Yet another potty training question

[Honeymooner04]

I'm sorry if this is a common question, I've done a search but it's not working for me for some reason. Here is my problem...

We leave for Disney in 3 days. I was planning on starting potty training full force/cold turkey once we got back. My whole plan was to buy Disney underwear while at Disney as a souvenier and use those for the potty training. Well like many well made plans in parenting my daughter has other ideas. Within the past three days she has decided that she no longer wants to go #2 in her diaper and INSISTS on using the potty. That is all fine and dandy but for a reason that I can not pinpoint she's freaked out by the process of actually going #2. She cries and sobs but then is totally excited when she actually goes. She's not constipated so I'm not sure why she's so upset when she goes. Anyway, I can see this being a problem especially on the plane trip out there and back. Not to mention this is going to be a big deal while we were in the parks, of course we can use the baby care centers but still you're not always close to one if she's gotta go NOW!

So anyone else have this issue with your toddlers? My DD is my one and only and I have no experience with this whole potty training thing. By the way my daughter is 27 months old. And going #1 in her diaper doesn't seem to be a big deal yet and she has yet to go on the potty. Can anyone offer any advice as to what I can do with her on my trip? I'm thinking I need to get one of those inserts for the toilets so she can use the public restrooms if the need arises. If we weren't leaving so quickly I would seriously just go cold turkey right now. I've waited to potty train just so I could avoid all the potty breaks on this trip....that'll teach me to try and plan ahead! Anyway, any nice, helpful advice would be appreciated! Thanks

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I've heard that children sometimes think that part of their body is coming out and is going to fall in the toilet. They can't quite understand what poop is and why it's okay that it is coming out of their bodies. So they get scared. I didn't have to deal with this issue and I don't know how to go about getting a child to overcome that fear. Maybe another mom will have some insight.

As for what to do on your upcoming trip, two things come to mind. One you mentioned, get one of those seat inserts to take with you. Second, bring a pad of sticky notes with you. When you and DD go into a stall, put one over the motion sensor so that the toilet doesn't flush while DD is on it. That can really scare some kids.

BTW, I was in your boat two years ago. DD was starting to potty train right before our trip. I was not pushing it because I didn't want to have to deal with going to the potty on the plane and at WDW. We started training for real after the trip was over.

 

[of2dbeach]

i think my worries would be if you put her in panties and she hasta go potty on the plane etc it might scare her seeing it is so small. most public restrooms have them sensor things to flush it away. as far as the poopy i tell my kids it is yuck stuff our bodies dont need so it comes out.So we can wipe ourselves and get clean and flush it away with no worries.. you could do a 3 day potty training stint but I wouldnt recomend it. maybe get her princess panties and see if she really wants to use them or not before you leave ? What about pull ups? they have Princess ones I told my smallest DD that Cinderella was a very clean princess and didnt like getting all yucky and messy, she tried very hard to keep her that way. i think i would tell her for the trip she hasta wear a pull up but if she needs to use the potty you will take her . there are restrooms everywhere so its not usualy a problem. maybe even buy her Disney panties in the park to be used at home. After all Mickey, Minnie and the Princess need to make sure the parks stay clean and beautiful so little kids wear pull ups in the parks in case they have an accident

 

[bartleby1]

Unfortunately, you really don't have much say in this. It has been my experience, that what mom does in regards to potty training means very little in the eyes of a 2 or 3 year old.

My first born trained at around 32 mths - she was a 'rule follower' and once she realized that the rule was to go on the potty she tried her very best to learn. Poor thing would sit on the potty for HOURS until something happened. I tried to lure her OFF the potty because I felt so bad for her, but she was determined.

My second child was a nightmare to train. Not sure if it was that he was a boy or just plain difficult, but he needed to be trained to start preschool. I tried it all and nothing worked. I finally gave up and told him that when he was ready to let me know. Thankfully, 3 weeks before preschool started, he came down with his big boy underwear in his hand and said "I'm ready today". Never had another accident. He was 39 mths. (BTW, his "I'm ready today" came a couple of days before we were DRIVING from NJ to disney! I did keep a pull-up on him for the trip, but he didn't have a single accident the whole vacation!)

My third child (girl) trained herself at 26 mths. I totally wasnt' ready (I felt it was easier to keep the diapers instead of dealing with the accidents and really thought she was too young). But, she was absolutely insistent and I had no choice but to go with it.

So, the only advice I can give after having three children is to try to not sweat it. I remember feeling so pressured - especially with my son. But, bottom line is, you can pull your hair out, stand on your head and spit nickels, but they have the control here.

For the trip, I would put a pull-up on her and not even ask her about the potty. If she wants to use it, take her. But, I wouldn't bring it up at all. Let her call the shots and try to just go with it. She may be so caught up with the sights and sounds that she may just go in the pull-up and not even think about a potty - and that's OK. If she asks to find a potty - that's OK too. Let her decide. But, definitely keep a diaper or pull-up on her. Disney is not the place to worry about potty training.

DO bring post-it notes to put over those horrible automatic flusher sensors though! Those toilets can really traumatize a kid! Also, I had one of the fold up, portable seats that fit on the toilet for my first daughter and it always seemed to pinch her when she sat on it and quite frankly, it was a pain to lug around. I believe it was a GRACO one. Not sure if they are better now, but I ended up not using it and just holding her up.

Good luck!

 

[dogodisney]

If she wants to use the potty do not discourage her. It may only make it take longer to get her potty trained down the road. Be proud that she is already wanting to poop on the potty because for a lot of kids that is the part that takes the longest.
Good luck and have a great trip.