Potty Training HELP!!!

knottie5c6c70cd73f4fde8

On May 1st, my daughter wanted to a fashion show in her underwear and afterwards she ASKED to go on the potty (yay)! Now, she’s always had number 2 issues, very bad. She holds it, crosses her legs and hides. She likes to wear her underwear, just putting that out there. When we started the potty training, she wasn’t terrible at it. She had a few accidents here and there but nothing major. For the past couple of weeks though, she does not want to go on the potty. My mom and I think the reason why is because she doesn’t want to go number 2. She still hides when she goes. I need some advice, I really don’t want to put her back in diapers.

j-redd222

What worked really well for my when I was potty training my kids was a potty timer and a reward system. We made a really big deal every time they successfully peed or pooped on the potty (potty dance and song celebration, a special treat or prize, etc.) as they got better at going on the potty, we kept a sticker chart that led to a prize. We went to the dollar store, let them pick out some things they'd want to get as prizes and put them in a big bin to pick from once they got enough stickers for their prize. It was fun for them to put on the sticker (immediate reward) and they had something they really wanted to look forward to for consistency. 

I would use a potty timer at first and didn't allow using the bathroom to be optional. When the timer went off, they say on the potty for a set amount of time and we're encouraged to let out anything that was in them. When they inevitably wouldn't want to, I would explain that letting out their potty was part of being healthy and keeping their body safe and protecting their health is not optional. I didn't get much push back after they knew I meant what I said. 

I would typically give a larger reward for a poop since they happen less often and I've heard of kids struggling more with pooping on the potty than peeing on the potty. (Two stickers instead of one, a bigger treat or one that they enjoy more, etc). I altered the reward systems slightly for each of my kids based on what motivates them and what they enjoy. 

I hope this helps! Good luck!