Need Potty Training Tips

What worked with my son was this: To get him interested in going at all, I kept a magazine rack next to his potty seat filled with baby books about OTHER kids going potty. I only gave him treats the first couple of times he went, but until he went without being reminded, I always made a big deal about him going. Then later, the first couple of times he pooped in the potty, he got treats, after that I just praised him every time until he started going on his own. It worked really well.

hi P.,
we too are trying to potty train, my daughter is 2 1/2, we just started this week, when she uses the potty we do a fun activity together, here are some examples, we read a book together, we dance to a song, color a page or she really loves is the daber paint bottles . i got them at a teacher supply
she is always wanting to do that one. riding her bike around the block, or walking her babies in their stroller, this seems to be working pretty good so far, you just have to allow a lot of extra time to be able to do these activitys.

P.-
My 3 year old is very stuborn about a year ago I had him potty trained for three days no accidents...then my husband returned from a trip..so I knew he could do it and I knew that he knew what he was supose to do..anyhow, to start the process I told him that we would go to his favorite toy store and he could pick out prizes for each time he peed in the potty...that lasted a week. Then I switched it to each day he stayed dry he could pick out a prize at the store...now we are currently doing poop prizes. Each time he poops in the potty he gets a toy. I know it's a lot of toys but, diapers are expensive too and he really is proud to show off his potty prizes. They are only young once!
Good luck!H.

I know candy isn't in vogue right now, but i've seen the following solution work multiple times: a jar of M&M's in the bathroom. 1 M&M for #1, 2 for #2- really not all that much sugar if you think about it, I think half of why it works is the visual stimulus of all that colorful candy displayed templtingly in a jar. You can always carry a little baggy of them in yr purse for outtings. I haven't used this technique myself yet (boy is 2 months old!), but I watched a freind use it on her two girls, and they were both trained within 2 weeks, totally painless. And in any case, a couple M&Ms a day is a cheap and clutter-free solution.

P.,
With both my kids I used a combo of mixed fruit peices and m&m's. I alternated which they got so they didn't get too much of either, but they fit in my bag when we traveled so I always had them on hand. in the begining they got 1 treat for trying, 2 treats for #1, and 3 treats for #2.. as they got better it was no treat for trying 1 treat for #1 and 2 for #2. My daughter turned 2, three weeks ago and has not worn a diaper in 4 weeks (we have only had 3 accidents). I agree little toys get expensive and I understand about not wanting too much candy, so the dried fruit peices were sweet enough to subsitute in quite often. Now that my daughter has made it 4 weeks she no longer gets treats, instead she got a "big toy" a new doll, ($5.00) and that is her "end of training" treat. Some kids might need to be rewarded longer I know my son did, but she seems to be fine with it. But I had both kids potty trained before 26 months.

Hope that helps a bit...

H.

I found that using pull-ups for trips works, just be sure to tell him that he can't let his stars dissappear, and if there still there when you get home he get's his surprise at home. I also use pull-ups for nap time, i got tired of washing sheets and blankets. You'll know when he's ready cause he'll stops asking for his surprise or tell him another little boy needs the surprise so they can use the potty. Use snacks with characters that he likes or sugar free candy. Hope everything works out and good luck.

I think it's important that you realized you need an alternative to giving him a little surprise after each successful potty trip. Perhaps you can start weaning him off of them--for example, if you were giving him 5 surprises a day, maybe go down to 3 and in between give him lots of praise when he does it correctly. Then the next day you give him one less surprise and the next day, no surprises, just praise. Eventually he'll understand that his going successfully is reward in itself. :-)

My youngest will be 2 at the end of November and he has been potty trained for 3 months. We used the m&ms 1 for #1 and 2 for #2. He loved it I also made sure that I brought him potty as soon as he woke up and right before bed. I dont agree with pull ups they are too much like diapers and they are expensive so I used the thick potty training undies and the plastic diaper covers for cloth diapers that way they can feel when they are wet. As for getting him off the treats he just sorta forgot about them. Good luck

Hello P.,

I to have used the reward system for going potty, I use those juice frozen pops, as for going out I pu tmy little one in her cloth training undeware just like when she is at home, however before we leave to go somewhere we have her try to go potty, and she usually goes. and then have her try when we get to out location. Of course I bring extra cloths just in case but to date I have not had to use them. Also because the can get distracted easily remeber to ask them occasionaly while you are out and about if they have to go.

Hope this helps

J.

My son turned 3 in June, and has been potty trained for about three weeks. We did the "treat" thing too, and this is how we fazed it out. Instead of getting a present every time he went potty, we told him that next he had to stay dry all day. To help with this, we took a potty seat in the car wenever we went anywhere and let him keep on his big boy pants. This helped ease his nerves about not having a potty. He only used it twice!!!! and both on long trips. I just pulled over in a very safe spot (large parking lot) and had him use it. (if you put a plastic bag in it, you can seal it up for later disposal). after about a week of end of the day goodies, I promised him after 1 week of being dry, going to the Disney store and picking out brand new big boy pants and made sure to tell everyone who worked there what a big boy he is now...look, he uses the potty!!! and that was it. no more presents just tons of daily praise..hope this helps...

Get him a sticker bokk and lots of stickers maybe he'll like that and try to make sure its an ok size sticker book so that when its time to stop praising him for it you can work with him on writing numbers and letters then you can praise him with more stickers. its cheaper than more toys and kids like the simple things iun life.
or you could just get him a box. LOL
That was my joke answer.

little boys love to play target practice with cheerios in the toilet also, which can make potty time fun. They also love to hear the pee. Either a can opened with a safety rim opener or a plastic cup held to pee in can be fun- i thought it was weird, but my son really responded and I think it helped him to be aware of what he was doing. Good Luck!

We used pennies with both our oldest two kids. Every 25 pennies, we switched them for a quarter, and just kept going through the same 25 pennies. You can keep them in an empty perscription bottle that has had the label removed and has been cleaned out. That way, they can see their progress. Plus, it helps them to start counting, and to learn about saving money.

I used m&m's for my now 5 year old but then 2 year old. He only got them when he went to the bathroom so he worked so hard to get to the toilet in time. Gradually he stopped thinking about the candy and started focusing on the positive praise we gave him, which he enjoyed much more.
My daughter could not be "bribed" by candy or toys of any sort. She now 4 then 2 is still working on #2 and occasionally still has pee pee accidents. Every child is different. She really responds to positive praise we call them potty parties, which basically means that we pick her up, dance around wildly and sing "you went pee pee or poo poo in the potty." Though sometimes not even that will motivate her. Potty training has been some of the most trying times with my daughter expecially. Good luck to you!! I'm sure your doing great.

Our 7 year old was trained at 3 and some days. We had started showing "signs" around 2 1/2, but no luck with the go. We tried fruit loops, candy, we tried stickers, matchbox cars, EVERYTHING. We got NOTHING. So, one day my husband goes into the bathroom with Taylor, and they "raced" We have not had a problem since......you can do it with you as well, and no body parts have to show, just the sound. They love it because they win, every time....LOL

I'd switch to stars and praise. Let him know that you are proud of his ability to recognize and go to the potty and that you are now going to put a star on a chart each time he does this. You want to reinforce his going to the potty. Not teach him a way to get toys and candy.

Or just tell him that the surprises are all gone. Along with praise for what he's done.