Potty Training Problems - Rockford,IL

I had the same problem with my boy last year and I found that by having him wear his underwear around the house made him feel big and strong but we still had to have him wear his pull ups out and about. I realized that by telling him that the pull up is just like "big boy pants" and that he was to keep it dry and clean. We had a reward system set up that at first when he kept the pull ups dry he would get something special after dinner and if he could do it all week then we would make a special trip to the park. He looked forward to having a sticker put on a poster chart that we made and it seemed to help out my 3 year old at the time.

My advice may sound a little harsh, but still, SLOW DOWN. Whatever is keeping you from being able to have the time and opportunity to potty train your son must be reprioritized. I have five children and over the years, have learned what is important and what can wait. He certainly sounds ready and you are doing him no good delaying his progress because you don't have time for it. Make the time sweetie. Let some things go. Kids enjoy quiet, mommy and me time more than anything in the world. Make sure you are enjoying this kind of time while you can, because soon enough, he won't let you hug him (typical nine year old behavior) and then you will be watching him graduate from college and you'll realize what you missed by going too fast. I recently watched my oldest graduate from college. I was glad we didn't have alot of money or things to preoccupy us back then because she and I spent many a night cuddled up in a couch tent. Live and smell the roses.

K., I understand you are busy, but potty training takes time. Is it possible for your childcare provider to assist you with the training? You two need to be on the same page ;) I would suggest you get the ball rolling with two days you dedicate to staying home, three if you can take a day off from work. On those days you bring the potty all over the house with you, have your child in easy clothes - elastic waist, or better yet no bottoms at all - that really worked for my son. I was a stay at home mom, so it was more convenient for me. We dedicated one week to pretty much staying home to avoid the potty issue in public and to make him feel secure in going potty. And I agree with everyone else - ditch the diapers- you're confusing him. Good luck. Jenn

I thought my daughter would never potty train. She just did not want to poop in the potty but she would pee (sometimes). We just decided to STOP putting her in diapers altogether. No more. Well... this had an odd effect. She just stopped pooping. She wouldn't go at all (for about 3 days she didn't go and then would go in her pants and then she wouldn't go for another 3-4 days). At her 3 year check up her doctor told us to put her in a pull up once a day so she could do her business because she could end up with a serious problem. So we put her in the diaper and she cried. She did not want to go in it. So she started going in the potty. That was it. Although, I know it didn't work for us 100% I think getting rid of diapers altogether is a good idea once you are pretty sure they are ready. Just stop using them and then you HAVE to take him to the potty or he's just going to go in his pants plus he will get it over time. Good luck!

Boys are almost always harder to potty train. The best advice I can give you is follow Sheila C's advice. The easiest way to prevent accidents is to get there before they do. "Ditch the diapers" and have him help you throw away one of them so that he knows that they are gone.

It's hard when you're busy and always go-go-go, but you will just HAVE to make time for this. Find ways to fit in potty-time, like if you're folding laundry, do this either right next to a bathroom, or bring the potty to you. Our potty followed us everywhere for awhile, even to the living room. (Grossed dh out, but that's one less diaper I had to change.)If your child really wants to start using the potty, and you keep making him go in a diaper, you'll just make it hard on everyone as he gets older; it's not a good message to send him. Believe me, you want them out of diapers ASAP! It's a good time to sit and read to him, and take a breather yourself. Good luck!

J.

Get a simple portable kitchen timer and take it with you wherever you go. Whenever it goes off it will remind both of you to take a potty break. Shorter intervals at first, then spread them out as he gets the hang of it. If you can take a vacation day or two to really get the ball rolling, that might help. If he is truely ready, that will be all that is needed. My son with autism just potty trained. He still has only told me he needs to go a few times, but if I take him to the potty at regular intervals,like whenever I am going anyway, then there is not a problem. I also recommed a seat that fits onto the big potty. You can even get fold-up ones for on the go. Who wants to clean up a potty seat all the time? This will also save you time. Ditch the diapers and take the plunge.

What comes to mind is, try and make it a point to stay home if at all possible. Try and commit to staying home for one week and I'm sure you will have good results.

This sounds very familiar. I have a little boy who will be 3 in November and a little girl who just turned 1. It is hard to give the potty training a good effort when you are constantly running here and there. I tried stickers and playing a potty video and nothing worked. Then we went to a parade and my son got some little tootsie rolls I told him he could only have one if he went on the potty. I don't really give him candy so he was excited about that. That worked some of the time. So I decided to just go cold turkey. I stopped using pull-up except sometimes at night time and just took him to the potty every hour that I could and about 20 minutes after we ate. There were definately better days than others, but it has seemed to work. Surprisingly he does better when we are out. Probably because he doesn't want to make a mess in public. But I always make sure to bring extra pants. I hope this helps a little.

K.