Potty Training - Lake Dallas,TX

There is a lot of information about Elimination Communication, or EC. I don't remember the website but I think it's diaperfree.org or something like that. You can google it and find the sites. They focus on pottytraining younger children (4-6 months) and have a lot of good info about getting it done without the major power struggle. It's really more about communicating with each other instead of who is in charge and who has all the power. My son is 17 months and we're finished with pottytraining. (Thank the Lord!). They might have some good tips specifically for having a BM.

L.

Potty training problems are power/control issues. Find a way to give him some control over the situation by giving him some options like "DO you want to go potty, then have M&Ms, or not go potty and not have M&Ms?" I don't care what people say about using food as a reward, I've used M&Ms to change many, many behaviors with my 3 yr old. You could offer 2 M&Ms for tee-tee and 5 M&Ms for a BM in the potty. At any rate, a reward system is a good idea. Maybe there's a toy with lots of parts and he earns one part every time he goes in the potty. Some other ways to give him control might be to ask "Do you want to go in the upstairs bathroom, or downstairs?" or "Do you want to skip to the bathroom or run?"
Also, a friend of mine had her boy switch "cold turkey" out of diapers and into underwear. Things have progressed well for them. I think consistency is really key. You may have to go to a diaper or pull-up at night for a while, but I would stick to underwear during the day, even if you're out of the house (just be prepared for an outfit change!).
When he does have accidents, try not to get too upset. It's hard, but try to stay calm and matter-of-fact and say things like "uh-oh, looks like you didn't make it to the potty. You'll get it next time. I know you can do it. Now let's clean up..."

It's a control thing - you need to let him have control over the situation. I have two sons (now 11 and 13) and the older one was the same way. He would go get his diaper for his BM when he was at home. But, one time he was at a friends and there were no diapers and he used the potty - no problem. So, we just "ran" out of diapers and there wasn't a problem.

What may work is to have him use the diaper still, but let him empty the diaper (with some assistance) in the potty and flush - if he can see that nothing bad happens when he does this he might be okay with doing things directly in the potty.

I used potty learning videos from the library that REALLY helped my girl. Our favorite was Once Upon a Potty.

We went through the same thing with our son right befor he turned three. As it turned out he just didnt want to use the "baby potty" so we bought the potty ring that fits over a toilet and a stool. It also helped that he went with us to the bathroom and probably saw other kids go at school. It also helped to have vast amounts of patience and remember that he wont go to kindergarten in pull ups.

"How to Potty Train in Five Hours" by Christopher Westra was a great help for me when I was potty training my boys. I will be trying it with my daugher very soon. Good Luck!

No more diapers,regular underwaer. Throw the diaper away in front of him, doewsnt matter how much he cries.Ask him how unconfortable it feels when he peed in his pants.I know its cruel, but it works. Make him sit on the regular toiletseat every half an hour, even if he insists that he doesnt have to go. And if he does, maiby he gets a prevelege. something that he would usually get anyways, but this time he has to work for it. You have to be consistant, and dont get mad if accidents happen.Kids know, if you are serious about somrthing or if it is just a try for you.At nighttime you need a matressprotector. You will have alot of laundry, but not for long. Remember dont get inpatient and break it up. My daughter was clean when she was 2 1/2.

I have one more thing to add. If you are using one of the little potty seats and not the real commode, that might also be part of the problem. My son was hesitant to do his in the one that had to be emptied, because he did not want to make a mess for me to clean up. I said all the right things, and praised him profusely, but he was smart and knew that it was an unpleasant job to empty the potty. When we started putting his little seat on the big commode, he had no problem "putting the mess away" without any middle man. He also liked the air freshener he got to spray ONLY when this type of potty event happened. Maybe he did not like the smell?

Try using a fleets suppository and then put him on the potty right away. It may help him to get that "first scary time" out of the way. My daughter was always scared to let it just drop into the pot...but once she finally did, she got better at it. Good Luck!

Hi C.,

I have potty trained two boys, and from experience, boys are a little more difficult to potty train than girls. My oldest boy was about 3 1/2 before he was completely potty trained. He would not do a bm in the potty. Until one day I let myself run out of diapers and explained to him that I had not more diapers and that he would have to use the potty. He didn't like it, but he knew he had no other choice but to use the potty. It did frighten him when he finally did it. Perhaps he thought that was a part of him that he was flushing down the toilet, I'm not sure. And that was the day he was completely potty trained. Also, from all the reading I have done on potty training it is not uncommon for boys to not be potty trained until they are 4 or even 5. So, just be patient. It will come to him. He is still very young. Children have their own pace of learning. Don't get impatient and push him, because it will make both of you very frustrated. And that's one thing you don't want to do. Enjoy your toddler. I know from experience that they grow up so very fast.

I have some pages on my site with resources and products that might be useful. Check them out and Good Luck!

N. B.
Mom Advice Central
Potty Training-http://www.mymommycentral.com/pottytaining.html

Well, I have a daughter who just turned three in may and man have I been potty traing this girl since she was 2 1/2yrs, yeah I always started early, I have three girls. But I ahve always heard that boys are easier to train but my cousin has a boy and she says no no its harder so I think they are the same, so what I started to do was reward her with candy! kids love candy so why not if its gonna make her go to the toilet, I have this clear jar of skittles on top of my fride and when I tell her do you want a candy? go to the toilet and you will get one, well at first she was doing it to try to get one but I would tell her no you have to actully pee. So of coarse she threw a fit but I am the parent and she is 3 and I am bigger than her so, who's boss right? Well ,when she would go I would act so excited that she would get excited and I would let everyone who is in the house know that she had gone to the toilet and sing a toilet song the I made up so you can make up what ever song and then they will catch on. Another trick I tried was I bought her her favorite character under pants and told her that if she peed on "Dora" that Dora was gonna cry and she didn't want that , I also never really used pull ups, I mean I did but only when we wnet out or to bed. Now the bed time deal, I would give her a glass of chocolate milk evey nite to take the bottle away as well and then before bed we went to the toilet and as soon as she woke up we went to the toilet.Wet ubderpants every second is cheaper than buying pull ups every day, you may wash a little more but like I saud its cheaper and worth it . For your son, try to put Cherrios in the toilet and let target the cherrios, like a game. It works all the time, and if for whatever reason it doesnt, try making him sit backwards on the toilet, and compare how kids on T.V use the toilet and they have fun. Well good luck!

Hi there. My name is H., and my daughter will be 3 in November. I don't know if girls nad boys are the same, but when she kept taking off her diaper, I knew it was time to potty train. I bought her the cutest panties, and whenever she messed them, I made her put them in the trash. She didn't want to lose her cute panties, so she would try to pull them down to go. Also, I bought her a potty chair from Wal-Mart that makes a little "jingle" to show her she did a good job, and that worked wonders. Sometimes children get busy, and forget to run for the potty, so I put one in her bedroom, and one in her playroom for easy access. It is also important that daycare follows through with the potty training you do at home. Hope this help....Good luck. :)