How to start potty training?

ToastieSimons

DS1 is 3.5.  He is still 100% in diapers and I don't believe has any idea about potty training.  However, our physiatrist mentioned it and said it would probably be good just to start putting him on once or twice a day and introduce him to the idea of sitting on a potty.  This way he can help build his muscles for sitting there and possibly using it one day.

Any recommendation of a specific child potty that would be more supportive?  I was thinking about getting the Boon potty bench, it's wide so he can put his hands down to catch himself and it seemed pretty high off the floor so he could stand up if he needed to.  

a year ago I never though he would use a potty in his life so I was unprepared for the suggestion of it and I feel totally overwhelmed by the options.

And I'm not looking for the 3-day potty train program or anything, this is about introducing him to the idea not even about pushing it at all.

MaxandRuby

My first question is does it adjust in height?  If not, if he isn't already too tall for it he may outgrow it quickly.  For DS2, we started him on a regular floor potty Baby Bjorn.  When he grew taller, we actually drilled 3 holes in the bottom side edge and created a triangle of wood that we zip tied it too so it would be higher (I can take a picture and email/text it if you are interested - just PM me).  We also have a couple of different potty rings but the one I like we got from Target and it is a Prince LionHart brand.  It is really soft, which means DS2 is more relaxed/not as tight (we put a step stoll under it for his feet to rest on), but it eventually tears.  It runs $15 and we are on our second one.

Have you googled adaptive toilet systems?  If you do you will find a few different things.  DS2 uses the Rifton Blue Wave toilet system at school (they came out with a new version this year so his doesn't look exactly like the one you may see). He doesn't have the whole kit and kaboodle system just the basic which basically looks like a glorified potty ring.

ToastieSimons

-auntie- said:

Would something like this work?

https://funandfunction.com/bumbo-potty-seat.html

i love that idea but there is no way DS1 could get himself on and off a toilet.  I'm sure that will work great in the future, but for now I would think independence is what I'm going to focus on.  AKA he's a stubborn child.  

bumpuser511563

ToastieSimons said:

-auntie- said:

Would something like this work?

https://funandfunction.com/bumbo-potty-seat.html

i love that idea but there is no way DS1 could get himself on and off a toilet.  I'm sure that will work great in the future, but for now I would think independence is what I'm going to focus on.  AKA he's a stubborn child.  

Would a kid stool be of help?

We do that with our DS. We are not hung up on the clean up of a potty chair. We worked on going directly to the real potty to avoid transitions and the school and daycare only have real potties that flush.

Assembly_Reqd

We are using a real potty with a sesame street seat insert I got at Target for 20-ish bucks. It has a nice flexible pee shield and handles on the sides.

I put Nate on the potty before nap and before bed. We did a sticker chart for a little bit to reinforce that when you are on the potty you do business. Now he will usually pee/poop when we put him on. He does not signal to be taken himself. I think we are still a ways from that.

A2TP

We started take steps toward training back around Thanksgiving with DS1 (ASD, with some sensory issues around wet clothing that we anticipated could be problematic). We started just having him sit on a kid potty (Baby Bjorn with the high back as he has some low tone in his core) before bath. He got an M&M for sitting and a Hershey kiss for peeing. We also did a star chart initially to further encourage him. After the first of the year we asked them to start making potty attempts part of his routine at school. By February he had control over his bladder (could squeeze out the tiniest amount of pee for chocolate, if he said he didn't have to pee, he didn't, etc).

Our issue was not wanting to change from diapers to underwear but a week ago after his ECSE teacher talked to him about it (he thinks she walks on water) he told me he was going to wear underwear and we haven't looked back. The day he made the switch was also coincidentally the day he turned 3.5.

We have been very laid back about it and honestly I was just hoping to get there by 4. We still haven't had any poop in the potty, but honestly the fact that he doesn't freak out when he poops in his diaper feels like a huge victory to me.

That being said, we are having issues with him not wanting to use adult sized public toilets (at school he will use the miniature kid sized ones that look the same) and we need to get a potty ring or find another way to work on this. But seriously, we are one week in! We were caught a little unprepared with his sudden underwear announcement.