Potty training

[nuthinbutpink]

So, DS is 2. It's like I've never potty trained a child before- I can't figure out how to start!

Any potty training tips or routines that worked for you?

[BeadinMom]

Ahhh....boys! :) My mother-in-law told me that my DH was walking, talking and potty trained by age 10 months. lol.

Honestly, from raising 3 boys, I can tell you that it's all about when THEY are ready....and boys tend to be lazy when it comes to potty training.

You can try the usual rewards...an M&M or some other treat for peeing in the potty (sometimes it helps to keep a jar full on a shelf in the bathroom) or putting cheerios or fruit loops in the toilet to aim at for fun.
You can also let them run around in the backyard naked, but sometimes that's confusing...they don't understand why they can pee in the backyard, but not in the front yard - or anywhere else for that matter.

Wishing you lots of luck. My guys were stubborn little things and even after we had the urinating in the toilet down, they still wanted to poop in a pull-up. BLAH. I think it's habit.

[ThreeMenAndALAdy]

BeadinMom I agree 100% with you. My kids always led to way. My dd started showing interest yesterday and will be 3 in Oct. She went potty 2 times. It was great. Today she wanted to wear a diaper, so I put one on. I never had a child in diapers over 3.5 years of age. They were ready one day and that was it. Good luck to you. Don't put pressure on yourself.

[coocoobananas]

We are in the midst of it, ds2 is 2.5. I def waited for the 'ready' clues. He wanted to wear underwear that day (after lots of talk about it) and do we did. As long as they aren't peeing like 15 times in their underwear, they're ready!
So no turning back! Pooping is not all clear yet, he's holding it hostage the last couple times and I physically had to hold him on the toilet so he would go yesterday! He knows not to go in his underwear but the holding it freaks me out! My nephew who is 8 still has to be reminded to poop regularly!! I think it's a control issue! I knew this would be a problem ( with control) for him as he is so strong willed! So far my husband seems the go to man for getting poop out of him lol! Whatever gets him over the hump! Ds 1 took 3 days and hardly an accident, a dream really!
I guess my point is the same as others, wait til they are ready for sure!
Good luck teaching him to pee in the actual toilet not beside it or on the shower curtains lol!! My 2nd has horrible aim;)

[nuthinbutpink]

So, I have to wait until he asks to go in the potty? I guess I can buy a little potty and see if he thinks that's cool. Do they sit or stand when they are too short to use the real potty? Do you use a stool?

[ThreeMenAndALAdy]

I'm thankful for bathroom cleaner. I think every boy in my house has terrible aim...including dh!!!

[Winngrin]

My DS1 and DS2 had a little potty, they were both out of diapers by 2.5 yrs. I used a basket on the counter in the bathroom and went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of little toy cars, action figures, etc and wrapped each one so it was a big deal to open them. I put a potty chart on the bathroom door and they got a sticker each time they used the potty. If they used the potty 2 times a day the first week, they got to select a present to open. The 2nd week, it was 3 times, the 3rd week 5 times and by the fourth week they were pretty well done....pooping did take a little longer but if you can get them trying a couple of times a day it will help get them regular if they are a little hesitant to go. We also made a super big deal about taking them to the store to pick out their own big boy underpants to wear, I think picking them out made it seem like they were in control. The more you can get them to think something is their idea, the better!! Good luck!

[BeadinMom]

You can introduce it...and maybe even let him see your DH use the potty.
Getting him excited about it is a good idea, but it'll have to be HIS idea.
I bought one of those cute little potties that makes music when something goes in it...the novelty wore off quickly, but every kid is different. They have cups in the front, too...so if they do pee while sitting, it goes into the pot.

One day I'm cooking in the kitchen and my DH is in the bathroom with DS1 on the little chair with the cup. All of a sudden, my DH starts screaming, "He's missing the cup!! He's missing the cup!!!" So I start screaming push it down into the cup!!! Yeah...too little too late. There was urine EVERYWHERE. lol. In the sink. In the garbage can. EVERY FREAKING WHERE.

If he shows an interest in your DH and wants to be just like him (my youngest was like that) then I'd get him a stool, so he can pee just like daddy. If not, you can teach him to sit...it's much less messy - as long as they push it downward.

The other thing you can do to get him excited about it, is buying some cute little cartoon character, or dinosaur or monkey underpants - whatever he's into.

[nuthinbutpink]

Thanks guys!

[mybluepilot]

My DS1 and DS2 had a little potty, they were both out of diapers by 2.5 yrs. I used a basket on the counter in the bathroom and went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of little toy cars, action figures, etc and wrapped each one so it was a big deal to open them. I put a potty chart on the bathroom door and they got a sticker each time they used the potty. If they used the potty 2 times a day the first week, they got to select a present to open. The 2nd week, it was 3 times, the 3rd week 5 times and by the fourth week they were pretty well done....pooping did take a little longer but if you can get them trying a couple of times a day it will help get them regular if they are a little hesitant to go. We also made a super big deal about taking them to the store to pick out their own big boy underpants to wear, I think picking them out made it seem like they were in control. The more you can get them to think something is their idea, the better!! Good luck!

WOW you are good, love the idea will try that with DD, and I actually have a question about all this, what do you guys do if they go to day care any tips? I have requested from day care many times to put her on the potty but it seems that DD does well at home during the weekend and on the weekdays we go back to square one arrghh

[Hobbermittens]

I am tying to get DD2 to potty train, and she isn't very interested. We have a little potty in the bathroom for her, I have read her books, and I give her M&M's when she goes. I am trying not to push it, because we pulled DS out of diapers too early and he has had issues ever since. My only advice is to make sure he is really ready before you start!

[weeziewoozles]

We did the sticker reward chart thing too heaps of positive feedback and no negative. I read something that suggested you check the words/phrases you're using, so saying "let me know when you need a wee as we want to keep your pants dry" is better than repeatedly asking "do you need a wee?" to which they'll say "no" without even considering the answer!

[MatildaMai]

I bought this great thing for my twins called a 'Weeman'. WeeMan Potty Training Urinal by Potty Scotty | Potty Training Concepts (http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Potty-Training-Urinal1.html)

It fits to the side of the toilet and avoided the need for a step as they were tall enough to reach the toilet. It also just flips to empty and when you flush it cleans the 'weeman' too. They were much happier with that than sitting on a potty which they both hated. And it meant there was a lot less wee on the floor! The hardest thing was them getting their pants up and down to be honest. Until they are old enough to accomplish that I think its difficult to properly train them. My boys were 2.5yo. But the benefit of waiting till then was that I never needed night nappies. It was all or nothing. And to their credit I think there has only been 1-2 night accidents in nearly 2yrs and its only been when they've been sick with a fever etc...

I have to confess treats and star charts never had much of an impact with my boys. They had to want to do it. As for poo - well that was a different story. The older twin had no issues and used the toilet with a padded seat immediately. The younger one was more resistant. I used this story that our OT suggested called 'Poo goes to pooland'. I used to read it to him on the toilet and let him colour in his own version of the book and it really helped. Poo Goes to Pooland[1][1] (http://www.scribd.com/doc/28743654/Poo-Goes-to-Pooland-1-1) Eventually I worked out that my younger twin was frightened of the poo being hard and hurting him, so I fed him tonnes of soup and fruit and told him that would make sure it didn't hurt. And once he had success a couple of times it was fine.

[auroara78]

training pants did nothing for my DS1, we just went with the thick underwear (the kind that's padded in the middle) and he peed thru some of it, but within 3 days, he was potty trained! He started off sitting down to pee but he's been peeing standing up for a long while now, and likes to join DH when he pees, and they pee togehter (OK that was prob TMI, but i thought it was hilarious!)

I will try the same tactic for Ds2 when he's ready--just put him in the cotton underwear, hope for the best, show him his potty all the time, and that worked for DS1, so hope it will work agian.