Potty Training - Olathe,KS

well, once upon a time i tried to potty train my kid. and it sucked. and took almost three years. the end.

potty training boys is just SO hard. i recommend bribing him shamelessly with potty dances, stickers, and candy. not kidding. good luck!

I would wait until after the new baby comes. I've seen so many kids regress after a new sibling arrives. I just would hate for you to put in all that effort for him to quit going on the potty after the baby is born. Good luck.

Sure, physically these toddlers can use the toilet, but being mentally ready is a whole other story! My oldest son was 3 when he potty trained, never had an accident or regressed. I truly believe in waiting until they are ready and not forcing them into it. If your son just sits on the potty for more than a 5-10 min. he's probably not going to do anything. My youngest son is 2 1/2 and he'll just sit there too and then pee or poop after I put his diaper back on. I know you are anxious to potty train him since you have another one on the way, but try to be patient, because it will happen, just keep trying.
V.

My son is 3 and has just started potty training, he was not interested until about a month ago. He decided that he is was ready to use the potty. I just waited until he was ready.

Hi,
I have been thru potty training twice. And really feel its not a good thing to rush the process. I know how it is to want to get them out of diapers, but dont push them. What signs is he showing to make you think hes ready? There are several signs to look for. Here is a list of the ones I go by, take a look and maybe you will find hes not quite ready yet.

15 Signs of readiness for potty training
Your child is ready for potty training when he or she:
1. Has bowel movements at about the same time every day
2. Can stay dry for a few hours or wakes up dry from sleep
3. Knows that he/she has to go to the bathroom
4. Understands the association between dry pants and using the potty
5. Can pull her pants up and down
6. Lets you know when he/she has soiled his/her diaper (likes to stay dry) 7. Can follow simple directions like, "lets go to the potty"
8. Understands potty training terms (wet, dry, pee, poop, dirty and potty)
9. Can tell you he/she has to go to the bathroom
10. Imitates other family members
11. Shows interest and asks question while watching you
12. Wants to do things "by myself"
13. Enjoys washing his/her hands (like to be clean)
14. Gets upset if his/her belongings are not in their proper place
15. Wants to please you!

Good luck, you will get thru it...

I have recently gone through the same thing. I am happy to say that my 2 little boys are now completely potty trained. They really liked the elmo potty movie. Also, once he finally does go on the potty, he will get it. It takes time, and before you know it your little one will be going on the potty all the time.

My son turned 3 in May and he just potty trained over the summer.... We had the exact battles you described from the time he turned two. We knew he was ready physically, but was stubborn about it... I just finally said OK, put the potty chairs & underwear away for quite some time. Here and there I would ask him if he wanted to wear big boy pants. He said no most of the time and then one day said yes, so we put them on and have not looked back... He even night trained in the same weekend all on his own time! Believe me we were frustrated and at our wits end and then baffled when it just all at once clicked! Give him time, it will happen....

Hey girl... my advise.. dont push it. it really doesnt sound like HE is ready, it sounds more like YOU are ready.I totally understand wanting to be out of diapers, but he will probably do it overnight when HE IS ready, as my son did.I tried to "hurry" him up, but once he decided on his own, it was pretty much done.(of course we still do pull ups at night).
Remember, they always say boys are a little slower, but what I found was if you let them do it at their own pace, they are much more receptive... make it his idea..a game.. try putting cherrios in the toilet and letting him aim for them, or let him go on a tree (really). Try to make it fun for him, that might help.. Good luck. let me know how it works out!

My son was the same way! I just had to wait until he was ready! Eventually he was! He turned 3 in January. He wasn't potty trained until until May! When he was ready it only took 3 days! His big thing was he wanted to go to school! I told him he couldn't go to school because he wore diapers! The next day he said he wanted to wear underwear and be a big boy! He went all day that day with not even one accident! He even went poop(FINALLY) that day in the toilet without screaming! As soon as he did he said "ok mommy I'm ready to go to school!" We never bought pull ups!! Since then he has only had 1 accident and was very upset about it! My daughter and other son were potty trained at an earlier age but not in 3 days! Good luck! I hope this helps you! I was very frustrated just as you probably are!

Potty training is very difficult and time consuming. I had my little girl potty trained at 22 mo., but it was only with the help of a great online book. The key is consistancy, patience and not going back to diapers.
I decided in Jan. on a Monday to start and put her in panties and go nowhere that week (it's less stressful that way). I would set a timer for about every 1/2 hr. and take her to the potty until she would go. Sometimes we would sit there for an hour, but I would bring in books, my laptop, etc. and not let her out until she would go. When she went I would reward her with 2 M&M's and a sticker on the chart. After she filled the chart I told her she could get anything she wanted at Target (she chose a piano). The first day we had 7 accidents on the floor and only once in the potty and I thought I was going to pull my hair out (I was also 5 mo. pregnant). By day 4 there were 7 times on the potty and only 1 accident. Success in a week! Might help to make him drink a lot of water so that he goes more in a day than usual, to get the sensation more often. It makes it so easy now that she can go all by herself when I am nursing my 2 mo. old. She still wore pull-ups at night and when we would go out (but never wet in them), but we stopped that about 2 mo. ago. She's only had once accident since then on a playground when she waited too long. Patience is the main key and not giving in and giving up, and no matter what, don't go back to diapers. Hopefully this helps a bit. I wish I could attach the book for you...let me see if I can find where it was online...www.thepottytrainer.com

I would throw him in some underwear and when he wets them make him stay in them for 5 minutes while he cleans up his mess. This teaches him to be responsible for his accidents and most kids dont like that wet feeling. Good luck.

Hi S.,

With our three boys we used a book my friend suggested call Toilet Training in Less Than A Day. It's a little old but I bought it for around $4 on Amazon and it worked very well for us. I followed the training pretty exactly as the book says for the first day or so but then slowly figured out a system that worked for each child. We actually just trained our 3 year-old in mid-July and he's completely trained and doing awesome.
Good Luck!!
E. T.

He obvioulsy is not ready if he is still wetting his pants. Having him sit on the potty for 45 minutes is a bit long for a 2 year old. My son is 2 1/2 and just started going on the potty regulary about 6 weeks ago. It suddenly happened. I NEVER pushed the issue. Pushing it will prolong it. My son is in a day care center and the kids get a jelly bean each time they go potty on the potty. If they go poop on the potty they get a prize from the "I pooped on the potty" jar. My son stands when he pees too. He thinks it is cool to see the bubbles his pee makes in the tolitte. He still is not poop trained on the potty. He is afraid he will fall in. I don't push the issue. He will poop on the potty when he is ready....not when I am ready for him to.

We are ECing my son and he has been using the potty to go to the bathroom since he was 6.5 months old. I have found the book Infant Potty Training to offer some great ideas for potty training from infantcy through toddler years. My neighbor borrowed the book when she potty trained her 2 year old about a month ago. It took her about a week to get him to use the potty consistently. Good luck.

My daughter turned 2 in july and she is doing the same thing! and the kicker is that SHE was the one who wanted to start trying its not something we pushed on her!
I called my mom the other night after brooke did that 3 times in a row within an hour! (talk about frustrating!) and she simply said that brooke isnt ready. she may want to sit there and all but she obviously isnt ready. by all means we should ask her if she needs to sit on the potty but if she says no or ignores us to drop it and not push her because it could make her rebel more and its just going to be harder on us.
That was the advise I got and so far its alright. She does tell us she wants to go to the potty, especially right before she goes to bed. normally she doesnt do anything in the potty but at least shes not scared or too stubborn to try.
If you get anything that works better please let me know!!! and good luck!

Hi, S.. Potty training is a very frustrating thing- for us as parents, and for the kids too. I recommend taking a step back and giving him a little control back. This is one area we can not control for our kids. If he has gone before, then take him a few times a day, but just set him up on the potty for a few minutes. If he doesn't go, don't make a big deal about it. It sounds like you have a power struggle going on, and no one wins in that. Sitting him on the potty for 45 minutes is too long. A 2 1/2 year old doesn't sit anywhere for that long. Try being more laid back about the idea and maybe your son will follow suit and meet you halfway. Good Luck and God Bless.

Good Morning Tiff, Congrats on your future little one. I agree with Tif, Bribery, Bribery Bribery!! We used a dry erase board for our 3 yr old gr son. Smiley faces when he went pp. Sad faces if he had accident. We only concentrated on pp no poopin at that time. DIL was preggers to and didn't want 2 in diapers.
Then when he started pooping in potty first time his daddy bought him a toy john deere tractor. That worked until he thought he was getting a toy each poopie time. So I went to small piece's of candy like smartee's, then we graduated to doves ( chocolate ) FOR ME OF COURSE......lol Only when he pooped in potty though.
What really has done it for Corbin is knowing he was starting preschool in Sept, and had to be a big boy to go. He has done great, cause he usually only poops after his nap time. He has gone to bed and nap time and gets up dry almost everyday for the last month or more.
He only goes to Pre-School, two days a wk T-T. so yesterday he was walking funny like a little old person shuffle :) I said Corbin what are you doing? He said Making my Poop Go away! I said NO Lets go to bathroom. No Nana it's gone now. Did you poop in your shorts? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO It stopped. We went to bathroom and less then 5 seconds on the potty he went poop. I think he trys to stop it cause it is (sorry ladys) HUGE deposits :) Potty Bank lol And has a tad bit of blood on the tissue. This has happened twice now that I know of. We've tried several things to help soften it up, but as yet there hasn't been a tried and true way that has worked.

Your little man will get it S., just give him time.
God Bless and Best of everything to you and your family

K. Nana of 5

I had the same issue with my daughter. She was supposed to be potty trained to go to preschool and she was resisting all of our efforts. It was a control issue. We tried the "party" day with the doll like I had seen on Dr. Phil and several other methods. I guess she sensed our desperation. She went to preschool and was potty trained in two days and never had an accident after that. They do things for others that they will not do for you unfortunately. It might help to have someone else step in such as a grandparent or aunt for a day and work with him on it. Most of the time they can control it at this point but it is just a battle of the wills. Good luck!

I am the mom of ten children. We have 7 boys and 3 girls. The boys are harder to train but they are also more stubborn and hard headed! Maybe because they need to be when they get older for work and having their own families. But anyway...When I decided to potty train, I had to sit all else aside and devote myself to that only. We did still use pampers at night for some time. But during the day they understood that it was time to potty in the potty. I would get them up in the morning, and if they were still dry we went straight to the potty and they would sit there for as long as it took to go potty. Knowing that they had stayed dry through the night says alot! I would give them their breakfast on the potty if it took them that long and with some even their lunch. The one thing that I learned was that as soon as I gave in once it was even longer the next time for them to go. So I just decided I would not give in. Children are so much smarter that people give them credit for. They know how to play on Momma's emotions and get their way! You have to be strong from the start! If they woke up wet I would sit them on the potty for about 15-30 minutes. Then I would give them 15 minute breaks and start again.
If I had not done this 9 times already, I would probably be giving in, saying they were not ready. But experience has taught me I have to stick to my guns and not give in and show them I mean business. We use alot of treats and praise also.

S., this may not work for everyone, but it worked for my boys years ago. I had them pick a favorite treat; it can be something small like Smarties or M&ms or something. Make a big deal with him about this and let him know that he will only get this one treat if he goes potty when he needs to. He may get upset when he doesn't earn it at first, but eventually he should understand. Also, I potty trained, bottle broke and pacifier broke all by the sign of the moon. Get a farmers calendar- you may be able to access one on the internet. Each day of the month, the moon effects different parts of the body from the head to the feet. Don't attempt to start this while the moon effects the head and shoulder area. When it starts geting past the shoulders you can start working on him. Hopefully by the time the moon leaves the feet you will notice much improvement. Hang in there and be patient. It worked for me, and I hope it works for you.

J.

Hang in there. He just may not be ready. He will train eventually. Many boys are three or four before they truly embrace the concept. One book that made all of the difference to our youngest (He was four before he finally trained, but he trained in a day!) was Potty PooPoo Wee Wee by Colin McNaughton. We read it nearly every day for three months (at his request) and one day he said he had to go and lo and behold, he did! He has had only three accidents in nine months! The wait was worth it! Good Luck!

2 1/2 is too young for boys. Maybe he just can't "make" himself go (can't figure out how to release his muscles). I would try later, say in 6 months or a year. So many boys aren't trained to age 4. Don't stress about it, it is normal. Good luck