Step Mom Having Potty Blues!

K.,

I am a mother of three and I've been through the potty training business. The first thing I'm going to say is RELAX! :) Don't make a big deal about it. Boys take longer to train. My son wasn't trained until he was well past three, my oldest daughter was two.

As for him lying, well he's a baby and they can't tell the difference between truth and lies. They believe it is that way if they say it or want it to be that way.

I would just keep taking him and don't ask if he's peed in his pants if you can see it's wet. Just say, "Uh-oh, you had an accident. Pee pee goes in the potty." The bigger deal you make out of it, the more he will resist. It's his achievement and his development, not yours so try not to get angry and please don't put him in timeout for accidents. Maybe he just can't hold it yet. When someone mentions potty, the water turns on.

My youngest is 21 months old now and in a few months, I'll be starting all this over again with her. Ahh, the joys of motherhood, right. Just relax and don't get upset. It will make things easier on you and Noah. :)

God bless,
Chris

My brother in law had the same problem. His daughter was only with him and his wife every other weekend and when she was turned four she was still in pullups or diapers. Everytime they would get her they would take her to the bathroom every hour on the hour. They tried to talk to her mother but that didn't work cause she seemed like she didn't care. So when they got her, she would get punished for messing in her pullups. After awhile they would make her wear only underwear, so when she walked in their house they would immediately changed her into underwear and make her clean up the mess if she had one. She finally started to catch on and would only go to the potty at her daddy's house and not her mother's house. My brother in law told his ex that she was going at his and she finally started to train her to go at her house also. She is now having no accidents. I would just put him in underwear that he picked out at store and tell him that big boys wear underwear, and make him clean up his mess when he has one. After awhile he should catch on, even if it is only at your house. Hopefully his mother will see that he does good or at least tries when he with ya'll and she will want him to go for her at her house. Good Luck!!

You need to just put him in underwear while he is with you. He should already be potty trained by now, to many people don't spend the time required with their children anymore to do things like this and figure they will train themselves. That is not why our children where put here. It is our jobs to train them for everything, not let them do it themselves. I had my child potty trained at two. Underwear worked wonders. They don't like messing on themselves especially when it runs down their legs. And then make him clean up the mess. People are also saying you shouldn't punish him, well I'm sorry but he is not doing right and he knows it. He is well old enough to know better and if it means time out then so be it. Treats are great, I always offered treats and it worked. Sorry his mother doesn't want to get on board, but I would just put him in underwear and let him know this is how it is going to be. There are consequences for your actions and that means you clean up your mess and go if so be it sit in time out.

First of all DON'T GET MAD AT HIM AND PUT HIM IN TIME OUT!, 2nd, the DAD needs to be the disciplinarian he really does, but if you're alone w/ the boy then just keep telling him to go, and the treats is very good, EVERY time they have a bowel Movenment it needs to be the stars & stripes, like jumping up & down saying yee haw etc.........they want your praise no matter what, also I am a step mom and have a daughter of my own. And remember he is probably having a hard time accepting you he didn't choose you his dd did, and he probably feels like he's gonna hurt his mama if he tries to do good by you, BELIEVE ME! I went through this already,hope that my info helps.....
D.

Its pointless to push the issue with him pottying because if he goes home and he doesnt potty there or get the umph from his mom to do so, you are wasting your time. Its something that needs to be enforced all the time. You must all work together or it wont happen! Trust me on this one!

I just potty trained my 3 year old. Avoid making going to the potty a negative experience. In other words sending him to try might feel like a time-out. Is Noah into any character? My son is really into Thomas the Train. We bought him thomas the Train underwear then had his father call him on the phone pretending to be Thomas. Thomas asked him to please not poo-poo or pee-pee in his underwear. If he did he no longer was allowed to wear the Thomas underwear. We also had a sticker chart for when he was successful. Finally we had a special Pee-pee in the potty dance that the whole family particiapted in each time he made it to the potty.