Potty Training Woes

namara5532

Sorry if this kind of question comes up often here.  I'm at my wit's end and need some advice.

I'm PT DS because he has been telling us lately when he needs a diaper (and my tax office job just finished).  For the past 3 days, I had him naked and have been taking him to the potty about every hour to sit on it for at least 10 minutes.  I've been reading him a book, which has made him start asking for potty time so we can read.  But he hasn't used it once.  He's holding everything in until he's off the potty.  I've been putting him in diapers for nap and bedtime until he gets this down.  Today when he had a BM on the floor, I got frustrated enough to just stick him back in a diaper for now until DH gets back from his trip later today.

Am I doing something wrong here?  Should I be keeping him in a diaper between potty trips to catch any BM, or is that counterproductive?  If he's not figuring it out after 3 days, should I continue this routine, or should I wait for him to show more potty training readiness signs?

homequiltingmama

Maybe he doesn't 'get it' yet. When we started really PT our DD, we would wait until she started peeing (usually on the floor cause she was naked and I was just watching her like a hawk), then as soon as she would start I would (calmly) say 'wait' and carry her to the toilet. Then I would say 'pee pee/poo poo goes in the potty'.

I think it helped she does tell us about 75% now when she needs to go without me watching the clock. After the naked days, I would take her once an hour and say 'pee pee' and she went, but I think she had learned from the earlier experience what she was supposed to do. She can go about 1.5 hours now or will tell me if she needs to go sooner than that.

Hope that helps! Every kid is so different and I only have experience with my one and that's what we did.

homequiltingmama

And we didn't wait for 'readiness' signs. She's 22 months - but still needs significant help getting pants up and down and wiping and such, which I'm perfectly fine with.

MisN

before actually potty training (no more diapers) we introduced a potty into our routine (peeing before bath and when she woke up). I didn't push it at that point but encourage her to try peeing and got really excited when she did. this got her comfortable with the potty and she learned to pee on cue. Then after a couple of months (when she was 2.5) we made a big deal if introducing underwear and no more diapers. also had a sticker reward chart and smarties for poops (she never had a poop on the potty until we took away diapers). I didn't do naked time rather underwear and pants that easily pulled down. I was worried she might not mind peeing on the floor but knew she wouldn't like to feel wet. In the first week we had a few accidents but it has been very successful.

Leap08

We went cold turkey from diapers to underwear (except at night) with both girls when they were 22 months. I think that worked well because they could make the connection between what it felt like before they peed and the wet pants. We never made them try to go potty except before leaving the house, nap, and bed time. We just asked them about a million times a day. If they showed any sign of going, we would RUN to the potty and then celebrate like crazy even if only two drop ended up in the potty. When we didn't make it (and there were lots of times during the first day or two) we just acted really disappointed and reminded them that pee/poo goes in the potty. Sometimes, they would want a turn when I went potty and sometimes that worked. Especially with DD2 who can hold it for ages. If I suspected she needed to pee, I'd announce that I was going to go potty and then let her have a turn going potty first. That almost always worked with her. We used M&Ms as rewards. The first few days were really frustrating with both of them, but in different ways. I think it's important to try to remain calm and consistent in your approach. Both of my girls totally had it down within a week.

mamab3ar

I feel like I am in the same boat with DD. She just turned 2 and I know she will use the potty sometimes at daycare but at home she refuses. With her big brother we tried pull ups but they weren't really helping him get the concept and I eventually just put him in underwear one day and after a couple accidents we had it down.

I just can't decide if I want to jump straight to underwear with DD or start with pull ups like DS.

firegal195

i know how  frusrtating it is ...i only trained DS after he was 3..my ped said dont push him and when hes ready he will do it...so i waited and he after his 3 year check up and when he had off from school and i didmit then...it took 3 days...i wouldnt stress it..it will happen and remember no one goes to college in diapers    good luck!!

namara5532

Thank you for the encouragement.  DS doesn't seem to be aware when he makes puddles on the floor.  He just complains about the "mess" at his feet and carries on.  We're going to give it a few months, let him sit on the potty when DH or I go, and keep him in diapers for the moment.  Thanks for the advice.

bumpuser9524622

I'm in the camp of waiting until they're ready. We introduced a potty chair well before we actually started potty training, just to get her used to the concept. She would sit on it when I used the bathroom, so I think that was a good routine for her. Good luck!

klv

I let LO sit on the potty after she woke up or got out of the tub starting at about 18 months.  sometimes she sat and sometimes she did not.  on occasion she would pee and if so we made a big deal of it so she would make that connection. When she was about 2, We would try underwear when we were home, and she would get upset when she peed on her underwear. 

 If he doesn't mind being covered in pee then he is just not ready.  keep a potty as part of your routine and don't stress it.  He will figure it out eventually on his own time, not when it is necessarily a convenient time for you.