Potty Training - Santa Fe, NM

I have potty trained 3 girls and one boy. My son took the longest, he would go #1 in the potty but not #2 because he was afraid of sharks! Boys usually take longer than girls and 2 is young to potty train. I used to keep m&ms or jelly beans at hand and for every success they get a quick little reward. If you make it too big a deal, it will backfire on you. Don't rush it, or it will become a power struggle. And 2 year olds can power struggle. I also rented some videos for children and books from the library about the potty. Good luck!

Keep trying the underpants. When he wets them, he will learn to associate it with going potty, and it won't take long for him to identify when he has to use the potty. I know this is messier for you, but it will really speed up the process. If he is ready, and it sounds like he is, this is the time to do it. If delayed, it will only be more difficult for him. Good luck...it really works!

my boys always went back and forth...some days were good and then they would regress...i found that one day they just decide they are going to use the potty and we have not had an accident yet...one year later!! It did not matter the rewards or underwear...they just do it (and usually much closer to 3 than 2). Good luck!

What finally worked with my daughter (at 3 1/2) was letting her run around naked. The special "silly car" underwear was one treat for peeing in the potty. I also did a star chart. She got a star for EVERY time she peed or pooped. She then put it on the chart HERSELF (very important) Even when she started working the system (oh, I have to pee again.... then one drop comes out)I still gave the star. I ALSO gave up ONE M&M (yes, it IS enough)every time she went. And if she went POO, she got 2. And to add to that, every time she filled up 7 boxes on star chart (make it as a multi line grid) she got a lollypop.

It worked. It only took a week and a half of cleaning up pee (when she was naked) Tough week but then its all Potty. It's been 2 mos. She only occasionally has accidents at night. She pees every time in the potty and I am working on getting her to use ONLY the big potty (which she uses 20% of the time now)

Stick with the positive. Your child WANTS to do it. He probably just doesnt "get" that the feeling of needing to pee is connected to going to the potty. That's why I did the naked thing. It brought it right to her attention when she was peeing in her pants and down her leg.

Sounds like you are being very patient and taking the right approach, very caring. It will happen. Try to stay with a relaxed attitude about it. Good luck!

OH MY GOSH, I FORGOT! Buy him a potty book and movie that go together. Mine is "The Potty Movie For Girls" I bet if you searched the net, they probably made one for Boys. Oh, and d my daughter still watches it! and is watching it RIGHT NOW in fact. The main character has become HER potty buddy and she wants to go just like her. Too bad the character doesn't have another movie where she is done with the little potty and moves onto the big one exclusively LOL. It's a great way for the kid to see another kid going potty, identify with them, make "friends" and copy them.

My son started talking about the potty at 2 also. He had one, read potty books, ect. He genuinely wanted to go on the potty but, just couldn't/wouldn't. Finally a week after his 3rd birthday it just clicked and with days he potty trained himself with no accidents. I would continue to be excited about it and to discuss the potty but, not make that big a deal. IMO when they are ready it just happens!

Maybe he can't go when you are in there with him. I know I have a hard time going when people are talking to me or when they are in the bathroom with me (like my husband, kids, or if we are in public and someone is outside the stall talking to me). Also, try books, I had a few books about going potty and would let my kids "read" (look at the pictures, they always think they are "reading" LOL) them while they sat there. I kept the bathroom door open and would go out in the hallway and be doing my chores and walk by the bathroom occasinally and see if they were okay. Another thing, is just leave him in the big boy pants, they sell pretty thick ones in the infant section at the store, near the packages of onesies and socks. Even if he keeps messing in them, just take them off and give him some new ones to wear, it is a fact of life that during potty training you have an added amount of laundry, and since you can time his BM's why don't you try sitting him on the potty for those. One last thing, my kids didn't like the little potty that sits on the floor. They preferred to get the little toilet seat that sits over the regular toilet, and usued a step stool to get up there. I think it made them feel like they were really being BIG GIRLS! Good Luck!

I'm going through the potty training thing too. I was told to Google the Booty Camp. It was featured on the TOday show. I know we are too far from Chicago but we could certainly follow her guidelines in our own homes...Good Luck.

I never potty trained a boy, but what worked for my daughter was keeping her naked from the waist down. That way she could actually see what it looked like to pee and I could stop her and run her quick to the potty and in that way she could associated the feeling of peeing with sitting on the potty. When kids have pants on they just don't realize they are peeing until it's too late. Good luck!

Try singing songs or reading books to him too. My son loves singing ABC's and it would help take his mind off of "trying"-they usually go when they relax! Even now, when he says he doesn't have to go, I sing the abc song and 9 times out of 10 he pees before I get to the letter P :-)

I potty trained my son at 2, it was actually easy when I realized that I had to leave him in the underpants and just deal with the mess for a few days. It only took 2 days of constantly watching him and changing him to get thru it. I actually bought 20 pairs of underpants and had him help me throw away his diapers. I used a bed pad for the nights so he didn't get his mattress wet. It takes alot of patience and constant supervision, but don't let the opportunity slip away. He may get frustrated and give up if you quit now.

My son wasn't interested in going to the potty but was more than willing to go in the back yard. We told him that it will help the dirt turn into grass and after a few days of going outside he started going in the potty! WARNING: he may want to go in public as well, but at least he is not going in his diaper.

There's a potty training class on Monday at
http://www.bodymindandspiritabq.com

You need to keep encouraging your son and letting his interest lead the way. He is young still and enthusiastic. You need to work WITH that enthusiasm and not get too uptight about it. Keep having fun with potty stuff, read books about other kids using the potty, sing songs and more. It will slowly get better.

It's warm now, so I suggest doing pantless or in very loose underpants. Expect messes and clean them up without getting angry. Keep talking about where the messes SHOULD go. Good luck.

Good advice here. I agree with losing the diapers. Put him in big boy undies or let him go naked and be prepared to stay home a lot for a few days. Putting him back and forth in diapers is confusing and most kids know they've got a diaper or pull-up on and will use it instead of the potty.

Naked worked best for my boy! In fact, he'd have pee accidents in his undies, but never poop. But if he was naked, he wouldn't have accidents! After a few days when I knew he was truly potty trained and needed to wear clothes for public outings, I ended up putting him in shorts with NO undies. It worked!

It sounds like he is ready. My son trained before he was 2 and was WAY easier than my daughter. Go with it. Summertime is great for naked training!

I am thinking your timing is off your liquid intake is not emptied immediately for example that drink you drank at supper is not the same liquid coming out right after supper.
play attention to what he drinks when and how much. write it down if you have to. if he drinks lots in the middle of the afternoon that liquid might be the same liquid that is leaving during the night. so restricting the intake before bed will not help at all. remember though he needs to drink lots so he doesn't get dehydrated. with my 4 kids I learned that the potty chair was not the answer all the time. what were supposed to do if we went somewhere that didn't have a potty chair? I taught my children to use the toilet by straddling the toilet back wards (facing the toilet with their legs on either side of the toilet worked like a charm. served 2 purposes they saw me use the toilet and knew what to do with it and second of all they were not scared of the toilet if that was the only thing available. PLUS I hated emptying the potty chair LOL.
does your son know what to do on the potty chair? if you hand them a book to look at when he is on the potty chair does he think that it is a "fancy" reading seat? some children do not realize that peeing in their diaper can be prevented if they would go on the potty.

I posted this and then read everyone's response and I feel I have to add this for food for thought. the way the world is going I thought I should write this. everyone said to let the child run naked or without a diaper/undies on ok I have to say I used to let my kids run around my house with just a diaper on in fact many time my youngest daughter would take her clothes off faster than I could dress her-- I swear I do not have a candid picture of her fully clothed but when my sister in law didn't get pictures back because she took pictures of her son naked from his bath I got to thinking. (my kids were teens by then) maybe if someone saw my half naked kids what could happen now. so be careful about who sees your 1/2 naked kids. everyone will know what you are doing that your child is naked but that 1 person could give you more problems than you can deal with.

Hi J.,
I am just going to tell you how I potty trained my two. It worked for me, but there is no way of telling if it will work for you unless you try it.
1. Get rid of the diapers! Let him wet himself. It's messy for you but after he does, that is your time to explain what has happened and what we need to do the next time it happens.
2. Be ready to clean up a lot of pee and poop. It takes time for them to really understand what is going on! If he is really interested, don't give up on him.
3. Keep a little toilet in the room where you are the most. If he will use the little potty, keep it close by. They are still learning how to hold it while that walk to the restroom. If he wants to use the big potty, be prepared to stop what ever you are doing to run to the bathroom.
4. Whatever you do.. DON'T put him back into diapers unles you are putting him to bed. If he is ready to be a big boy, don't you think it would be confusing to have your mom put you in diapers to pee in again.
5. To me the most important, DON'T QUIT once you start. I have not met one mother who gave up in the middle and it was twice as hard to start again. We all want to give up at some point of potty training. We moved twice while my daughter was potty traing and I had weeks where I wasnted to give up because she was having loads of accidents. But i didn't and she is doing great once again. This takes time, most kids are not going to do it over night.
6. Praise him when he does go on the potty. Do the potty dance, clap, or sing a song. When they have accidents, let them know its ok and that he'll get it next time. But always keep it positive!
Good luch, it's a fun time and a hard time but in the end it's all worth not having to change poopy diapers!!!!!
T.
By the way, my daughter is 20 months and is almost fully potty trained so don't let age be a factor, they do it when they are ready not when everyone else does it!

My 2 year old daughter was the same way, except she would never pee in the potty. She would sit and then get bored and get off. I went to Walgreens and bought a package of the small posterboard that is really bright. Then I printed up a chart and I used a glue stick and glued it to the posterboard. Then I drew with markers cute little designs around the posterboard. I taped the posterboard pretty low in her bathroom and the downstairs bathroom, so that way after she went she could pick a sticker and put it on herself. She got a sticker for going pee/poop, flushing, washing her hands, and the last sticker was for being a big girl. SHe loved it and now we only give one sticker when she goes. SHe has been fully potty trained pretty much since the day we started!! (about a month ago!) She was so excited to put stickers on the board!! Good Luck =)

Hi J.,
I don't know how close to 3 your son is, but 2 seems a little young to try to get fully potty trained. With a new baby on the way, don't be upset or surprised if he regresses once the baby arrives. I don't have boys, I have girls, and they were both fullly potty trained when they were 3, even dry through the night. I have always heard boys are a little harder to train. I would not force him to do anything he doesn't show an interest in or you will probably end up frustrated. Good luck!

You should show him what to do. Just sit on the toilet and let him watch you go pee. My son did the same thing. He really wanted to use the toilet, but he didn't understand to just let it go. One time is all it takes. I told him, Look! Mama is making pee pee water!! Can you make pee pee water too? He loved that.

My 2 1/2 yr old daughter says she never has to go in the morning when we're getting ready to leave for daycare but we make her try anyway. What I do is I turn on the faucet and let the water run for a little bit. It always works! Just keep working with him. Be consistent.

they just had a spot on the today show about the "potty training whisperer" - a woman that has a technique to train kids to use the potty in one day! Check it out and good luck!

Good for him. Give him time. My daughter started the same way. a year later...she still has accidents but most of the time does well. Try running water, the sound of it made her pee early on. once he's really there it'll take 3 days of peeing everywhere and cleaning up messes and he'll get it.

I was also totally lost on what to do for the potty- but we are almost 100% (still waiting on being always dry at night). Well this is what happened for me- we had gotten one of those special animal drinks from the zoo and she liked it so much she just kept drinking and drinking so I had her in just panties and set the timer for every 30 minutes.
I have a potty seat but I use the top to put on the real toilet and the other part as a step. I have brought the seat in the car truck just in case (although I haven't actually needed it yet). Some people let their kids sit on a potty seat in the living room or something but I think going potty should be done in the bathroom.
There were MANY accidents but after a few days she got it. We would praise her for the effort and when she actually went she got to choose a sticker. Once she was doing it all the time then I just stopped reminding her about the sticker so she eventually forgot too. For naps I still had her in pull-ups until she was dry several times for nap and then we stopped wearing them. I'm trying the same for bedtime but we're not quite there yet. Good luck!

I am having the same issue with my daughter. I guess we just need to keep on it atleast that is what everyone has told me. If you find out what to do next please let me know too - I'm curious too!

Hi J.. I found a great short article written by another mom on the internet when I was training my oldest. It gives great guidelines (and also gives parents the extra encouragement to go forward with potty training). You should definitely target it now if he is interested. My youngest is 19 months, but is already interested, I plan on working with him after we return from our vacation when we can focus on it more (the article recommends devoting at least one week to sticking around the house while potty training). Send me your email and I will send it to you if you like. I hope it will help in your voyage to the potty!!
K.