Help with Potty Training - Germantown, MD

S.,

Ditto to all the responses provided to you already! My 2 year old had a momentary relapse as well when her little sister arrived. As already stated, you just have to continue to put in time with your oldest and reassure her with hugs and kisses and encouragement that you understand she had an accident. Mom and Daddy still love her. Physically get down to her level and kindly affirm her feelings and instruct her like you did before when you first started potty training her. Being proactive vs reactive goes a long way in changing behavior. Remember parents have the unique combination of influence/pressure and unconditional love but how you apply that pressure & love is all up to you!

Note to you: FRUSTRATION is a part of parenting so take a step back when you feel your level rising. BREATHE and lovingly and patiently try again. One thing that my husband and I do is mantras or make up songs. ('Saw this make up a song technique on Elmo's World!) We teach our oldest a short sentence or song to say when she needs to correct a behavior and constantly repeat with animation--humor/wittiness goes a long way to defuse; we also reward with stickers ($1 at the dollar store), even locate library books to read to reinforce ideas. Once upon a potty is a good book and pushes literacy.

e.g. Song or Mantra we use using the melody of gingle bells - I peepeepee peepeepee peepeepee in the potty. Mommy peepeepee peepeepee peepeepee in the potty. Daddy peepeepee peepeepee peepeepee in the potty. We all peepeepee peepeepee peepeepee in the potty.

Even if they don't do it; keep saying it so that your oldest will get the message to sit her bottom on the potty. And singing crazy songs will certainly make you laugh too.

Now lets sing - 5, 6, 7, 8 . . . I peepeepee peepeepee peepeepee in the potty. Mommy peepeepee peepeepee peepeepee in the potty. Daddy peepeepee peepeepee peepeepee in the potty. We all peepeepee peepeepee peepeepee in the potty.

S. I can truly relate. My daughter who is 2 1/2 goes for everyone else except my husband and I. She will even tell her grandparents, cousins and friends when she has to go. I started rewarding her everytime that she stayed dry all day and it has worked. She loves goldfish and Dora snacks so that was a reward and if she lasted all week she was allowed to pick out one thing that she wanted. The first time she was dry for an entire week she asked for a doll baby that she could do her hair and some grapes! Simple enough.

Good Luck with it!

My duaghter was born when my son was 3 1/2 - and he had regression as well. It is completely natural (it's called stress) and yes - very frustrating especially when you have a new baby. I think what you are doing is wonderful - by spedning one on one time with her. But just encourage her that she's the big sister and she can do all of these things that her brother cannot. Encourage her to use the potty and that she will be able to help mommy potty train her brother. This will make her feel helpful and important.

Baby her a little - but don't say "Stop acting like a Baby" this will just make her feel even more insecure about your love for her. Make it clear that she doesn't have to act like a baby to attract attention. Get back into the habit of cheering all her small accomplishments, just as you did when she was the sole apple of your eye. And provide lots of opportunities for her to act grown-up. Ask her to fetch a diaper or to hold the sponge while you're giving the baby a bath. Follow up with hugs of gratitude: "Thank you so much, my big girl!"

I hope this is helpful - and Congratulations on the new baby - one of each - how wonderful!

You said the doctor checked for infection, but did he check for a bowel impaction? That can often only be found with an x-ray. Your description of the problem matches the symptoms perfectly. The condition can make it difficult for a child to feel the need to go. It's not serious and the treatments are safe and easy, but the doctor would need to confirm the condition first.

GOOD LUCK!

Hi S.,
My son is now going through this too, he's 3 1/2 and my daughter is 8 months. All of a sudden he's been peeing at naptime a lot which he hasn't done since being potty trained. The teacher and I have related it to my daughter cuz she was sick for a little while and I constantly had to nurse her and she didn't really want to deal with my husband. So some days my son would be sitting there and just blurt out "I want you mommy" but I'd be doing something with his sister.
It's frustrating, and I've found myself telling him at times, "your not the baby, your mommy's big boy" but tried to stop doing that. My husband has found ways to talk to him before going to bed telling him that we love him and that he shouldn't want to wet his underpants to make the characters on the underpants wet and sad!!! So sometimes that may have been affective cuz when he didn't wet one day, he'd come home and say "Mommy I didn't wet my pants and spider-man isn't sad!"
It is really a phase and all we can do is just continue to give them their time and praising for good behaviors.
Mu girlfriend went through the same thing with her daughter--and her daughter would deliberately stand in the room and potty on herself!!!

Best of luck
Dani

just a month ago or so Supper Nanny did an episode that dealt with this as one of the issues I'm not sure if they make the episodes available through stuff like on demand but basically they stopped making any kind of fuss about it just changed the diaper and almost ignored what had happened, it doesn't sound like your daughter has gone back to diapers but maybe just not reacting to what is happening might help.
The episode of Supper Nanny was at one of the Wilson sister's houses (beach boys daughter) and was quite interesting if you could find it.

Good Luck R. A

Hi S.,

Check the CHKD Parent education and referral web site:

www.chkd.org/classes.

or www.kidspriorityone.org

or a parent's support group.

Hope this helps. Good luck. D.