Potty Training Questions... - Kalamazoo,MI

I would try going out and buying a potty chair. Take her with you and let her pick it out. Some children are scared to sit on the toliet. I would put right in front to the TV and have a special video she gets to watch when she sits on to go. The video can only be watched when she sits on the potty and when she goes she gets her award. I have potted train three children this way and it works great. The potty is visual and daily reminder. They are not scared to sit on it and the TV relaxes them. I'm training one of my day car kids this same way and he actually tells me when he has to go. At home his mom does not do it this way and he does not let her know. I used the naked method with 2 of my kids the third I was doing daycare so I could not use this method so I let him run around with no diaper in lose fitting pants so he knew when he had to go. Give it time and talk to her about it often and it will work. Hope this helps

Hi M.

The only thing that worked for my daughter was a vcr tape called "Once Upon A Potty; I would think that it is now available on disc...
They had one for boys and one for girls
HTH
Please let me know if you have any questions about it
J.

Toddlers this age are usually just trying it out. I'd let it go, keep things light and affirming, and let her decide when she's ready. You can ask her but don't push it. If she takes the lead, it'll become less of a battle. If you get into a big battle, it could get very long.

That book is awesome! I bought it 23 years ago. As I recall, the point of the book is to get them to drink as much as possible so that they have frequent opportunities to use the potty. I think that if it were me, I would continue to work on it for a few more days. If you can't devote 2 or 3 days in a row to the plan, just try it for as many days as is practical for you. If she doesn't seem to be progressing, I would guess she isn't quite ready. It sounds like she is close. Don't give up on the book for your little girl.

I would stop the whole drama immediately. She is VERY young and even though she can talk about it and be successful sometimes, doesn't mean she's ready. My 3 girls, now 30, 27 and 25 were different from eachother at this trying time. The first 2, I started training at 2 1/2, in the summer without panties or a diaper. "Don't pee on the floor or the patio" When they could see what was happening...pee down their leg and onto the floor they figured it out really quickly. #3 was a different story. At 3 1/2 she was still in diapers. Oh my! Long story short, I found out she was afraid of falling in the toilet. All little ones train at different times with different obstacles. The only other thing you might want to check out is asking her if there is any pain when she does go. She could have a little bladder infection that could cause some burning that is making it scarey. She might not be physically ready. I would stop all talk about the potty...give her some time to forget about it and start over in 6-8 months. No worries, she will get it!

Sounds like the feeling of peeing is scaring her. Unfortunately holding in the pee can cause problems with her bladder and kidneys later in life. Try giving her more fluids and give her a reward for sitting on the potty for 5 minute sessions. Get her used to sitting there and increasing the fluids to limit her ability to "hold it" and then try running water in the sink while she's on the potty. You may want to discuss it with your doctor, perhaps there's some physical reason why it's bothering her so much.

Have you asked your doctor? In my totally uneducated opinion, it sounds like it hurts her to pee. Is it possible that she has some kind of infection or something?

With my first daughter, I would run the sink a little and dunk her hand in a bowl of warm water. It seemed to help her.

Good luck!

Hi M. -

There have been many questions by others in regards to potty training. I hope you will go through the archives and see if you can get some advice from there. I do have a few suggestions, though. Try running some water in the sink. The sound of the water running can stimulate urination. If she can reach the running water make sure it's warm and have her put her hand under it, that could help, too. You might also consider the possibility she might be cold sitting on the toilet. There is no insulation from that cold water especially if you keep the toilet seat cover down. A padded seat might help in this case or one of those child size one's that fit right on the toilet set itself. If she's trying to hold herself up she won't be able to relax. A stool or something for her to rest her feet on could also help. Soft music she likes or reading a book to distract her might help. You can also try running a hot shower while she sits there. The warmth from the shower as well as the sound of the water may stimulate urination, too. You could also try making it a game. Put a little dish soap in the toilet and ask her to try and make bubbles. Granted, this works well with boys and their aim but if she leans forward and hits the water it may work for her, too. If she persists with the fear end of it talk to her pediatrician and see if he/she can help. Is it possible that it hurts for her to pee? If she has a urinary tract infection that could be painful and cause the fear. Her urethra (pee hole) may be small or partially blocked, too.

I hope some of this helps.

Good luck - S.

I read an earlier post that suggested that you put the potty in front of your childs favorite tv show. I thought that was a good idea. It helps them relax. I started sitting my son on the potty after he was 1 years old. I knew it was too early, but I wanted him to get used to it and not be afraid. He goes almost every time I put him on it right away and we jump up and down and Ill give him a dum-dum sucker...of which he NEVER finishes...but its something for him to look forward to. You might also try giving them a book. My son loves to read while he sits there..well, he likes to read anywhere really...and hes just turned a year and a half.

If shes terrified of peeing and getting it on herself, try putting a paper towel or something inside the cup so it doesn't splash back up on her. That might help a whole lot. Especially if you have one of those sham-wow things or a zor-beez. Just line the cup with cut up blocks. You can throw those in the washer too so clean up shouldnt be absolutely horrible...

Hope this helps!! Good Luck!

Hello M.,
She sounds to young.She may be uncomfortable because she doesn't realize yet that this actually happens.
Give her a little time. Try again in a few months. Forcing now could become a problem in the future.
L.

First of all the book is a book. Your child is the only one who is going to tell you when she's ready. When she is playing shes not going ot have as much control or realizing because she s distracted so you have to remind her. But she isn't going to be out of diapers in 4 hrs or day. It takes time. I have four children and each one pottied different and my forth I haven't even tried because shes only 16 months. But my first pottied trained as soon as she was ready no problems. My 2nd had difficulty still do he didn't potty train till he was 3 1/2 and he still doesn't have a big enough bladder at night time. he can take naps without anything but for night he needs a good night. My third she new what she needed to do she loved her rewards but she would do what your daughter is doing she would jumo off hold it too long or Just flip out. So I stopped I let it go. I waited. I told her she knows what she needs to do if she wants to take her diaper off and go here and there fine. But I want her to be a big girl when shes ready. Well about amonth or so later she wanted to go dancing like her sister. But dancing didn't start right away. So I told her if she wanted to dance she needed to go potty on the potty or she wouldn't be able to go. Also if she wanted to go to school she needed to go potty in the potty. Well it took her a coupld months I say about two and one day She just looked at me and said mommy can i wear underwear and I said sure but I don't wnat any accidents. She went put on her underwear and she went every time in the toilet. we did have a little trouble with stools but after a month we got that down pat too. She was 2 1/2 when we started and she was almost 3 when she decided. I would if I was you wait it out. Let her decide instead of you. Good Luck! Oh I just read shes only 2 and you have another on the way. If you get her to do it now she may regress when the babies born so I would wait it out. Let her decide!

My only advise is to do other things on the potty too. Read a book, there is a Elmo uses the potty book, brush her teeth, sit and talk, take a baby into the bathromm. Do you let her go with you into the bathroom? When you go pee on the potty tell her what you are doing to that she sees that others are doing it. Let her pretend that her doll is going potty. Good luck!! I hope this helps.