using the bathroom.

Does he know about the trip? cause a little bribery never hurt and some idle threats. like if you are still in diapers we won't be able to do some of the big boy rides when we get to Disney...........Motivation works for everybody!

He is slightly speech delayed so he parrots more than talks outright. I am sure he understands much more than he communicates. We just got back from WDW for Labor Day weekend so it is fresh in his mind (we are lucky enough to live close enough to drive) and he is still excited about the trip so I am sure we can use the enticement of wanting to go back and see Cinder-Lella (his favorite) and tell her he is in big boy pants now. Hmmm....

The other kids were just SO eager to potty train and this one just seems content to sit around in diapers. We have to literally chase him down to change him.

 

[2binak]

We're in a similar position. Our DD is 2.5 and is showing signs for being ready for PT and we're hoping she will be by our trip in Nov, but she's hit or miss about going on the potty right now. We have to pick a week and coordinate PT'ing with her teachers at school and hope for the best.

He may not be a nakey-butt candidate but maybe those thick cotton training pants so he can feel the wetness would work. Do they even make those anymore?

Gerber makes some that are slightly thicker than underwear. We just bought a few pairs of training pants by Imse Vimse. They are thicker than the Gerbers, but not too thick and they are really soft. We're finding them to be a great transition between diapers & undies. Your little one still feels the wetness when they pee, but the pants have a waterproof layer built in so they don't leak. They hold one accident pretty well. We're finding that our DD tells us as soon as she pees in them so we get her to the potty & changed right away.

 

[Dizfan4life]

It is entirely up to you, but I will tell you that both of my kids trained very easily and fast, however, I wasn't wanting to have to deal with the "stopping at every public bathroom" in the park to check it out ! I also didn't want the stress of standing in line and having them do the "gotta go" dance, since they don't always tell you when they feel the urge they only told me when they REALLY needed to go , and then try to jump out of line and quickly get them to the bathroom. If you are wanting them to be potty trained how about having them use Pull Ups in the park then you won't have any stress of will they make it in time or not. Even though Disney has a TON of bathrooms, sometime the bathroom wasn't as near by as I needed it to be and it was a good thing both of mine had pull ups on. Good luck to you!!

 

[Fall1]

My DS and DD turned 3 in June and they both recently trained (except for nighttime) in less that 1 month. It was like once they were interested, they totally got it.
I am still amazed that it all happened so quickly.

If he is interested, I say go for it!

 

[Fabooliss]

It is entirely up to you, but I will tell you that both of my kids trained very easily and fast, however, I wasn't wanting to have to deal with the "stopping at every public bathroom" in the park to check it out ! I also didn't want the stress of standing in line and having them do the "gotta go" dance, since they don't always tell you when they feel the urge they only told me when they REALLY needed to go , and then try to jump out of line and quickly get them to the bathroom. If you are wanting them to be potty trained how about having them use Pull Ups in the park then you won't have any stress of will they make it in time or not. Even though Disney has a TON of bathrooms, sometime the bathroom wasn't as near by as I needed it to be and it was a good thing both of mine had pull ups on. Good luck to you!!

I'm going to second this!!! I would much rather deal with diapers on vacation than with a recently potty trained child. Both of mine trained quickly, but still had "accidents" now and then, usually when we couldn't make it to a bathroom in time. I would hate to wait in line for a long time and then have to leave just when you get to the front. For that matter (and this happened to us, but at a local theme park) have a "but I can't wait" moment in the MIDDLE of a ride. It was a slow moving ride and he didn't make it. We had to mop up the puddle with his pants and change him after we got off the ride.

 

[DISNEYNV]

We are kind of in the same boat! My DS will be three in October and has started to use the potty "when he feels like it" or we gave him go. He will not ask to go himself yet. He is also in underwear mist if the time at home and at school but has accidents as well. I am hoping he will be trained for our December trip to Disney, but to tell the truth diapers would be soooo much easier than carrying the extra clothes and cleaning up accidents while on vacatio and in line fir a ride or sitting down for dinner I
guess you just have to see what happens and go with it. Hopefully for both of us they will train fairly fast Good luck and have fun...diapers or undies!!!

 

[Chelley00]

I'm going to second this!!! I would much rather deal with diapers on vacation than with a recently potty trained child. Both of mine trained quickly, but still had "accidents" now and then, usually when we couldn't make it to a bathroom in time. I would hate to wait in line for a long time and then have to leave just when you get to the front.

I agree. I also waited with DS when he was almost 3 until we got back from our trip. Diapers were easier, and trying to convince him to slow down to go potty would have been miserable for all of us.

 

[alyssa810]

We're in the same boat too. DS turns three on Thursday, and we're off to DL a week from Saturday. We've been training for a few months now, and he will sometimes go at school but NEVER at home. I've tried no pants, and he freaks out, although over labor day weekend he did pee in the toilet once (it was a huge victory!) but he doesn't want to do it on his own.
He usually wears pullups during the day, and diapers at night...I'm wondering if maybe the kiddie sized toilets at the park might help him get interested too!
We're off to WDW in November, and with each trip I think "maybe this will be the one in underpants...."

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one in this boat. I keep putting off potty training because of one thing or another - we moved over the summer, then the Labor Day quick Disney weekend but now I had planned to get down to business before that November trip.

I agree that diapers are SO much easier in the parks at this age but this kid needs to start doing the potty dance.

Good luck to everyone training. I think that no matter what I want him to do that he won't train until he darn well wants to.

 

[weheartdisney]

Our youngest turned three this past August 16 during our Disney trip. He was in no way interested in potty training...or anything involving the potty. We told him on the trip that once you are 3, you can't wear diapers any longer and once we got home, no more diapers. He turned 3 our last day there and all the way home, he kept saying "No more diapers. Tomorrow big boy underwear". The next morning I put the thicker training underwear on him (yes they still sell them at Target in the baby section and also at Wal-Mart). He took to peeing in the potty within a few days....much faster than I anticipated. Yes, he had accidents daily for a few days....but then it clicked and he started telling us if we were out, or going on his own at home.


Pooping was a whole other issue. I would watch him and when he would get quiet and go away on his own, I knew what that meant. I finally got him to go in the potty....but then he started just going in his underwear - or worse...the floor! It was a mess. Several pairs of underwear had to be thrown away. God Bless people who use cotton diapers. We kept working him and in the beginning gave him regular M&M's for each pee pee in the potty and peanut M&M's for #2. The deal was though that we had to check the potty and see it. He couldn't flush it before we saw it, or no reward. The stakes got higher with the poop and we bought him two sets of Toy Story Lego's (one for each time he pooped in the potty) (still cheaper than a box of diapers!). For over a week now, he will go poop on his own in the potty. I honestly thought this day would never come.

I am lucky that I am a SAHM. After we got home from the trip, for the next two weeks we stayed home most of the time so we could work on getting him to use the potty. It definitely paid off.

**We use the potty seat that fits on top of a regular size commode instead of using the kid's potties. I found it easier when I went thru this with my older son. Then there isn't an issue when we are out at a store, someone else's house, etc. and he needs to use the potty. Plus later on you don't have to transition them from a child's potty to a regular commode.

I wish everyone lots of luck, patience and success with the PT journey. It can be so frustrating for both the parent and the child. I hope something that worked for my son, may help you with your son/daughter. Good Luck!

 

[tinkerbell313]

Unfortunately I dont have any advice as DS trained himself at 24 months. He just decided he did not like diapers...we put underwear on...and he stayed dry ever since (one accident). No poop issues and no overnight issues.

However, one thing to be aware of...the toilets in the parks are the automatic flushing toilets. They can be both quick and loud...and maybe frightening to a child if it flushes while the child is still on the toilet. Just something to think about.

 

[weheartdisney]

A read a tip on the DIS for the automatic flushing toilets. Take sticky notes in and stick one over the sensor so it doesn't flush until your child is done.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Both my boys trained in under a week. One was a week shy of two and one was about 31 month. I just decided to do it and did not look back. The later one is my DGS and at that point we did not have him all time, therefore the delay.We eliminated all diapers, pulls ups etc and stayed home in underwear or nothing for a few days and they got it!!

If he has some delays, it may take longer, but for most kids without delays, it should not be hard or long at that age.

NOW...it IS easier to take a diaper kid than a newly potty trained child and if he was younger I would say wait but if you think he has the comunication skills needed, I would do it NOW.

 

[Jerseyguy's Wife]

Good luck to everyone training. I think that no matter what I want him to do that he won't train until he darn well wants to.

I think you are absolutely right. We have been trying to get DS3 1/2 trained for over a year. There is no reasoning with him at all. He cries and yells "I don't want to!" whenever we put him on the potty (how do you argue with that?). This last trip over Labor Day week, he did pee in the potty all day every day (he liked the "man potty"). He absolutely refuses to poo on the potty, though. I have tried everything I can think of, so we put him in pull ups and reward him if they stay dry. Even if there is poo in the pants, you only have to change 1 or 2 and this beats all the wet ones. Good luck to you!

 

[sss]

OMG, potty training is SO tricky..it seems like lots of moms here had kids who trained easily and I am eternally jealous. My girls, not so much. ...BTW, my girls now are 8, 8, and 5.9 years. All solidly potty trained, lol
They all trained around 3, it took two weeks and there were moments I never ever thought they would do it...I would NOT put the pressure on you or your little guy to train "by disney".....it's a great goal but pressure makes you and him nervous/unhappy hence more ambivalence about training...I would try to frame it as wouldn't it be great to wear big boy (possibly toystory 3 or some othe disney related theme) underpants to disney? My girls have the attitudes of we won't do a darn thing until we decide we are good and ready (I have no idea where they get that from). POtty training can quickly turn into a power struggle, kwim. Remember, a kid has little autonomy in his life other than his/her body. So if you frame it in the positive, great. Also, m&m bribery went a LONG way...1 for #1, 2 for #2...I can tell you doing #2 in the potty came after peeing and depending on the muscle maturity of your child, night time training is entirely separate. It wasn't long before my twins just didn't pee at night. My youngest, for a variety of reasons, I believe had less strong or mature muscles and trained at night way after she was trained during the day. Bottom line, hope for the best, stay positive, don't pressure the boy too much, and no matter where in his training he is, you should probably bring an extra set of clothes (or two, no joke) WHEREVER you go. And I know there are a lot of pull-up haters out there but they were life savers for us when our youngest was not solidly potty trained on flights. Remember, if he is newly trained, despite his best intentions WDW is so stimulating both visually and auditory that chances are, he is not going to remember to go 100% of the time....we trained our twins in October and I believe we were at Disney in I think it was Jan or Feb and they had a couple of accidents. It is a lot to take in so being prepared is your best bet. If you are flying I would most def have him wear something that is super easy for him and you to pull down quickly like sweatpants or those jersey shorts, kwim? Just MHO.
hth
sss