Potty Training Toddler While Nursing Baby and Going to School

Just so you know, our Pediatrician said most boys don't potty train until closer to 3.5 years. It isn't something you can rush really. It won't be successful until their bodies are ready for it. If they don't have the necessary control yet, they won't be able to learn how to go on the potty. I would suggest getting the book "Everybody Poops" and read it with him. Also, for your reading purposes I'd get the book "Potty Training in One Day." It has a section on assessing if your child is ready which is very helpful and informative. I can completely sympathize with your desire to proceed in order to get him into the childcare you are looking at, but this really isn't something you can rush along for your timeline purposes. If he isn't ready, he just isn't. You'll create more lasting issues for him if you try to push it before he's ready. Once he is ready, it will click and go very smoothly.

Best of luck to you!

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Please don't wait until he is 4 I started at a little over 2 /12 and it worked until we wnet on a long 2 week cruise vacation. But as soon as we got back we started again and he got it. so maybe you need to wait a couple of monthes and then try. I explained to my son the he was a BIG BOY and daipers were for the baby. hE TOTALLY GOT IT AND GAVE UP HIS DAIPERS FOR OTHER BABY"S. Take your time. Take a break and start again after the holidays.

I wish I had a solution for you, but it sounds like you kind of answered your own question. The inconsistency of his schedule and lack of support on various sides, is making potty training hard.

My son is now 28 months, and is not potty trained. We attempted it a few months ago, but he isn't displaying the correct signs for interest in training. So, we wait. Most boys don't potty train until closer to 3 years old, and I'm content to wait it out. His preschool, has also agreed to help with that, even though they understand he isn't trained yet and they don't require it but recommend it... I just sat down, and talked with the owner and explained it to her and she said well, give it a go when he's ready and if he isn't there yet when he starts in July we'll help out.

Just stick to your routine, and ask the Grandparents to help out. But, don't stress yourself or your son out with this process.

Good luck

So, maybe try talking to your school.

Dear L.,
You've got a lot on your plate and I empathize with your need to have your son potty trained. Unfortunately, the grandparents maybe right on this one. Some children take well to potty training and being only two is no problem for them. However, you can usually tell that right away. I tried for at least two years to potty train my son and I did not have the distraction of a baby and my husband was around to help. I was told by fellow parents that some boys just don’t fall in line in this area until around four. I think my son and I would have done better to have put it off until it was his idea. I think my pressuring him made it take even longer, though at the time I didn’t think I was pressuring him. I finally found a video tape (my son was born in 1988) called once upon a potty that helped a lot. The whole thing was about kids going to the potty. They were at a birthday party with clowns and there was a lot of singing involved. Anyway, in order to watch TV he had to sit on the potty while he watched. Often by the end of the video we had success and I praised him and sang the potty song from the video. I don’t remember this time fondly, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I wish you the best of luck and have a plan B in mind incase you just can’t get him to adjust in time for preschool.

not to be the negative Sally, but realistically, until and everyone that will be participating in the potty training are ready to be consistent, it wont happen. Consistency is the key. If he wants nothing to do with big kid underwear and is fighting it, then he is likely not ready himself, though this could be due to the lack of consistency so far. I would encourage you to try to get him to sit on the potty consistently at least once a day...say right before bath as he can be naked and hearing the water flow might help him go. Once he does go in the potty and is not affraid of it, and you are ready to be consistent (this is key!) then remove the diapers completely. Dress him in big-boy underwear, not pull-ups. When he wets himself and his clothes are wet, he will not like this , then take him to the potty and show him where to put his pee/poop. Consistently do this and a short while later he will "get it" and will go in the potty regularly. Pull-ups at night are necessary until they will wake themselves up to go or can hold it all night, but that should be the only time he wears a pull-up. A pull-up is still a diaper and they can go in it without making a mess so they are actually counter-productive to potty training.

I wish you the best of luck!