Potty Training Advice - Chicago,IL

Hi,
When I was potty training my daughter at that age, we had the same problem. We got a little basket and put a couple of her favorite books in it then placed it next to her potty chair. She responded really well and got into the habit of saying "I have to go read now" when the time came. It was really funny! Hope this helps!

Two is early to start potty training.You have probably heard from others that their child went on the big potty and is potty trained . The doctor will tell you there is a difference between being able to go on a potty and being potty trained which means that they can hold it all night . At two , the child is not yet able to hold it accident free all the time . If you start now ,the child will regress and you will have to start over . When the child is ready they will let you know. good luck!

What did u do with your other two children? If your child is not ready don't push him/her. It will only make things worse. Try letting him/her see you or your husband use the bathroom, that's what wored for me and my daughter. Of course the son would watch your husband and if you have a daughter she would watch you. If you don't mind cause I know some parents who find that nasty or not right.

Most kids have a problem with the pooping on the potty. Don't know why. With all three I've potty trained (the youngest at 19 months) I just had to watch and try to determine their bowel habits. When I suspected it was about that time I would make them sit on the potty and hopefully catch them at the right time. It is very time consuming but if you can get them to go once or twice they get over their fears. With my second child a little chocolate treat while sitting made all the difference. She couldn't wait to go poop on the potty to get a chocolate chip or two. But no snack for just sitting...there had to be some poop. The latest doesn't care about the treats. I just have to watch her very closely about the time she would usually go. I kept her confined in a small area of the house with the potty chair easily accessible. When I saw that familiar face I hurried and put her on the potty. (Oh and with all three we spent quite a bit of time running around with no pants on at all. I find that the sensation of pee or poop running down the legs is very disturbing to them and they will want to sit on the potty.)

She usually has two or three false alarms now and then manages to get on the potty for the poop. She's been doing really well for a month now but has had two poop accidents and pooped twice in her diaper in the middle of the night. I just keep reminding her that poop goes in the potty about that time in the afternoon (like every ten minutes) and that we don't go poopy in our panties. She's pretty young so the reminders are necessary, but the other two were about 2 1/2 and they didn't need it that often.

Don't give in though. You let them talk you into pull-ups to poop and they will be forever be doing that. You just have to insist that they wear their big boy pants or big girl panties...and if they have an accident just gently scold them and tell them you're disappointed. Take them to the potty and show them the poop goes in the potty by emptying out the pants in the potty and flushing. Clean them up and keep gently telling them "you don't go poopy in your pants" and ask them over and over "where does the poopy go?" They will get it. It takes longer than the whole pee pee deal...not sure why. You would think that it would be easier to determine you have to go poop than it would to know you have to pee.

Again...no compromise. If you compromise with the poop, they will be forever wanting to use a pull-up or diaper to poop.

And from my experience and those of a few friends...pull-ups are a waste of time when training. Those are just pull on diapers. My girls could care less. At home we wore the teri cloth panties and I kept a couple cans of carpet cleaner handy (after a week of running around naked). I would even have them help me clean up the mess. When we went out I might put a diaper on them at first but I would keep stressing that though they had a diaper they still must tell me they had to go potty. I never wasted my money on pull-ups after the first week of trying with my oldest.

I work with three year olds and I've seen little ones wearing pull-ups for a whole year and still not have a clue what it means to go on the potty. Honestly, I think if they don't start to get the hang of it after a week, they aren't ready....(now that is if you are home with them and it is an all day affair trying to learn...if they spend most of their time in daycare...then it will take considerably longer to learn)

Hope you can get an idea or two from my posting and good luck!!! All mommy's that have potty trained know what you are talking about.

I had the same problem while watching my granddaughter and had great success by rewarding her with a small toy that I had wrapped up in advance from the dollar store. I used the same system with one of my sons who refused to have a bowel movement in the potty years ago. I would allow them to pick out one wrapped surprise after going in the right place. It only took about a week or two with both of them before they were trained.

Good Luck!

my little girl was the same way. I even tried taking toys away each time she asked for a diaper for a bm. Nothing worked! Our closet was full of toys! I made her sit one day for a long time and it just ended in dramatic tears! Finally, one morning--just about 1 month before she turned 3, she went to the bathroom and came out happy that she'd done it! We did a little dance and celebrated and she has not had a problem since. This is the one thing they really have control over at this age...I think you just need to let them do it on their own and keep encouraging it.

Don't be worried!! Two is very early to be poty trained. If you push, he may revert back to diapers. My little guy was potty trained at 2, but wouldn't poop on the toliet. I just left it alone, and within 6months he did it! He never wet at night and never had an accident. I think they just know when they are ready! Good luck...

Maybe he needs to "see" that you and daddy make poopoo on the potty! Let him see what you've done and praise yourself emphatically and have daddy do the same, praise and all. Good luck

It will just take time.

My daughter was the same way. She used the potty for 6 months and was wearing underwear and would ask me for a diaper to go poop.

This may sound strange, but try having your child run for a bit. With my son, he could not go on the potty even though we tried everything (books, going at a certain time every day, bribes, etc). Someone suggested that we have my son & husband race around the house for about 2 minutes and then sit him on the potty. We tried the potty race and the first night it worked. I think it was a silly thing that he had fun with and it got his blood moving, which seemed to make things easier for him. Once he got the hang of it, we never had a problem. Good luck!

Two is a little young. Hooray if he/she will do anything on the potty! Won't be too long before he/she will be tired of dirty diapers.
I used a smiley face reward chart for each successful movement . . .
Best of everything.
A.

Advice from older mom (age 53), mother of three. Relax and enjoy your time with your wonderful two year old!! Try again with the potty training when the child seems ready, even in another year.

I think you should just relax he is only 2 years old. I know it is hard if you have 2 others at home but I think forcing the issue can make it worse.
Is he the baby or do you have a younger child? If you have a younger child it could be the issue of him wanting to stay the baby.
Another question, do you use an small potty chair or one that goes on top of the toilet? We started with a potty chair. First of all I did not like cleaning it up but most of all when I bought one that sat on top of the toilet my husband said now you can be just like me. And he wanted to be just like his Dad. With a male child it is so important to have his father involved with the process because they may come to you with all the major things but it will dad they are really look at and following behind.
I have watched my son who is now 17 watch my husband like a hawk for all these years, but when it is a major event he still come to mom. So make sure his dad is involved with every mile stone event and that includes potty training.
Just some advice from one mom to another.

my son had lots of issues with the same thing due to constipation and sluggish bowels.(we didn't start until 3) It was a vicious cycle where he couldn't go and then it would hurt so he wouldn't go. At 9 we still have issues. I made sure he had plenty of apple juice and i made it a habit of giving him a warm bath to help him relax. It worked very very well. And still today he will shower and then go right after. I would also suggest having a regular time, about 15 minutes after a meal, to have your child sit on the potty, read a book, and jsut try. Having regular times to go stimulated by having eaten worked great on a girlfriend's daughter.

There seem to be a lot of good ideas here....

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t106600.asp

http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/az7.asp

One trick from Dr. Sears is to get a potty that the child can sit on comfortably with his/her feet flat on the floor. He says that sitting on the big adult potty makes their legs hang down, which makes muscles in their bottom contract, which makes it harder for them to poop.

My sons didn't potty train until they were about 3 1/2. My favorite technique was letting them run around with no pants or diapers on.

I recommend waiting another year. I also recommend checking out the book "Toilet Training in Less than a Day" from your local library, but I suggest using ideas from it rather than feeling the pressure to make it happen in a day.

Best wishes. :-)

Just give your child some time. The worst thing you can do is force the issue. He'll get the hang of it when he's good and ready. Encourage him to sit and try (as long as it is fun for him). And offer rewards for trying (stickers on a chart, hand stamps, etc...I prefer not to offer food rewards). My daughter potty trained all at once at about 2 yrs and 3 months. She pretty much did it all on her own, just decided she was ready and that was that. My boys, however, took their time. They were 3+ when it all clicked into place. They first started going #2 consistently on the potty, then later we worked on #1. It all comes in time. Don't rush it and your child will be fine. Pushing the issue can cause them to rebel against the potty and will take you longer to train them in the end (and it will be long, drawn out, and unhappy experience for everyone).

My oldest son had this issue and did so until he was almost 4. I talked to friends who had the same issue and then my doctor who said, in time it will just happen. And...one day he asked if he could use the potty instead of his pull up, and he did. It was unbelievable. So don't stress about it, it is completely normal and in time, your 2 year old will make it happen on his/her own.

Good luck!!

Rachel, if she/he will pee on the potty you are halfway there! Many kids it takes a while to get the connection between needing to have a bowel movement and going to the potty. Just give it some time, and try to keep track of when is his/her time that she normally potties. Sometimes it's pretty predictable and you can go sit on the potty and read. I also used the tactic of putting any diaper contents into the potty, just show her where poo goes, let her watch you go, etc..She has still got plenty of time, it won't take long.

Good luck!

Rachel,
Hi! I know what you're going through! It seems as though the #2 to do on the toilet is the hardest to get through! However, it can be totally normal!
Anyway, I would check their diet...Maybe a few more grapes (or fiber) will get them a little more consistent. For some reason, they fear doing this #2 on the toilet. So, I made sure they were getting proper fiber, and then I was actually advised by my doctor to start putting them on the toilet certain times during the day and have them just sit there for a good 5-10min. to see if they would go. You can actually get their bowl movements close to a typical schedule. Last, but not least, you can keep a surprise bag full of their favorite rewards. Like: party favors, mini candy bags, etc. and only after they go, they can reach into the bag and pick a surprise.
Overall, this part of training takes the longest!!! So, good luck! I've got three boys and I'm not looking forward to getting my two-yr.old potty-trained next month!
-A.

First, don't stress! I had a friend whose son was 3.5 before he could manage, they tried everything, then someone recommended (A Dr.) putting a stool under his feet wheil he sat on the potty, that and sittng with him and reading books, or sing helped! (They tried EVERYTHING including begging and offering Chuchie Cheeses!)

Good Luck! Ane do remember, your child is completely normal and will manage this new skill soon!

Two years old is a little young especially for a boy to be done with potty training. Don't get in any hurry and he will do it when he is ready. Just keep offering the oportunity and it will happen!

From a grandma with three children and two grandsons!