Potty training expertise needed!

Re: Potty training expertise needed!

• KKMMex

  May 2011

  Mine are 5 and 3 and they still always tell me they don't have to go, every single time I ask.  It may take some time before he feels comfortable going potty in a public bathroom.  Potty training is very much a process, so you could try getting him to go right before you leave the house, do a short outing, then come home to potty. This at least will reinforce learning how to hold it.

  I can remember just putting mine in a pull-up if I knew we needed to be gone for a long time and I was going someplace where bathrooms were hard to come by.  I can't tell you the number of times the girls have had accidents in public places though!  It's all part of the process but I found it to be nerve wracking.
  

  I know CharlotteL kept a little potty in the back of her car that her kids could use if needed. Something like that might give you peace of mind when you're out and about. 
  

  

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• jen5-03 member

  May 2011

  Is he scared or just stubborn?

  If the autoflush scares him, you can put toilet paper over the sensor to keep it from going off. Definitely have him flush the toilet even if you're the only one using it, just to get used to the sound.

  If he's scared he's going to fall in, you can squat in front of him and hold the small of his back (which is what I did) or you can sit behind him or have him sit backwards on the toilet.

  If he's just being stubborn, tell him he doesn't have to pee, but he has to sit on it and try (9 times out of 10, DD will go if she actually sits down!)

  I also keep a cheap IKEA potty in my car for when she just has to go and we're still in the mall parking lot or whatever.  We use it less these days, but it still gets used. And it's nice to have when we're at the park for hours where there is no bathroom.

   

  - Jena
  
  

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• mom2ll member

  May 2011

  I am no expert.  However, we have been doing the potty training thing for about 3 weeks.  We've found that bribes work well..  I know I know...  but they work.  I will tell him "we are going to x and x"...  if we don't have any accidents when we come home you can have x (usually a popcicle or juice box).  We have only had 2 accidents in public and we go places almost every day..

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• charlotteL

  May 2011

  KKMMex:

  Mine are 5 and 3 and they still always tell me they don't have to go, every single time I ask.  It may take some time before he feels comfortable going potty in a public bathroom.  Potty training is very much a process, so you could try getting him to go right before you leave the house, do a short outing, then come home to potty. This at least will reinforce learning how to hold it.

  I can remember just putting mine in a pull-up if I knew we needed to be gone for a long time and I was going someplace where bathrooms were hard to come by.  I can't tell you the number of times the girls have had accidents in public places though!  It's all part of the process but I found it to be nerve wracking.
  

  I know CharlotteL kept a little potty in the back of her car that her kids could use if needed. Something like that might give you peace of mind when you're out and about. 
  

  I sure did.  Joshua was petrified of big potties and just flat out would not use them.  Eventually he grew out of it and we haven't needed it.  Gabriel refused to use anything but a big potty.  Crazy kids.
  

  

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• kat.in.the.hat

  May 2011

  Mar was scared to death of the big potties as well because of the noise they made.  So I would always say, 1, 2, 3 LOUD and have her cover her ears and that helped her a lot.  I would also try to pick her up and hug her when we'd go in public restrooms because let's face it, they're pretty scary places!
  

  
  j+k+m+e | running with needles

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• TexasPaige

  May 2011

  Thanks so much for all the thoughtful responses. They were really helpful!
  

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• nvp05

  May 2011

  I don't have any helpful suggestions but jsut wanted to say Rena is also scared of public restrooms. She's been trained for about a month now so I'm hoping with time she'll just get used to them. She uses a potty ring insert at home so I think she's not used to sitting on a big toilet seat. We went on a trip to Austin last weekend and learned the hard way that she won't go in a public bathroom! I had to put her back in pullups if we were out for more than a couple hours. Luckily she didn't regress. She's also good at holding it in for long periods of time!

  
  

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