Potty Training - Silver Springs,FL

My daughter didn't do her potty training until after she was 3 and I will tell you how we finally managed to do it. I also have a 12 yr old daughter, so around my house things stay pretty busy. I am working now but at the time I was a SAHM. We waited until school got out so that I could pretty much devote my time to nothing but staying at home and potty training Skylar (3 yr old girl). So school got out and the 2 weeks following, I did not leave my house unless absolutely necessary. What I did was, in the morning I got her up and told her it was time to sit on the potty. We went in and put her on the potty chair, whether she needed to go or not because you have to set up the routine also. Then after she was on there I got her a big glass of juice and had her drink it. We have a kitchen timer that I set for every 10 minutes. So I left her on the potty for about 5 minutes and didn't care if she went at that time or not. But every 10 minutes for the rest of the day we went to the potty to try and go. You also have to remember to flush the liquids through them to show them that is what they are going to the potty for. We did this all day the first day and the second day. The first day, mind you was fun for her but when it came to the second day she didn't find it so much fun. After she goes potty on the chair you need to make a BIG DEAL out of it and sing and dance around the house. The 3rd day she was running and telling me she had to go potty and we haven't had any problems since then. She still has accidents through the night but that one is a little harder to train. Not all kids will take to it as quickly as mine did, thats why I say to dedicate 2 weeks. Good luck, if she doesn't show signs after working with her for a little bit, then let it go for a little while longer. I had to get it done at that time so I could put her in preschool.

We used gummy bears, one gummy for pee and two for pooh. It worked great for my girls. Also we did not use pull ups they are just like diapers too easy for them to have accidents. Target used to sell 5 ply panties with a plastic cover (all in one). They worked wonderful. We used them at night and when we had to go out. Hope that helped and good luck!
S.

Try putting fruitloops or cheerios in the potty and tell her to try and make it in the hole...Sounds really silly, but it makes it a game and they are a lot more interested in playing the game. It takes all the pressure off them to perform and makes it more fun. Everyone in my family has used this trick for boys and girls...more than 75 children have learned to potty with this trick!
It's not a failure on your part, and you aren't throwing them over for work or school...these things take time and eventually your children will work it out!
Good luck!

Hey S.!

Make sure you aren't too hard on yourself...no matter what, it's my opinion that they will go when they are READY! I have a 3 1/2 year old (girl) and she was just about there at 2 1/2 when her little sister came along. She decided she didn't want to be a big girl anymore (even with reward charts, big girl panties, bribery, etc.).

She started going #2 consistenly in the potty about 6 months ago (hallelujah), but still refused to pee in the potty consistently. She is just now going on a regular basis.

It's quite normal. Just allow it time. :)

A.

Hello, when my oldest daughter was little I took her to a preschool and had the teacher tell her that as soon as she was potty trained she could attend..it took her a little over a week. Good Luck with which ever method works for you. J.

S.,
My daughter went through the same. She would get mad when I repeatedly asked her if she had to go. I ended up putting her potty in the middle of the living room. I stopped asking her if she had to go and if she went in her pants I made her wear them for a while. (not too long only about 10 minutes.) She hated it. After about a week, one day she just sat on the potty and went, without being asked or told. I guess when their ready, their ready.

All the other moms have given you the best advice so far - right down to the comment about not seeing college students wet themselves!

I have two daughters - Chloe, 5 and Sadie, 3. Both of them responded to the "peer pressure" for potty training. With the oldest, we had a WONDERFUL daycare lady who took ALL 5 kids to the potty at the same time - whether they were potty trained or not. She had 5 "potty breaks" on the actual daytime schedule. Everyone went into the bathroom (there was a screen for privacy), everyone dropped their panties or diaper, everyone sat on the potty (whether they did anything or not), then everyone washed hands, etc. One day, Chloe took her diaper off, peed in the potty, the daycare lady sang and danced and everyone got cake for desert that day. Chloe wanted only "big-girl" panties after that! I still used a diaper at night, but on the 3rd night - she said, "No mommy, just panties." She made it through the night! Had a few accidents but nothing we weren't prepared for.

I used the same tactic with her sister - whenever Chloe went, Sadie went too - and it worked like a charm!

Two tips: 1.) Although it sounds like it was intense, with both girls it wasn't that they were TOLD to go potty. We just made it part of the routine and then made a BIG DEAL when they got it right - never punished for not doing it. 2.) Make sure to throw a portable potty into your trunk or van - they inevitably have to "Go" just after you've left the last clean bathroom behind you! I carried the potty and some bottled water with me (for rinsing) for months with Chloe...She's even gone in the potty on the side of I-75!

My little one is 19 months, but to drum up interest we keep a little container of skittles next to the potty as well as a couple of potty books on the back of the toilet. We're in the beginning phases, so who knows how long it will take, and I know each kid is different.. but he gets a skittle (just one..) when he goes pee pee, poo poo or indicates he needs to go (he's only done that once..). It's a small reward, but just enough so that he delights in it. If he asks for one when he hasn't gone potty, I tell him that the skittles are for when he goes potty and leave it at that.

Best of luck, I know each challenge is just that..a challenge!! ;)

Try buying the video ONCE UPON A POTTY FOR HER> My daughter was so fascinated with this video. We watched it all the time, she got the message and just walked into the bathroom one day, used her own little potty and came out and announced I DID IT!!! It worked wonders for her. There is a segment at the end from a Doctor that gives advice on potty training for the parents. I bought the boy version for my son as well. GOOD LUCK.

This is a tough one. My dtr is 1 month shy of 3yr. We have been attempting "PT" for about 7-8 months probably and just 1 week ago she got it.I had stopped with the every hr lets go potty, and just whenever I would say lets go try. Big girl panties did not excite her, letting her feel the wet urine on herself did not bother her, just in her own time she got it. So I say all of that to say just relax, put pull ups or diapers on her (although she protests) and in due time which is her time she will get there. Stop comparing her to other kids or the fact that she is almost 3 (the crazy time frame we put on being PT). Its ok. Good luck!!

We tried potty training my son when he was 18 montha, then again at 2 years, 2 1/2 and 3 years old. It literally took us 2 years to potty train him, mostly cause he just wasn't interested. I was told that you don't see college students walking around peeing themselves! Just give it time and it will happen, probably before you even notice it.

AGHHHHHH potty training..it is so hard...my daughter understood the potty thing and wanted her underware but would always go on the floor...and the worst part is she would hide and I wouldnt know right away and pullups were the worst thing I could have ever done!!! they just made her think she could go in them and it would be ok...about 3 months after her 3rd birth day she finally got it...I cleared out her bathroom just toilet paper and that was it and she just started going no problem...the thing is to just let it go....try not to make a big deal they do it on their own and I swear it is like a switch they just all of a sudden get it! good luck and dont get too frustraited!

S. - Toddler's use potty training as a method of control...since they have such little control over anything else in their lives right now, this usually works for them. One thing that really worked for my daughter was peer pressure...that might sound strange/funny, but it's true. A neighbor friend from accross the street was already potty trained & she came over to play one day...when she had to go potty she had big girl panties on & my daughter followed her to the bathroom, went to the potty too & then didn't want to put her diaper back on, but wanted to have big girl panties on too! My daughter had been working towards being potty trained, but wasn't completely there yet until her friend came over....we also have had accidents since this time, but that "playdate" clicked in my daughter's mind for potty training.
Also, making a big deal about "going" on the potty ALL the time is HUGE...make a BIG deal everytime she goes on the potty: dance around, sing, clap--really ham it up--b/c this type of reaction works to motivate & reinforce the potty behavior. Some parents also use "rewards" for using the potty (stickers, candy, goldfish, raisins, etc.) but I didn't have to do that w/my daughter. Best of luck!

This is what worked for me....I kept a "pepe goodies" jar in the bathroom. It was always full of cheap toys & candy. Everytime my son went to the potty w/out an accident he got to pick a treat from the jar. We made potty training a game & he was potty trained w/in 1 week. This game really seemed to help in the training process & i have a lot of friends who have tried & said it worked for them also. Good Luck!

Hi S.! Seems our kids are the same age! Caden will be 3 on Dec. 18th and we are actively training as well. And you know, that boy doesn't care whether he has a diaper, pullups, feel and learn, training pants, or underwear on! He goes pee and poop in all of them, so with no other choice, we decided to let him go naked. Granted there were a few messes to clean up, and we will have to get a new couch after all the training is complete :) but now he "feels" he has to go and makes a beeline for the bathroom. Even poop! People that visit look at me like I'm crazy for letting him run around naked, but that is what works for us and I simply tell them we are potty training and leave it at that. Hang in there hun, it will happen!
Kimm