Potty Training - Oklahoma City,OK

Try the fruit loop or cheerio thing. I don't know yet how it works, since mine is not born yet but that is what someone told me to do. Just throw one in the toilet and tell him to aim for the middle, like basketball. Make a game out of it and make it fun. Reward him when he does. Good luck.

DD was ready before she was 2, DS not until he was just past 4. It took a week or less once they were ready. I would absolutely NOT force him to sit on the potty. He will have the desire to do it, when he's ready and it will be much easier on you (and him).

~A.~

i bought my son's favorite character underwear (spiderman) and told him if he pottied in them, they had to go in the trash. this was, of course, after he was able, he was about 2 1/2 yrs also. he had 1 accident, he had to help clean himself, which got a little poopy on his hand (he did NOT like that at all), and we had to, ever so sadly, throw the underwear away. this was not punishment, just a fact of life, dirty underwear go in the trash. he never did it again, yes, he had an occassional accident, but never intentional 'i'll show you' potties. good luck.

Two-and-a-half for a boy is really good! Kids regress in potty training sometimes for different reasons or for no reason. I would not try to force it. My daughter regressed after we moved to another state. I gave her some "recoup" time and started again. I bought the "Once Upon a Potty" book as part of her bedtine read-aloud ritual and praised her when she went but didn't look discouraged or upset when she had accidents. We also looked at big girl panties in the stores and I let her pick the kind she wanted as a reward for staying dry. She would get upset with herself if she had an accident in her big girl panties. For my nephew I promised him some Spiderman undies. He must have walked around pantless in his "spidey whities" for a week!

I think you should keep at it. When potty training my little one, I would use something he wanted as encouragement. For example: If you want to play with your drum set, you have to go pee pee first. Or, if you want to go for a walk, you have to go pee pee first. I would use anything and everything - TV, games, toys, outside playtime, park, etc... things we would do during the day anyways. Basicly, I would just wait for him to go before we would do our next activity. At first, we were trying to go potty every 15 to 30 minutes. Then every hour or two and now he goes on his own. It's been about a month and he's doing great. Oh, by the way, we didn't use pull ups. We used the thick cotton underwear - you can only get them at JC Penny's and their great.

Hi C.,

My son is as strong willed as yours! He's almost 5 now and what worked for us was giving him a date that there would be no more diapers or pull-ups. His was actually his third birthday. Until then, we worked at his pace. He'd go to the potty some and want to wear pull-ups some. He's a praise loving child so prizes worked well too. After the birthday, he knew it was underwear from then on and did fantastic! Maybe a set date would help. I've read they do better the closer they get to 3.

Hang in there!
M.

Sounds to me like he has decided he is scared of the big potty. My mom used to let my brother pee in jars when she was training him. It was something special for him to get to see himself go. Another trick is to put fruit loops in the toilet and let him "shoot" them when he pees- but he HAS to sink them to count!

The trick is to get him interested in going.

Once you have him going pee on the potty (or at least AT the potty), then working on gooing poo is the next step. Most of the time, boys don't want to use the potty for that, tho.

My boys weren't really interested in going, I showed them how nasty it was for me to have to clean up their diapers...

Share the nasty!

My son did the same thing when I started to potty train him. I actually waited until he was 3. He caught on really quickly and then start to revert back, like it sounds like your son is doing. I was so frustrated also. I did not want to scare him or let him see how much control he had over my attitude, so I backed off. And sure enough a week or two later he started going on his own or asking about it (not everytime). Once he started doing that, I decided to go full force again with the potty training and since it was "his idea" this time, it was much better. I honestly thought at one time that my son would never be potty trained because up until he was 3 he showed no interest, he did not care if he had a dirty diaper all day if I would have let him. One more thing, once he was doing really good for a couple of days, occassionally he would just not want to stop doing what he was doing to go to the potty and in those instances, I did punish him, because I knew he knew better at that point. Well, good luck! I know that my experience ended up being a lot easier than I ever dreamed of so hopefully yours will too! I do think waiting till he was closer to 3 helped make the process go faster for my son, that may not be the case for yours though, because I have another son that is not even 2 and already pees on the potty (not all the time), so every child is different.
Hope this will help!
A. Peace

Sounds like you did everything right and your situation is pretty normal. :) AFter struggling with my first boy, I have learned to just wait until they are ready. It really is true that one day they will all of the sudden decide that they are ready. It makes the transition so much easier when they are ready. My oldest boy had just turned four when he decided he was ready. My second boy was three when he woke up and decided he was ready. And now my third boy is only 2 1/2 and has decided he's ready to start! That was his own initiative! I'm hoping my one year old girl will be even easier...only time will tell. :) Just wanted to encourage you in your efforts. You will probably instinctively know what to do and how to handle the whole process...I invest in disinfectant wipes and skip the whole potty chair with the boys. I got really tired of cleaning them! Of course, that depends on whether the child is afraid of the toilet or not. One helpful hint (for boys) that a childcare worker gave me once was to have them stand on a skidproof child's step stool and lean toward the toilet with their hands on the top of the lid to hold them up. This has worked well when they were afraid to use their hand to point and aim. Keep offering to him to try. It will all work out eventually. Patience is of the utmost importance on a parent's part. I promise that it will happen someday...in your child's time. I could be way off, but I'm just sharing what worked with us. Oh, we also let them go pick out their first pair of underwear when they made it through one day completely dry and using the toilet like a big kid. This was a great incentive. Have fun!

I thnk this happens a lot, the newness and fun wears off and now it is just a chore that takes him away from play. Keep encouraging and remind him of the rewards for going potty-you may even start a sticker chart for when he just tries to go potty (or something simple that he likes-I have girls, they love stickers.) It sounds like he's ready and he's learning, it's just not fun anymore. Don't give up, potty training is frustrating, try not to sweat it and don't give too much reaction when he has and accident that may make him more resistant. Good Luck-God Bless

We first knew our 2 yr old son was ready when we went camping, and he loved standing up and peeing on the rocks or trees. I think there is just something about boys and peeing outside. So, when he didn't wear diapers the whole weekend we were camping, I wasn't about to put them on him when we got home. Of course I also didn't let him pee outside. Try to find something that is important to him, and use that to help you. We would use his toys. If he went in his underwear or pull-up, he would have to go find a toy and we would put it on the back of the toilet. When he went in the potty, he got to get one toy back. Some days we would have 4 or 5 toys on the back of the potty! But, it gave him a little incentive to really try to use the potty, because his favorite toy might be up there. I also tried treats, but I don't really like rewarding with food or candy. My husband also used to make him sit on the potty on a regular schedule, say every 30 minutes or hour he would have to go sit on the potty for a few minutes and try. We never really asked, 'Do you have to go?', it wasn't an option for him. He just had to go sit on the potty and try, every time. Good luck! I think your son is ready, but it will be hard work for you and your husband! Persevere!

Hi C.,
It took us over a year to fully day train my daughter. We started before she was 2 and didn't finish up until she was 3. I took the route that when she lost interest (which sounds like what you son is doing) that I would force her to still sit on the potty. We used a timer. Obviously it did not work well since it took us so long to do it, so if I had it to do over again I think I would have just waited longer. Of course that is sometimes easier said when done. She, like your son showed all signs of readiness. It is up to you how hard you try, but beware, the more you push the more both of you will be frustrated. I wish you luck, potty training is my least favorite parenting chore I think.
M.

C.,

I don't have a son but I was there with my nephew since birth...we struggled a liitle bit in the beginning when it came to his potty training. So when we felt we were at a complete loss we put our heads togther and tried to figure out a way to make potty training fun for him. instead of teaching him to sit on the potty to pee...we had him stand in front of the potty and we put a cheerio in the toilet. We told him to "aim for the cheerio and make bubbles"..lol..sounds silly i know, but it worked like a charm, he had a blast with it from that moment forward. As far as the "pooing" on the potty, well it just followed right after naturally thank God because I don't know if we would have been able to find a "game" for that..lol...Good luck, I hope this helps. It can't hurt to try..

T. B

C.,

My son was potty trained before he turned 2 a friend of mine did the treat if her son used the potty did not work out well. He was always going and sitting on the potty and then wanting a treat. Are you a single mom? If not then have your husband to help all boys will follow their dad when it comes to being a big boy. You have to just keep putting him on the potty I took my son about every hour if he went great I gave him praise if not then he did not have to go. Be sure you are getting the pullups that he can feel when he is wet if not then time is wasted he needs to know that wet feeling or it will take longer. Also try the Cheerios trick put them in the toilet and tell him to aim for the hole in the cheerio my cousin did that and it worked like a charm. Hope this helps some.

Absolutely do NOT force him to use the potty. This will cause much bigger problems for you later. Between ages 2-3 children are feeling "caught" between those baby/toddler stages and they are beginning to recognize themselves a little bit. Yes this is a "control" issue. It is all part of the learning process and it too shall pass. The best way to handle this situation is just like any other involving a child. "Pick Your Battles Carefully". The independent child that tries to control the simple things in his/her life are the ones that will typically stand up to the bullies and peer pressures later on. Right now, he is probably still trying to learn to dress himself (as it is often much easier to just "do it yourself" then let them take 1hr to put on a simple shirt), he is probably still trying to master eating utinsils, and is more than likely still trying to figure out why you no longer hold him like a baby while allowing him to drink from a bottle, or spoon feed him like you used to do. Even though children want to learn and thrive to "grow-up", they (like us) still miss the way it used to be and don't really understand why things change. The toilet is often something they know they can control when they feel their life spinning out of their "control". Other children are simply just afraid of the toilet (put yourself in their shoes - that big white loud thing is as big as they are!). Try getting a potty chair to set in the bathroom. take hime to a a time or two, letting him know what it is and what it's for. Go through the motions with him so that he knows what you expect of him when he goes "potty" then leave it up to him. You'll find that when he is ready, he'll go sit on it on his own (and usually when you're not looking since he knows you want him to - remember the "control" thing). Just remember-try not to make a huge deal out of it because it's supposed to be "their idea". Also don't be discouraged if it doesn't happen right away. Boys often wait a little longer before they potty train. Average for a boy now days is around age 3. The good thing is that even though the age is older for a boy than usually for a girl, the boys are easier to train! (maybe because we wwait longer - who knows). But try not to give up or get frustrated, they can sense that in you even when you don't realize it. Good luck and Happy potty times!

Hi C.,

We had several of the same issues. FIrst, my daughter didn't like the little potty...then the seat that sits on top of the regular lid was a no go. Once we bought a training lid that was solidly attached..she liked it. (I know boys don't sit as much..but it's worth a shot) We got ours for an elongated toilet at Lowe's (had to ask for it) or they have them at the One Step Ahead catalog. We also use a timer (still...now I have to pee when a timer dings!) which I set for every 30 minutes. This way, it isn't ME saying she has to go....it is the timer...and it is potty time when the timer dings. Period. My daughter also likes to take off her own pants (can't put them back on...but hey..she still needs mom for something) and that little bit of control (and the cool foaming hand soap and 2 step stools so that she can reach everything herself)has made a difference. Oh..step stools for the short kids at Target...2 steps, wood, sturdy! Good luck!

D.

My cousin's little boy wasn't fully potty trained until he was almost 4. Maybe, your son isn't ready yet. Don't give up and just let him go at his own pace. With my daughter, I used stickers and she loved it, but all kids are different. Good luck!

First, he may not yet be ready, so stay calm, keep encouraging and try not to punish him.

Have you tried letting him stand to pee? Have dad show him how a couple of times. You will need to let him stand on a step stool to reach. Oh and have plenty of disinfecting wipes for when he misses.

When we switched my son, now 4, from sitting to standing he did so much better and was out of diapers and pullups in a couple of weeks. Also, don't put anything in the toilet to have him aim, that will only encourage him to put things in that you don't want him to. Just tell him to aim at the water so that you can "hear it." My son still likes to "hear" it so we don't have too many messes.

Get one of those soft seats that sit on the toilet seat for when he does have to go poo poo. They come with a splash guard, and are a lot easier to clean than a potty.

Good luck.

Hi C.!
I suggest that you go by the almanac! I did with my son and it was a breeze. Your best "weaning" days for this month are the 12-19. Try to work with him harder during these days and see what kind of results you get. And don't get too frustrated, it does take some work on some children. I will admit that my son WOULD NOT use a potty chair! He wanted to use the big potty like Daddy. And this worked out great.
I wish you the best of luck with this.

My little girl did the same thing. I just kept trying. And it finally clicked. She was very stubborn. I never forced her because I was afraid she would really rebel. One thing that did help is when her little friends would come over and they would go potty I would say, "Do you want to go to the potty with so and so?"(meaning her little friend). This seemed to encourage her because it gave her a little independence and she also related because her little friend was going and wanted to potty like her little friend.

Good luck. Potty training is not easy.

Sincerely,
A.