Potty Training - North Little Rock,AR

I potty trained my two year old daughter with a potty chart. If she peed or pooped, I would reward her with a sticker to put on her chart. I got stickers that she liked (Sesame Street). And we would do the potty dance. Now she just runs to the her potty. We still have accidents but she is really doing a great job of holding and knowing when to go. Good luck, I hope this helps.

My DD did the same thing. I learned not to push the issue because she liked being in control and would fight harder if I was upset. When we were certain that she could control her bladder and was just being a control nut about the pull ups, we took them away and refused to buy more. There were a few accidents, but in the end she realized that the only control she had was between going potty or getting in trouble for wetting herself. It took us a while to get to this point, but she is now only in night-times and life is a little easier. Good luck.
J.

I wouldn't get stressed out about this. Kids go in and out of phases. And I don't think your hard work will go to waste. They have great memories and she will still remember how to do it once she gets back into it. Honestly I think you're blessed to have had such good luck with it already with an 18 mo. old, because my daughter didn't get "totally" potty trained until 3. We started trying with her before she was 2 but she hated it.

Some kids potty train at 9 mos, others at 4 years, and some kids still wet their bed at 9 years old. It's different with everyone and your daughter may be in a weird phase of just not wanting to do it for whatever reason--a fear triggered by noise, sore butt muscles, sudden realization of what becoming a big girl means, etc. Could be anything, don't stress it. Good luck.

I too am trying to potty train my 2 year old...she had a great start on it and then for a time totally refused to even sit on the toilet. I tried the M&M bribe thing, and from time to time we read a book as she sits there, sometimes she looks at magazines, once she's on the toilet, it's fine, but the problem was that she didn't even want to go into the bathroom, let alone get on the toilet and try. I then came up with bubbles. If she at least sits and tries to go on the toilet, then I will blow bubbles for her. I am careful to aim them on either side of where she is sitting, so they won't pop in her eyes (you can judge where is best for you so there's no chance of them getting in your child's eyes) and she is excited now to try and go "pee pee in the toilet with bubbles." She has fun trying to pop the bubbles and that gives her enough time to relax enough to actually go. I cheer and she is all proud when we hear the tinkle that tells us that she has gone. I usually have to give her a bit of warning...like, "I'll blow bubbles two more times and then we're done". That way she has time to adjust to the idea that the bubbles are done for now. I then quickly wipe up the floor where the bubbles have landed so it's not slippery and we have successfully made yet another step in potty training. I keep the bubbles in a cupboard and they only come out for potty time. That way they stay a special treat for when she tries to go like a big girl. I hope this helps. I know it's tough and it takes lots and lots of patience and encouragement. Keep up the good work mom! Jenn P

Hello J.! Here's what worked for us - I had twins, a boy and a girl, and they potty trained completely differently. My daughter would go at home but never in public, no restaurants, not at church, not at mommy's day out - nothing but home. She would hold it for literally an hour and do "the dance" the whole time until she could get home. NOt only was this not good for her bladder, it put a real cramp in our schedule - we could not go to the park, the botanical gardens, nothing fun because she would have to go back home to use the bathroom.

Finally, I made her a little piece of paper and I wrote a 1 through 10 on it. I also put a new toy (a Dora dollhouse I bought at a garage sale) on a shelf in the closet. I showed her the house and told her she had to go potty 10 times in a public place before she could have it. So when we would get to the grocery store (or wherever) and she would refuse to go I would just say "What a shame. We'll just have to start working on EARNING our Dora house tomorrow." She would hold it for a few more minutes then invariably, she would always go. I emphasized the word EARN.

Each time she went, I let her put a sticker (star, circle, whatever) by the number on the paper. On occasion I would take her to the closet and remind her of what she was earning. It took her maybe 2 to 3 weeks before she earned all of her stars, and she was absolutely ecstatic when she EARNED her house. She tried to have a relapse about a week later but I let her know quickly that I knew that she could go potty in public and if she wanted to go back to the old way we would have to take her house away. Never had a problem since, and that was probably 6 months ago.

Oh and really, it was more like 14 times before I let her have it. I wanted to make sure it stuck and a couple times we really and truly forgot to put the stickers on! lol!

Good luck.

OK, this may sound crazy, but I take my 25 month old to the bathroom riding on my back like horse..only when she is resistant. I'll tell her it's time to go potty, if she resists I say, do you want to ride on mommy's back like a monkey (that way I get to stand) or a horse, and she's ready! I take her straight to the bathroom and she's fine after the ride and doesn't fuss about using the potty.

She may have had a bead bowel movement and since it happened when she was using the potty she thinks that it will happen again if she uses the potty that is the most common reason why toddlers stop suddenly. Maybe try getting her some pretty panties, potty doll or some potty books that might get her to try again. Good Luck I'm trying to potty train my 2 yr. old son right now.

Hey J.,

I would not push the issue as she will just regress. But I would do an encouragement. I would place her on the potty immediately upon waking up every morning as she most likely has a dry diaper at wake and then empties her bladder shortly after. This is a great way to use positive reinforcement. After she potties... verbally praise her with good job or wow you went potty. We even sing song the words "pee pee in the potty". An after she goes potty she gets a sticker for peeing and 2 stickers for pooping. My 22 months old is really improving again. We are still not great on the poops but the pees are almost perfect. And like you we used the potty for both when we were younger. They do not forget it... so your previous work is not lost... they just like to assert themselves... and this is one of the battles you will not win by asserting yourself back. Never force it and if she asks to go or you place her on the potty and she wants to get off... let her. But no sticker if nothing is done. Basically rewards for doing well... and do not punish for not doing anything. She will come around. So relax, by stickers and make it fun... and again do not push the issue. Children control their bodily functions and eating and if they feel forced they will make you miserable as a natural response... you never want to have them learn this naturally at that age or you will have not so fun issues when they are older.
Best Wishes,
MB