My son is 27 months and likes to take off his pants and diaper and go potty by himself about once a day on the toilet. I took this as a cue that he's ready, so I put a potty book in the bathroom along with a step stool and cushioned toddler seat(he doesn't care for the potty chair I bought him). The problem I'm running in to is that he doesn't talk good yet so he doesn't know he needs to communicate to me everytime he needs to go. So, if I'm not constantly asking him or taking him then he just goes in his diaper. I want to potty train him, not myself. My pediatrician says there is nothing wrong with his speach, we've just catered to him and it's common in subsequent children. We have started reading more books to him and are seeing great improvement. So, I haven't pushed too hard but also don't want to keep waiting, he likes using the toilet like he sees us doing. Should I wait til he can tell me and hope he doesn't lose interest or just train him now by training myself to take him every 30 minutes or so?
Also, he is one of those that squats on the toilet seat to go. He doesn't like the cushioned seat and takes it off. He has tried sitting on the regular seat and of course gets scared to fall in, so he squats. Will this fix itself or should I enforce sitting?
I have two young daughters (2 and 3) and a 13 year old son. We have used sign language and speacial treats to potty train all of them. It worked well with me. My daughters were easier than my son. I also put a smiley face on a square of toilet paper and let him "pee on the nose". He loved to do that! Good luck.
Hi A.,
Eventually, he will most likely know how to tell you when he has to go. The best advice I can give you for in the meantime, is to get him into a routine. For example, when he wakes up in the morning, take him by the hand and say 'Let's go potty'. Do the same thing on an hourly basis, letting him sit for about 10 minutes. Turning on the water sometimes helps. Make this a fun bonding time, sing him songs and such, cheer for him or reward him in some positive way when he manages to go. If he doesn't within that 10 mins, just say let's try again later. It's alot of work at first, but you'll be surprised how quickly things will turn around once the routine is established. Do the same thing before going to bed, and at and after naptime. Some kids learn faster than others, don't try to rush him, a little patience goes a long way.
Hope that helps!
Hugs,
S.
P.S. I just found this website that might have some more/maybe better info... http://www.babycenter.com/0_toilet-training-readiness-che...
A.,
I envy you right now. My son is 4 1/2 and STILL not potty trained. I have recently posted my own problem (More Potty Training Woes). A bit of advice I got from that post was a mom who's son also squatted because he was afraid of what would get him in the toilet. He wanted to be able to see what was coming out of him and where it was going. If squatting on the toilet is the biggest problem you face, you're doing good.
Do you know any Sign Language? It might help your son with telling you when he has to go potty, if you can teach him the sign for toilet/potty. I don't know how well this will translate, but put your thumb between your index and middle fingers (like when you're playing "got your nose" with a small one), then twist your hand around at the wrist, like the way a washing machine post twists in the wash cycle. That is the sign for toilet/potty/bathroom. Hope I didn't confuse too much with trying to explain the sign.
Hope this helps,
Melissa
All of my five children have been potty trained at different ages. Like you said, when I saw they were ready I jumped in head first.....I always took one weekend where I just stayed home with my child. No diapers, No underwear, this way he wants to go straight to the potty because their is nothing to catch his peepee. Also my daughter would not go in her little toilet until I put in in the family room, then she loved to go. Shed even sit and watch tv on it. I think she liked being in the rooms where we all were. Elmo's potty video worked really well for my last two kids.....Also a treat each time they made it to the toilet. Dont get frustrated, but do be efficient. Ask every 30 min. if they need to go....Consistency like everything else is the key. Hope some of this helps.
The proper way to sit will happen on it's own, however I suggest you teach your son some kind of sign for bathroom it will make him feel really important and he will love the accomplishment.
A.,
It sometimes takes boys a long time to become regular potty users. We have been working with my son for 6+ months (with a break in there).
Our techniques:
We sit him facing the back of the toilet, so his bum is on the seat and he can watch his P go in.
We try to take him regularly.
We use regular underwear and change his clothes. It does make you go through a lot of laundry, but it helped our son associate the feeling with his body reaction. **you can cut up a cloth diaper and insert it into the slotted area of the boy underwear to absorb.
We watched Elmo's potty time video a few times (available from the SnoIsle library)
We talk about being a big boy and using the potty.
Hope this helps.
Hehe Sorry that's just all too familiar. Ok First I wouldn't worry about the squatting - that will resolve itself eventually. And as he gets older he'll start learning to stand. My 4 yo squatted on the toilet too. :~)
As for the potty training: I would just keep with it. You don't need to take him every 30 mins. Maybe once an hour or so, before nap times and right after, after meals. When I was training my kids everytime I had to go I would offer it to them and again right after a meal and before/after nap times. As for the lack of speach, just keep talking to him! You can also try introducing some basic sign language as toddlers can pick the sign up better than speach. They sell board books with "toddler" signs all over the place and I think they have a potty sign in most of them. Otherwise just stay consistant. Good luck!
Thats too cute. My son squatted like a frog on the toilet seat, but as long as he used it, I didn't care how he went! Anyway, my suggestion is to keep working with him. Patience and encouragement will get him out of those diapers and keep you from spending money on them! What worked for me was, when my son started showing intrest in the potty, I took him out of diapers in the day time. I gave him water, milk, etc and 30 mintues after that I would sit him on the potty. I sat in there with him and we sung songs and I made up a Pee-Pee in the Potty song for him! He loved it and made it a point to use the potty everytime he went! So don't abondon the idea of waiting until he can tell you, keep encouraging him. If you do it continually without waivering, it might take a good month or two potty train him. I potty trained all 3 of my boys before the age of 2. So darlin it definatly can be done!
My grandson does have speech difficulties and at 4 !/2 still has difficulty being understood. He has always just came and got someone when he needed or wanted help. He still comes to get me when he has to go potty tho he doesn't with his mother.
I'm guessing that if he were aware of his need to go potty he'd find some way to get your attention. Therefore he probably just hasn't learned yet to connect his body's feeling with his need to go potty. 27 months is early for a boy to be fully trained. That is why it helps to take him to the potty every so often. It needn't be every hour especially if you can watch and see how often he does go. Then work on a schedule that is most likely to catch him ahead of that time.
My grandson has always sat directly on the toilet. If you face your son towards the back he will feel more secure. Put some toys on the tank for him to play with.
When you say squats do you mean he keeps his feet on the seat and squats down? That does seem more scary to me than sitting down. Perhaps if you practiced letting him flush the toilet and talk about his fears you could reassure him and he'd realize that nothing happens to him. Saying bye, bye poop often helps.
My grandson also usually stood up to pee from the start. His Daddy showed him how. That does mean that you'll most likely need to be quick about redirecting the flow some of the time.
Great advise, also 15 min after he eats or drinks anything. He will communicate when he finds his diaper very uncomfortable after getting used to a dry one.
The squating will change but you can encourage him to hold on to the front of the seat between his legs to balance himself. or see if you can find an uncushioned seat so he is more comfortable.
