Would like Some Ideas on How to Potty Train

The VERY BEST book I have come across on the subject is Toilet Training in Less Than a Day. We potty trained our third child in three hours and our fourth in just over a day. I'm getting ready to reread it for use with our fifth and will of course break it back out when our sixth is ready. Here's a link to the book. I really does work! Good luck! :)
http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Potty-Training-in-On...

Just before two is a magical age for training. The kids are usually eagar and willing. The key is to be CONSISTENT even if it is inconvenient. You may need to make arrangements to not leave the house for a few days (or a week) For my daughters they wanted to wear panties so we went and picked out the ones they wanted and never wore diapers again, make sure you have a good supply of panties. My son preferred going naked from the waste down so long shirts were in order for a few days. Once he was able to get to the toilet without an accident we started putting on the pants! (he still had accidents at night until he was 5 so we did pull-ups at bedtime) Three of my four children were potty trained in a week (the fourth is only 15 months). Treats are ok and work for some kids, the best thing is just remain postive and stay consistent, consistent, consistent. Once you decide to do - DO IT! Good luck.

Underwear and Rewards! I used pull-ups on my oldest when potty training him and it took a lot longer. I just potty trained my 2 nearly 3 year old (late March birthday). I hung a bag of suckers and smarties over the potty and every time he went he could have a treat, 2 treats for pooping. He got the pee thing down right away, within 3 days. The pooping took a bit longer. I was getting a bit frustrated because he would tell me where his poop went but he would still do it in his underwear. I never gave in or gave up. He only wore underwear and I just kept cleaning them. Even when we went out I did not put him in a pull up, I just brought two changes of clothes. When he understood that his poop went in the potty I told him that only babies poop in their pants and if he was going to be a baby that we would have to treat him like a baby and he would have to ride in the stroller again. He hated the sounds of that!! I am not a baby, I am a big boy he declared. I also took away the treats for peeing because he had that down and it seemed like he was always getting candy (too much sugar). I told him that he only got treats for pooping now and he started to poop in the potty all the time. He must have really wanted those treats. It took us about 2.5 weeks but I think that we are finally there. He has not had an accident since Thursday of last week and if he keeps it that way we will take him to his favorite place to eat, The Rainforest Cafe, on Thursday as a final reward to getting potty trained. Just stick with the underwear and do not cave in!! Pull ups are only used at night as a just in case. Good luck!

I have 2 suggestion:

1. There's a great picture book titled "Everyone poops". Its simple, funny, and takes the mystery out of poop (some memorable lines... "all living things eat so... everyone poops!" and "What do you think whale poop looks like?") Its a great way to talk about where poop comes form and where it should go without including any guilt or shame.

2. Buck naked and $125. This method worked pretty well with our three (we finished off with m&m bribes for pooping in the potty). The idea is that NO ONe enjoys the feeling of, well, wet running down the leg. Strip off the bottom half, and there's also no mechanical issues with using the potty chair. Put the potty chair in a very accessible spot, so they dont have to go far. And lots of praise. Once they get the hang of it, start moving the potty chair closer and closer to the bathroom. OR start adding clothing back (ok, I admit that was the tough part -- they really like the au natural feeling).

Later, get the carpet cleaned ;) (thats the $125 part).

2 is typically a little young, especially for boys, but you are his mom, and if you think he is ready, then go for it!

Don't push, but be consistant.

Has he shown that he's uncomfortable in a wet diaper? Does he ask to be changed. Does he show interest in the potty while you're using it? Does he wake up from naps dry?

With my daughter, who is still in the process, we started potty training because she showed interest in the potty, was waking up from naps dry, and sometimes, would tell us she needed to go pee pee. So when I was home from work over the holidays, we started using her little potty. She went and sat on it every 30 minutes. I would give her a cup of juice/milk/water, and read while she was on the potty. This usually worked, she'd go, and I'd do a silly dance with her. She gets an M&M if she pees in her potty and 2 if she poops. We put underwear on her at fist but found she would just use them as diapers so we went to the naked routine for two days over a weekend. That helped so much. Now she is wearing pull ups when we go out, and she asks to go pee pee and will use the potty while we are out. At home, we are still having some accidents in her underwear but that's ok, we are gettin gcloser by the day.

And whatever you do, when there is an accident in his pants, or on the floor (and it will happen!) make sure you don't get angry with him. Sit him down and talk to him about it. Tell him his pee pee or poo poo needs to go in the toilet like a big boy. Some people go as far to have their child help clean it up, but under the age of 3 or 4, this might be a bit extremem, especially for you with a two year old.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

He is really young, the only way to really dive into potty training is if he is ready. That means can he pull his pants up and down? Does he know when he has to go? Can he go long periods without a wet diaper? If no to these, be patient. I didn't even start my son until he turned three then it took like two weeks 100% potty trained, even pooping. I used pullups, I loved them and they worked for us perfectly. I let him decide when he was ready, got him a potty chart and reward stickers (he was really into transformers and he knew he had to potty to earn them!), then got him some big boy underwear. We started just using pullups at night and continued those at night for the first few weeks, by I would say the second month, no more anything at night, he went all night dry and we were done with diapers and pullups!! He needs to understand the urge and when he has to go, if not just give him time. I also recommend, never ask them, just put them on the potty every hour to two hours as if you ask them "do you have to go potty" 90% of the time the answer will be no. Good luck.

REWARD REWARD REWARD!!!!! That is finally what made my daughter want to use it again and again. We made a chart with squares (she was too young to realize what was labeled) we hung it in the bathroom and everytime she went potty she got to stick a sticker on it. Another was that she really enjoyed getting a treat. We used the Yogurt Raisins and everytime that she went pee she got one and if she went poop she got 2. She is 3 and has been potty trained for over a year now, and every now and then she asks for a treat. The biggest part for you is to encourage, be patient, and be excited when it happens for the first time.... Good Luck to you and DO NOT stress!!!

I don't have boys, so not sure if it is different. But I brought the potty everywhere I went.....in the car. I allowed my child to decorate her potty with stickers ( the portable one ) and she loved going potty just so she could add a sticker on it. It was a show case in the end. I found pull-ups confused my child, but it worked great for other moms I know. I heard from my friends with boys to just let them run around with out anything (or underware )for about 2 hours a day and just bring him every 15 min until the reward was presented and he would get the idea how to get it. That is a time of the day that was potty time and then increase the hours. Don't get discouraged, because he could go along for a while doing great and then have some set backs....just keep working at it and allow those days where he is off.

J.,

My son is almost 3 and we started potty training him at about 2 also. I would just ask him a few times a day t go sit on the potty. You can do this when you're changing him if you'd like. I used little rewards like small candies when he would go. Make it a big deal when he goes to the bathroom. We would jump up and down and clap. I made a potty chart for my son. Everytime he would go we'd put up a sticker. We told my son that once he started using the potty and wearing big boy underwear he could get a bike. He was very motivated by this. I also took my son to the store and let him pick out his own underwear with elmo and transformers. You can't push him to do it though. He will do it when he's ready. I had my son in pullups for about 4 months and he used them just like diapers. He thought it was ok to go potty in them all the time. With my next one I don't think I'll be using them because they're so expensive especially when they think they can potty in them all the time. Also, try and take your son in the bathroom everytime you go and have him sit on his potty. It helps him get the routine down. Good luck!

L.

If you are serious about training your son, slowly introduce him to the potty. If he seems to be grasping the concept by telling you that he went potty in his diaper or is hiding to do the deed, then he is ready. Once he shows these signs, UNDERWEAR, UNDERWEAR, UNDERWEAR! It takes diligence and consistency on your part and you have to make the mental decision to make it a go! Don't turn back, don't give in-just keep on going! My daughter just potty trained in one week-and that means peeing, pooping and going through the night! Underwear is the key to it all. She is 2.5 and we started introducing her to the potty at two. My son wasn't "ready" until he was almost three, but he also fully potty trained in a week! Good luck!