Seeking Potty Training Adivce

Grandmas don't always know best! I have a 6 year old girl and a 2 year old girl. They will do it when they are ready. My first was potty trained at about 2 1/2 and my second is about 2 1/2 right now and is a little interested. If you push it they feel like its some kind of punishment, if you let them explore it a little themselves they seem to get more excited. The nice thing about the military sometimes is that grandmas not there to butt in(for me anyway). Seriously, if she uses the potty now or next year is Harvard going to know? Are you going to have to send her to summer camp with depends? I doubt it. Your only 2 once, might as well enjoy it! Good luck, mines not interested in the potty either, but shes happy! ;)

Hey A.! I agree with the others who say you know your child best! Don't let others (mother-in-law) push you into something that your child is not ready for! I am going through the process of potty training.. i've just started this week and my son turned two in dec.! I started out putting on the pull up and telling him.. not to pee pee in the pull up but to let mommy know.. i take him to the potty every 45 mins to an hour and when he used the potty i act very excited and give high fives and also i give him a piece of candy or sucker! (whatever your child loves, mine loves suckers) lol.. I taught at a daycare and that's where i got the idea of that! There we used to give them an M&M if they pottied in the potty!
About your child being scared.. does she have her own little potty? or does she use the big potty? I know with my son, at first he felt like he was gonna fall in the big one so we got him his own little potty!
hope this helps!
good luck!

Um, why would you be scared to death to potty train your 2yr old? What is there to be scared of? I was so happy when my 10 month showed signs of going to the potty and even moreso happy when she was potty trained before she hit 1!~ Age 2 is a perfect age to begin potty training and it's very easy to start the process. IF you plan on sending your child to a preschool program when she gets 3 then you might want to think about jumpstarting the potty training b/c at SOME preschools 3yr olds have to be potty trained.

Start by taking her to the bathroom as soon as she gets up in the morning then take her every hour on the hour for two weeks straight. She will get used to going to the bathroom. Show her how to wash her hands and flush the toilet when she's done. Also, make up a potty song for her complete with clapping and lots of energy-kids love that. She's at an age where she can understand what you're telling and explaining to her. And to be successful at something our children are apprehensive about WE have to change OUR mindsets about it. So I suggest you adopt a no fear attitude when it comes to potty training.

Do not let you Mother in law intimadate you. After all you are the childs mother, the more she tries to push it the more your darling daughter will regress. I too had to go through a year from being away from my husand as he is in the army. Go at your own pace and she will let you know when she is ready. My so was trained at 3yrs old, while his daddy was in Iraq. Hope this helps you a little

Potty training is not scary or such a big task! Especially if you let it happen naturally. When she is ready she will let you know. My son pretty much trained himself, I let him decide he wanted to do it and 2 days after that he was done. No more diapers, just a few accidents here and there (especially in the car). Forcing it makes it that much harder on you and her.

As far as your MIL is concerned, if she doesn't respect your desires, don't leave your child with her. She is YOUR child.

A.,
Tell your mother-in-law to back off; nicely of course. Your baby will do it when she's ready. It's frustrating I know, I'm going through the same thing with my 3 year old son. Good luck!!

Hi A.!

Potty training is somewhat of potty leading for me, you have to, in a way, follow your daughter's cues, you will know when she is ready, if she is comunicating she is unconfortable with a dirty diaper etc, if she is able to pull her pants or undies up and down by herself, etc and I think mentally ready for the change. Girls are faster than boys, I know that, my sons have been potty trained by 3 years old ( your MIL would flip!), but you know what one thing is certaint, if you push it she will have an adverse reaction,(you said she is ALREADY scared of it) and guess what, it WILL take longer and you will have to clean a lot more messes. Your MIL needs to respect your wishes on the subject. If you are not reinforcing potty trainig yet and she is, your daughter will only be confused and again, it will take longer. When she is ready, beleive me , she will be trained in less than a week, if you start too early may take you months. Talk to grandma, and stand firm on your graunds. Another suggestion, I never used the potty, I used a ring to put in the toilet and a stool, that way my kids knew where to go from the begining and it was a lot less messes to clean for me!! Make it fun when she is ready, buy a book, put a sign in the bathroom with her name on it, make a big fuss the first time she goes ( I baked a cake for my first son's first time...I little too much I know! haha) I mean, praise her and show her how praud you are, and if gramdma wants to help, she HAS to go along with your program.
Good luck with everything and I pray that your husband is kept safe in Iraq and he comes back soon

A..

All children are different so it's ok if your child is not potty trained at 2. You can gently introduce the potty to her now and work harder after she turns 3. My grandson is 16 months and his mother takes him to the potty just before she gives him his bath and he goes every time. He only uses the pot once a day which is in the evening. Your child will catch on to what is needed and he/she also watches what you do. Be patient and gently let mother in law know that she will definately be trained before she enters kindergardten. Relax.

Well, if she's scared to death of the potty it sounds like there's little hope of successful potty training right now. How dare your mother-in-law impose this on you and your daughter! I think what's most important is that you learn to speak up and let her know (your m-i-l) how you feel. Buy a little potty, let your daughter get used to it. Encourage her to use it once in a while. Take it easy. There's no rush. You can go from there.

I don't understand why you are afraid of potty training a two year old? My daughter will be one on Sunday (the 8th), and I have been training her to use the pot. She resisted for about 2 days, but she got into it, and now beats me to the pot. (We are still working on pooping in the pot), but we have mastered the pee-pee. I personally got tired of buying diapers for a child that could walk and talk, and is fully capable of using the potty. Take her first thing in morning, and every hour. You have to be consistent, or it won't work. I also get my daughter up around midnight and 3 to use the pot. It's not that hard, but you have to do it. A friend of mine has a 3 yr old that isn't potty trained. She is forced to stay home with him, because the headstart programs won't accept children over age three that are not potty trained.

Hi A....first of all,IGNORE the mother in law...God knows mine tried the same thing with the help of my sister in law I should add. Anyway,me being an older mom and married to my hubby for 27 years,I totally ignored her...well mostly...LOL...I have 3 sons 26,21 and 19 and we also have a 3 year old daughter soon to be 4. anyway,she did not train until last August ..at the age of 3 years and 3 months...I really thought she was never gonna train,but when she decided she was ready she did it mostly on her own. One eveing we were packing for our 27th wedding anniversary trip and she just went and sat on her potty and pee-pee'd . now we had talked,begged and even bartered with this child to no avail...then she just does it. Now pooping was a lil harder,I went and bought ring pops and told her when she did poopy in potty she could have one,it only took a day or two. from then on its been a breeze...Just try not to let it bother you,she will train and all will be fine....I will say for a short time after training I was wishing she was back in a diaper,it was easier. My one and most valuable advice is to just let it happen,there is no right or wrong way,and every chlld trains when he or she is ready...all 3 of my sons were trained by 2 years and a few months of age..they were a breeze.
Also maybe you will be lucky and your 2 year old will not go thru the terrible 2's,but if she does'nt be assured she will do the troublesome 3's which can be worse...LOL..have a great day,and ignore advice for which you do not ask...gna

It is okay. I think everyone is alittle scared at first. She will learn and let you know when she is ready. You should take the family advice with ease and do what is best for you. When you have one child the two's are not that bad just stand your ground. Good luck and I will pray for you

First let me tell you that you are the childs mother, not ur mother in law. She had her time and now it's urs so ask her in a polite but firm tone to let you be the mother and her to be the grandmother. It's a fact that pushing a child to potty train only delays a child. Don't be afraid to speak up and tell her that she's stepping on ur toes. Any story that u hear about potty training and what worked, you will always hear that the child done it when he/she was ready and willing. You cannot force a child to do her business while ur standing over her and telling her she NEEDS to go pee-pee in the same tone u tell her to finish her food. My doctor told me when I was frustrated with my mother in law always saying "He's not out of diapers yet?!" he told me that he's never met someone who didn't eventually learn to go to the potty. He also told me that if you force a child to pottytrain that it could lead to bed wetting which is a much harder thing to break. So next time you speak to ur mother in law tell her in the most poilte way that you can that you'd really appreciate it if she would let you potty train ur child without the interference from grandma, which is only confusing ur child. When my mother i law would feed my first child from the table when he was a baby I asked her not to b/c I preferred him to eat the jar foods I bought instead of salted up mashed potatoes. She still fed him after me and my husband expressed that we didnt like it so we told her that if she couldnt respect us as parents and not do something we asked her not to do then we were not going to let her watch him anymore. They may not like what u say but YOU are the mother now and what u say goes.

Yes potty training is a big task, but dont be afraid. I am also a 24 yr old mother and my mother was on me like white on rice about potty training my youngest who will be 3 in september. (I started her as soon as she could sit on the potty about 6 mos, she had no idea about what was going on but she learned not to be fearful of the potty.)She was completely trained at 15 mos old. I also have a 16 month old little girl that is not potty trained. I went back to work and have been really lazy this go round. She is at an age probably like your child and becoming more and more independent everyday. She used to be fearful of the potty but is now just not interested in sitting on it for more than 5 seconds. To get her over being afraid of the potty get her a small potty for potty training and let her play with it and sit on it for a few days before taking off the diaper. Once she is over the initial fear of the potty itself you should put her on her potty while you go on the grown up potty with you as soon as she wakes up. She will go simply b/c her body naturally has to go when she wakes up just as our bodies do. You are going to have to make it fun. Sing songs, read books, give her a sippy cup and a cookie, anything to get her to sit on the potty. Everytime you have to go take her with you especially 10-15 mins after she eats and before and after naps. She will get used to the routine if you stick to it for 4-5 days. Dont be upset with your mother in law, she means well. Be glad that she is willing to help. Your little one is ready to go on the potty and the earlier the better, right? Be patient, make it fun and let your little one know that it is no longer ok to go in her pants. You can do this without harsh discipline by making gross faces and telling her YUK you are supposed to go pee-pee on the potty in a humerous voice. She will think it's gross too. Hope this helps!

I think it is DEFINTLY time to teach her.
You do realize she wont be able to go to kinderguarden if shes not trained.
I understand shes scared of it but potty training isnt easy.
My 16 mo old went in the potty 3 times (#1 AND #2) but for some reason she doesnt like to use it anymore and these are the hurdles you will have to face.
Plus Diapers are expensive.
Ive heard of several different methods ALL of them include mess so you might as well get over the fear of having to clean a mess.
1-for two weeks, take her to the potty and sit her on it butt nakid while you go potty too. She might not have to go every time but if she watches you she'll realize its not so scary aymore. You'll have to drink a lot of water to do this.
2-Let her run around the house with no diaper or pants on and she'll either not want to go on the floor (because thats weird and unfamiliar) hense your introduction to the potty OR she'll see that she just went potty on the floor and not want to do it anymore.
3-Buy her some "Big Girl" panties and have her wear those indteda of diapers under her pants and let her make a mess in those and she wnt like the feeling of being wet.

Whichever option you choose its going ot be hard and messy but the quicker you teach her the better. I know of one persoan that did method #1 I showed you and tought Both their daughters in 2 weeks. I also know some people who are inconsistant with it and its taken 2 years to potty train.
Good Luck