My son started showing interest in going to the potty about a month ago when our neighbor who is 3 1/2 asked to use the potty when she was at our house. So we bought him a potty seat and at first were just putting him on it with his diaper on. He is now telling us when he has to go and when he has done # 2 which I take as a great sign! But, he started taking his diaper off and ordering us out of the bathroom this week and is of course peeing all over the bathroom! Then he's running around the house naked until we catch him to put on a diaper.
I'm thrilled that he wants to do this himself and am looking for tips on getting him to control it into the toilet and getting him to let us in the room and allowing a diaper to be put back on without a huge fight. Any ideas?
Be firm with him. He really is aweful small to be telling his mother to get out of the bathroom.
Have you thought about using underwear? That's one of the benefits of using the potty. Maybe he wouldn't be opposed to putting those back on. As far as control, you just have to keep reminding them. I wish I could tell you more...my son drove me crazy. Once in the middle of the night I caught him (half asleep) peeing straight back on the back of the toilet and it was spraying everywhere. I nearly had a heart attack. lol
I am currently going through the same thing with my son. I let him go without the diaper and MOST of the time, he will sit on his potty chair and do his business there. I praise him and clap my hands and give him kisses and hugs and tell him what a good boy he was for going on the potty. He does not always make it though and has accidents on the floor. When he does this I tell him that it is ok, but he should be going on the potty and have him help me clean it up. I do not get mad at him or punish him for accidents, because I have learned from experiance with my daughter, that it will just delay the learning process by discouraging them from wanting to use the potty and make them just want to continue using diapers. I agree wiuth the other mom about NOT using pull-ups. They are too much like a diaper. I would suggest big boy undies. My son prefers to just be bare bottomed all the time, and I just let him if it makes it easier for him to use the potty. I also agree with waiting until he is older to try the aim thing and just have him sit to pee for now.
What about just letting him wear underwear for a day when you are going to be home and not running around to stores etc. My youngest son was pottied trained in a day, at about the same age by just putting on the big boy underwear.
Good luck!
Hi B.,
How wonderful that your little guy wants to use the potty. Praise him and praise him after using it correctly. Having raised six kids and learning many life lessons,,it is important that any child understand the quidelines as to who is in control. A 3 1/2 year old should not be ordering his parent around. Staying with him in the bathroom or watching from the doorway and helping as needed will give him the independence he desires and you are making sure he does not get into trouble.
B.,
How wonderful that he's interested. I have a few simple suggestions that might help keep things moving, and also work with the needing to be in the bathroom by himself. These have worked with both my daughters and my now 24 month old son who sits on the potty at each diaper change at HIS request. (My children are 5, 4 and 2 and all started traning themselves at or around 18 months)
1. If you are not already doing so, make sure he comes with you and/or your husband to the bathroom when you have to go yourself. This helps with the idea that it's ok for you to be in the room with him when HE goes.
2. If and when he visits the bathroom with your husband, please, please do NOT try to teach him how to aim. Have your husband sit when he goes. In time, when your son is older and has better control over his bladder and his ability to hit the target (takes coordination which only comes with age) he can begin to show him how to go #1 while standing. I never quite understood the need of parents to feel that they have to teach their boys how to do it the big boy way right from the start. It's just not a developmentally proper way to go about it.
3. Make sure he has a potty in all the major places of the house (in your case, after he's comfortable with sitting while using the potty)... each bathroom your son might use, as well as his bedroom and possibly the play room. You can always take them away as you find him heading to the actual bathroom each time he finds the need to go.
4. (Adding this one after I thought about what I wrote and left this out) It is vital that your little guy become adept at pulling his bottoms (pants, etc.) down by himself. Once he's mastered this, reward him with training underwear (to clarify I do NOT mean diaper style pull-ups) so he can become self sufficient when going potty. Of coures this does not negate the need to be in the bathroom when he goes, at least at first. If he's already able to do this on his own, then move him right into the training underwear and praise him every chance you get. We also had great success with bare bottom training in our house.
Wishing you the best of luck. And three cheers for your little guy's desire to use the potty.
Blessings,
Rolinda
Wife, Mother, Friend
Give him something to aim at in the potty, such as a fruit loop or cheerio or something. And buy "big boy" pull ups for him. Good luck!
