Potty Training - Cortlandt Manor, NY

I have twin boys and decided to potty train them a few weeks after their third b-day when they had 3 weeks off between camp and school. I waited until 3 (like I had done with my older daughter) to avoid any control issues by doing it too early. Well, one of the boys was potty trained in a day. As soon as I took away the diapers, that was it... he was trained. Never had an accident and even at night, his pullup was always dry. (He happens to be anally neat too!) Well, the other twin was a different story. He wanted nothing to do with the potty and nothing we did could change that. He'd just sit and sit on the potty and cry and have tantrums and then pee in his pants. It didn't matter to him that his brother was trained.
So, after about a week of trying, I just stopped. I gave him back pullups and sent him back to school w/ the pullups on (luckily, his school allows kids to go w/out being potty trained). I waited another SIX MONTHS until February vacation week and tried again. After a few accidents the first day, he was trained pretty quickly. Still a few constipation issues with poop, but it happened quickly.
So the moral of this story is that he may just need more time. I did not want the whole fighting/power struggle thing so I just waited and luckily by 3 1/2, he was ready. So maybe wait a little longer. I know you'll have friends who say "he's STILL in diapers????" Don't worry about those people... ignore them... Good luck!

Target practice. Little boys love that. Take a couple cheerios and throw them in the potty and tell him to "take aim". Also, you can float 1 square of TP on the water and tell him to "sink the boat". They love that. My son never told us until he had to go. The pull-ups are a waste of money don't even bother with them. But for my son the only way to get him to go was to let him run around naked. And if he throws a tantrum let him. If you don't push him he isn't going to do it. You need to be stronger then him.

T.,
Your son is not ready to potty train. When he shows a desire to use the potty, then you can encourage him. Don't push him on this because it will turn into a power struggle with both of you feeling frustrated. When he is ready to try, you'll know, and you can praise him for every little accomplishment.

I have a five year old son and when he showed signs of being ready (hiding when he needed to make a BM in his diaper, asking to sit on the potty like Mommy, saying he is wet after urinating in his diaper) he was two and a half. We spent the next nine months training him! Pull ups are an absolute waste of money! Don't use them. When kids are not ready to be potty trained, they don't care if they are wet. When your son is trained during the day and you want some extra protection for sleeping, then you can use the pull-ups.

Hi T.,

A friend of mine who just completed training her now three year old, used a system of rewards. She pasted stickers above the potty (on the wall) and just told him that he could pick one each time he successfully went. She also said key was making sure to pick a character that he really likes. He loves Thomas The Train stickers. Good luck!

HI T., stop stressing you and the little guy out, when my son turned 3 I wrote in also and got some great advise from these brilliant women....He will go when he is ready. I was all distraught after my son turned 3 because he refused to even sit on the potty, he was 3 and 3 months and one day he pulled off his diaper and peed on the big toilet. He goes all day by himself. He still won't poop on the toilet so he tells me when he has to and we use a pull up. I know he will get there soon and when he is ready we will go on the toilet. Good luck!!Trust me it will happen soon. D.

Hi T. D
My name is Y. W.. When i potty trained my son he was around the age of almost going on 2, I made it out of a game or story telling time... this is what i did..
after he eats maybe about 10 minutes after he eats or drinks. tell him say lets get the potty and and turn on his favorite cartoon and tell him soon as he gives you a squirt we can do the peepee dance and let him make up the dance. then after the squirt ask him to help you flush it and give him a big kiss. but you have to be firm with him and keep him on the potty... his little booty may get sore but after a while he;ll get use to it and it will come natural... then switch it up when he is on the potty get his favorite story and read it to him or let him try to read it to you... but remember let him teach you the peepee dance and let him know that the peepee dance only works if he actually peepee's... hope this works out for you

Hi T.,
I have 4 children and have done the same thing with all of them when it comes to potty training. I take them to the bathroom with me!! They have their potty seat, I have my potty. It shows them what they are to do, and that its alright.
I am in the process of training a 2 1/2 year old, my youngest. She is doing well, but it is a little slow going when her older sisters and her dad are always trying to put a diaper on her when I let her run with no pants on.
She has 2 potty seats, one in the bathroom for when she goes with me, one in the hallway so she can go by herself. (I have a gate up to the bathroom so she doesnt play in the cat litter/food) And I have a little seat that clips on top on the toilet seat which she is liking alot the last couple days. She has a little step that she climbs up on to use it and can climb down on her own when she's done.
This has worked with my other children and is also working with the youngest.
The only problem!!! When they(17, 16, and 8 years old) are completely trained, they all seem to have to "go" whenever your on your way to the bathroom! Luckily, we have 2 bathrooms.
good luck

My 3 year old daughter is the same way. She takes her diaper off when she goes but will stay in undies when she is wet...can't figure that one out. The training pants don't work either and going o'natural doesn't stop her from peeing on the kitchen floor.

I am at a loss too. She sits on the potty with a book but won't go...until she runs out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.

Hopefully after I hit send, other ladies have posted some ideas for me to try.

Good luck,
Nanc

Get rid of the diapers ! I know it sounds extreme, but that's how my Son was trained in 3 days! I picked a day where I knew we had no plans that week and just stayed home. The first day, when we got up in the morning, I took off his overnight diaper and never put a diaper on him again. (except during nap time and overnight)
During his waking hours, I let him go in "big" boy underwear, or just buck naked. AND I kept his potty in the family room with us for the first few days so it was nice a close by.
When you think about it, diapers can be confusing. This way there is no confusion, and they catch on much faster.
Good luck !

Will he sit on the potty? Perhaps he is afraid of it and if so you need to have him sit on it with his clothes on and read a book or sing songs with him, something fun. Then before his bath sit him on it again. Now if he isnt afraid of it, I would insist that he sit every hour for a few minutes while you read, sing etc. to him. It should be a pleasant experience, but he also needs to know that he should do what you tell him without tantrums. You are in control not him.

T.-
try the padded training underwear. they sell them at Target now and they are essentially think underwear. they will leak, but it might help him to know when he has to go. my oldest was the same way, did not want to go on the potty. at his 3 yr well visit, the doctor gave him a talkin to and told him that he is a big boy now and has to go pee pee on the potty and that only babies wear diapers. it helped at home because i could say..the doctor said you have to sit on the potty...
good luck!

let him be.. he's not ready yet.. if y ou force it, you're just causing more stress for you and him.. My sons were the same way. it was easiest to get htem trained for pee. I let them go naked around the house.... pooping iwas another issue.. they were fully trained for pee but still asked for a diaper for poop. I tried to hold out, but they went days without going and my pediatrician said not to worry about it. No kid goes to kindergarten in diapers!! LOL sure enough they were both completely trained by age 4.. so hang in there. give it ia rest for ao few weeks then bring it up again. maybe start by having him try to use it before bathtime. just talk about it. but give him a break for a few weeks.. good luck!!!! it doesn't last forever!!

Try reading "The Potty Train" book with him. It's a light-hearted look at this situation.
Find it at www.toysofdiscovery.com

When my son was this age, I use to just take him to the bathroom and he would sit on his potty, and we would take in a stack of books and read and also have fun books where he had to find hidden stuff. Eventually he would go and I would reward him 2 M&M's and let him pick out the colors he wanted.

This worked great and to this day we have a Son who loves to read!!! (He is now 7 years old and still loves to read)
Good luck!!

Hi T., You are not alone. Many children, especially boys are not ready to transition to potty. You may want to see if he will pee into a bucket (I have 4 boys). Sometimes once they see it coming out they find it is fun! You may also want to try again at another time. You will know when he tells you he is wet although some children do not care. Potty training comes when they reach the point when the brain sends the signal before it is time to go. When he is ready you will know. Others may train earlier, each child is individual:-) Grandma Mary

I would repeat the same thing , I'd take my daughter to potty when I'd go also i always "LET THE TAP RUN" it really helps.