I need help. My son is 27 months old and this is my first time to ever potty train. There is so much advice out there that I am confused. I am using the potty training made easy that was advertised on this web site. It shows you step by step how to do it in about three days. I've followed it along and he did what they said he would do the first two days (lots of accidents on the floor, and a few sucess'), but we are at the end of day three and there's no improvement. I am not sure wether to keep going with the training or stop and try again later. I put a timer on and sit him on the potty every 20 minutes for 10 minutes and we've caught two poops and at least 6-8 pees, but it's only because he was already sitting on the potty. Of course we throw a party and make a big deal and praise him for going in the potty. During the time he is off the potty, when he starts peeing he just stops and looks down. I am working on trying to get him to hurry to the potty, but that doesn't seem to be making any difference, he makes no attempt to go to the potty, in fact when I say hurry run to the potty, if I don't have a hold of him he runs the opposite direction. ha ha He is very obedient to sitting as long as I tell him on the potty, he may make a little fuss sometimes, but he minds when I say go sit on the potty. He stays until I say he can get up, so I am pretty sure he's not being stubborn. I've tried to make it as enjoyable as possible, but good grief, I've read every book in our library, sang every song, and put together every puzzle for three days now. There have been several times the timer goes off I let him up and he immediately pees on the floor. Is it possible he just doesn't get it yet. I ask him often during the 20 minutes off the potty if he needs to go, and of course he tells me no. What should I do, should I continue to sit him on the potty every 20 minutes for another three days or what?!!!! The other thing is I don't really like the peeing and pooping on the floor. Do they have to wear underware or can you use pull ups or thicker underware and still get the same results. The info I am using says it must be underware. I've noticed that pull ups seem just like diapers and I never saw him looking down at himself when he has a diaper or pull up on, so I don't think I would get the same effect. I feel like for where he is at he is doing very well, but it just seems like he may not be getting it. I would not mind continuing on if we could avoid the pee and poop on the floor, that is really not fun when you have carpet!!!!!Thanks for any advice you can give.
27 months is young, especially for a boy. I would quit for now and try again in a few months. Good luck.
My son is 30 months, and still not ready. We bought him a potty and have it just sitting in the hallway in case he ever decides he wants to use it. He knows what it is. Every so often he'll point to it and say "Potty," but he doesn't want to use it yet. I am disappointed since it means he can't move on to the 3 year classroom at his MDO (he is more than ready academically), but hey it is just a boy thing. I would save yourself the stress and try again in a few months. The last thing you want to do is make him actively dislike the process.
W.... he might just be too young still. It sounds to me like he just doesn't understand "why" he pees yet and that he can control it. He is still quite young for fully getting the whole potty training thing, give him time. I was always advised by other moms that they will get it when they are ready and if after three days you see no signs of him "getting it" then I would drop the whole intense potty training thing for now. I mean still continue putting him on the potty and telling him what the potty is for but don't have any expectations for him do any of it on his own until you see better signs that he has more control. I was also advised by other moms that when you start to get frustrated drop it, if he starts to get frustrated- drop it. Although everything with a toddler has some degree of frustration, but 2 year olds just don't preform well with pressure and added stress from a frustrated mommy. Good luck with the who PT thing we are going through the same stuff right now with my 32 month old. As I said I'm just trying to stay calm.
Oh W.!
We are at the tailend of pottytraining my twin 3 year old boys. It has been a real experience for us. I will share what I've learned so far:
Boys take longer, the more you compare your kids to other kids, the more YOU will feel bad.
Get them in underware as soon as possible, so they can understand the discomfort.
Write down their pee and poop schedule for three days, on the fourth day follow their schedule when you take them to the bathroom.
Let him know "big boys use the potty". The more he hears that the more he will understand the concept.
If possible, have his Dad or a male figure take him to the potty as often as possible. Men have so much influence in this area.
Good luck!
Hi W.,
I'm the oldest of 8 siblings. 5 of those being boys.
My mom never started potty training until the boys decided they were uncomfortable with their wet or dirty diapers. Sometimes (and I've heard this from a lot of moms) boys aren't ready to potty train until they are 3 or at least close to that age. My brothers were usually 3 before tjey caught on. My son just turned 2 and I'm not even going to start until he shows signs of wanting to be on the potty. Save yourself some misery and wait.
Hope this helps!
i have a soon to be 3 year old and he is potty trained. i never thought that the day would come. what i did was i figured out what times he usually goes potty, then around those times i sit him on the potty and he sits there until he goes. he finally got the message and now he has been out of pull-ups for 2 1/2 months. give him some toys and let him play. three days wont work. yoou have to do it every day util he gets it. god bless and good luck
I went through the same exact thing with my oldest son at that age. Potty training was a nightmare, and it was hard to be encouraging and nice when I'm cleaning up pee for the umpteenth time. It was a struggle constantly with him. I tried every method I found, on and off. He wasn't really potty trained until he was 3 1/2 and not night time trained until a few months after he turned 4. It was a total nightmare! Because of this, I was reluctant to do it with my second son. I never mentioned pottying, he just went before bath and when I'd take big brother if he wanted to. It was no big deal. I guess I was in denial about having to do it all over again. He turned 3 in December, and I had told myself we'd tackle it in the summer when big brother wasn't at school. Well, one day in January, he just said "I want to go potty." From that moment on, he never peed or pooped once in his pull up. I thought it was a fluke and kept him in the pull ups about a week. After that week, we went to stricly underwear, even at night. I am still floored at how easy he was.
Anyway, that being said, my advice is to let it go for now. He's still pretty young. I understand boys are harder to train than girls. And if he just happens to be going every 20 min. or so when you take him there, I don't think he's really getting the idea of recognizing that urge that he needs to pee. Plus, as i read in your profile, you have another one on the way. If it were me, I'd wait until #2 is born and try again when you have the energy. Anything you do now will be null once the baby comes, and do you really want to keep taking him potty every 20 min. with a newborn? In my opinion, he's not ready yet, and I'd just give it some more time. Try again in a couple months.
Until he can go two hours between pee, his bladder isn't ready yet, so you might check that out. And as for three days, I've never heard of having them potty traied in 3 days. I had four kids, and with concentrated effort/ rewards etc. it took at least three weeks. And you will still have an accident now and then. For the pee , if he doesn't have to go, he can't no matter how long you sit him there, for the other, if you think it seems about the time of day he goes let him look at a little book while sitting there at first so he won't get so frustrated & not want to go to the pot. After he goes in it a few times , he'll get the idea, but seems like boys are longer getting trained , I had two of each. Just try and keep it a pleasant experience, and he'll come around.
Hi W.,
I've got a 12 year old son. I have heard it's harder to potty train a boy than a girl and that was my experience. My son wasn't potty trained until he was 3 1/2. It is better for them to wear underware, not pull-ups because they can feel it and they don't like it! :) All I can say is good luck!
M.
I think if it's difficult then the child just isn't quite ready. I've got two girls, one wasn't out of diapers until three, the other is two and completely potty trained. Let your son lead the way & you won't have any problems or need a system/book. Just keep a potty or two around and let him see you and/or your husband see y'all use yours. I swear, it's easy-peasy if you don't rush it.
We weren't able to avoid the accidents on the floor; we just kept cloths, vinegar and baking soda handy for quick clean up. Both of our girls have loved being "nakie" so we've had to deal with plenty of accidents and our carpet isn't ruined yet. ;)
Good luck! :)
I think you are doing your very best. I used to babysit my nephew at that age and he was that sort of look at this in like what did I do when he pooped right after getting off the potty chair. My sister in law said she went outside and washed his poop off his body with the water hose...off course it was summer and the water was probably warm enough..but she tried to make a point with him to quit it...we never talked about it after that but I thought it was funny when you have lost your ropes of doing everything you know to do right. My best advice since I had 3 girls and 9 grandkids now is that give the child the time to mature some more.
Sincerely,
Mrs. B.
