Oh For the LOVE...potty training

Re: Oh For the LOVE...potty training

• emberlee3 member

  January 2013

  Sounds like he's not quite ready.  Wait a couple months and try again.

  Keep the potty and the underwear available, but don't pressure.

  Are you watching his cues or tuning him out while he uses the tablet?  When you see his about-to-poop face/posture, do you scoop him up and take him to the potty?  Two weeks into PTing a 2 year old boy, the responsibility is on YOU to remind him, anticipate, watch for cues, etc.  It took 6 weeks in underwear for my 3+ year old DS to consistently recognize his own need to go, stop what he was doing, and get to the potty in time.
  

   
  

  DS born 8/8/09 and DD born 6/12/12.
  

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• acaudill75 member

  January 2013

  I would also agree he may not be ready. I don't know why people insist on forcing potty training on kids. It only works when they are ready. Not saying that is what you are doing, but a general opinion. We a DC worker giving us a hard time about PT DD1, and I had to tell her to back off, she isn't ready. DD1 has been in the process during the winter break, and has had two accidents. Once on the second day while playing outside with DH and then last Saturday when we were at lunch with her grandma and she was too busy having fun to tell us. No big deal. It was only pee anyway.I think "punishing" him by taking away something he likes puts a sour taste in his mouth. He didn't do anything wrong when he pooped in his pants. That's his natural inclination. DD1 will hold her poop all day and poop in her night diaper, or cry for me to get her at 1 in the morning so she can poop. But for the past several days, she told me she had to make poop in the potty, and she does. I don't pressure her, and ask her from time to time if she needs to go. She is maybe four months older that your LO, so maybe that is the difference? I would say if pooping is still an issue, he may not be ready. We give her four mini M&Ms everytime she goes potty, so believe me, she loves to go. She will barely be finished and be asking for her "EMS & EMS" Good luck.

  

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• Leap08 member

  January 2013

  I so disagree with the "he's not ready yet" thing. He's 2.5. He should be able to tell when he needs to go and be able to tell you that (either through words or actions). For me, those are the only requirements. My oldest was potty trained at 22 months. It took 4 days and she didn't really show much sign of readiness before I decided to try potty training. For awhile, anytime she was too engrossed in something, she was more likely to have an accident. It sounds like that's what's happening with your son. I think if you're going to let him play with the tablet, you have to be super vigilant while he's on it. Every few minutes I would say to him "tell me if you need to go potty, okay?" You may start to sound like a broken record, but I do think it helps them from becoming so absorbed that they forget. If he shows any sign that he needs to go potty while he's playing with the tablet, you scoop him up and set him on the potty even if he doesn't say a word. When/if he goes, you make a super big deal out of it. I also think you need to find a better motivator than stickers. He's clearly not that excited about them. We used M&Ms (one for pee, 2 for poop). My daughter is a chocolate fiend, so they worked perfectly. Good luck!
  

  

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• acaudill75 member

  January 2013

  Leap08:

  I so disagree with the "he's not ready yet" thing. He's 2.5. He should be able to tell when he needs to go and be able to tell you that (either through words or actions). For me, those are the only requirements. My oldest was potty trained at 22 months. It took 4 days and she didn't really show much sign of readiness before I decided to try potty training. For awhile, anytime she was too engrossed in something, she was more likely to have an accident. It sounds like that's what's happening with your son. I think if you're going to let him play with the tablet, you have to be super vigilant while he's on it. Every few minutes I would say to him "tell me if you need to go potty, okay?" You may start to sound like a broken record, but I do think it helps them from becoming so absorbed that they forget. If he shows any sign that he needs to go potty while he's playing with the tablet, you scoop him up and set him on the potty even if he doesn't say a word. When/if he goes, you make a super big deal out of it. I also think you need to find a better motivator than stickers. He's clearly not that excited about them. We used M&Ms (one for pee, 2 for poop). My daughter is a chocolate fiend, so they worked perfectly. Good luck!
  

  Sounds like your DD was ready. Mine was as well at about 18 months. She would sit on the potty, pee, poop, everything. She was excited about it. Then when her little sister came, she regressed, and it has been nine months waiting for her to get in the potty mood again. DD1 would literally cry hysterically on her potty holding her poop in, asking for her diaper. I was getting nowhere fast. So I put her diaper back on, she pooped and she was very happy, and we would try again every couple of weeks. Fast forward about nine months, and she decided she didn't want to wear her "piper" anymore, and so we potty trained her. Just because it worked for your kid doesn't mean that it will work for other kids the same way. Every child is different, and forcing them to do something they are not ready to do is a waste of time. I do agree that the stickers idea is weak. I wouldn't even poop for a sticker ...

  

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• MMMiller member

  January 2013

  Hmmm...well I appreciate the responses.  I can say that I do believe he is ready, he doesn't wet during naps and only very lightly through the night.  Also when it was new and novel he was all about telling me when he had to go.  I put him on the potty hourly if he doesn't mention it and when he's on the tablet I remind him often.  I didn't really see taking the tablet as a punishment, I was more concerned about the fact that he'd just sit in his poop without mentioning it--but then dh pointed out that its not any different from having a poopy diaper.  I had to laugh out loud at the "poop for a sticker" comment.  It worked at first I swear! LOL I'm not thrilled about the idea of giving him candy but I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures...
  

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