Potty Training a Scare

Hope you'll listen to a grandmother -- kids' biological needs haven't changed that much since my older daughter was born in 1967!

We tried potty training her when she was just over two years old, and as successful as it was, it was always MY idea to "go." So I told her that she could wear diapers until she decided she wanted to be a big girl. Then I found out I was pregnant and would deliver just before the older daughter's birthday. Shortly after the younger's birth, she decided she could be a big girl now that she's a big sister!

I promise you: she will not walk down the aisle in her wedding wearing diapers!!

Grandma Barb

what ever you do...don't force her or try to push to hard...it'll make her fear worse. just set the potty out and let her explore it when she's ready. also, let her watch you when you go to the potty, let her hand you the t.p. and if she want's, let her flush when you're done. it's has really helped with my daughter. she'll use the the potty when she's ready, so jsut be patient

Do you have a child-sized potty? Maybe that would help. You could even let her help you pick it out at the store, then she'd have more ownership.

Hi K.
I taught my daughter by pertending to set on my toilet.
It seem to help her see I was not afraid.

Hope it gave you an idea Vicki

don't push her. Just leave the potty out and ask her every now and then if she wants to go. But don't force her. Let her come to it. maybe offer some stickers or a reward to sweeten the deal. Also let her come in and watch mommy go potty (as weird as that is) and let her flush the potty. my son gets a kick out of the flushing part :)

My granddaughter was afraid of the potty as well, and refused to sit on it. My daughter bought a seat that sits on top of the toilet and she used that. She had seen us sitting on it, and I think that she thought that was a normal thing to do. She never used a potty at all.

My daughter went with me everytime I went to the bathroom and I made a big deal out of it...like I was excited for myself. She would clap and carry on until she was ready to try it. It didn't take long from there.

It can be overwhelming; they are learning SO much at this age. Try to make this a fun experience for her.

she is only 2. give her time. she will train when she is ready. the more you push, the worse it will get.

Don't worry, my 4 year old son still has trouble of the potty, pooping, don't force it or it will make it worse, I have made that mistake, do potty charts, rewards, don't get onto her, I made that mistake too, I am a peds nurse and I have heard it all from our doctors. Good luck it just takes time. J.

Yeah, she's only two. I didn't train mine until she was 3. And she was scare of the potty also. I'd get her to just sit on it with the lid closed (with her clothes on) for 3 seconds and cheer like crazy. Next time longer, for a day. Next day maybe open the lid, with clothes still on, and same thing... ANd charts... Then then next step was harder since the clothes had to come down but it just meant more creative and cheering and jumping around. BUT as you have heard every child it different. When she'd sit on the potty we started the sticker chart. Every time she sat on the potty for an amount of time she got to put a sticker on the chart, if she dribbled in the potty she got to put a sticker on the chart and so on. But she still wet her big girls. I felt lost. I let her pick out the big girls and all that. Then I read on-line that if you just stop taking them every 15 minutes or so and LET them wet in the big girls they learn faster. WOW! First time she had this look of "what just happened, get these off of me" then the second time she almost made it to the potty. Only took a day that way. The other way took two weeks. Maybe it was both ways that taught her. But the wetting the big girls you could see really hit home. She wanted to keep them dry. I don't know it this would help or not. But like the others... Don't stress. I know it's hard not to. Good Luck.

V. (SAHM of Two)

www.Craftlister.com/ValerieAltman
("ndle Creater")

Is she showing any signs of being ready? If she is afraid of the potty, she's probably not. Does she have her own little potty or are you trying to train her straight to tbe big one? Both of my boys preferred the little seat that fit on the big potty, but my neice learned on a potty chair, so you kind of got to let them pick their own method of training. Let the potty training go for a month or two and try again, but make sure to take cues from her. Positive reinforcement works wonders, but it's not going to do anything if she feels like she's being forced.

I have learned that this is a rollar coaster. My daughter will turn 3 next month. I started stressing the potty about 4-5 months ago. For a long time she wouldn't sit on it. Then she would sit on it, but only with her clothes on. Then she seen that it was ok and started letting me pull her pants down and sitting on it. She wouldn't use it thought. One Night she sat on it so long she had the imprint of it on her bottom. She wouldn't get off it. The funny thing is that she sat there for so long and then got up ran down the hall and pee'd in the floor. I started buying pull-ups and telling her they were to help her use the potty. After about a month she finally pee'd. Then it was hit and miss for a few weeks. But I really stressed about it. And then one day I just said the heck with it she will do it when she is ready. She won't go to kindergarden in diapers. So I basically stopped talking about it and then she started wanting to do it. So now I have bought panties which she calls "big girl panties" and let her wear them at home. She loves to wear them and keeps them dry. She has some accidents. Our hurdle though is getting her to poop in the potty. She still won't do that much. But I don't stress it. She will do it when she is ready. Also I think what has helped is that I put her in daycare about the same time I started trying to potty train. She is an only child right now and seeing the other kids use the potty has encouraged her to do it. Good luck!

I myself have just started potty training my second son. He was scared of it too, because he had a rash and his bum was sore. But as soon as I talked him into sitting down by saying it won't hurt, he accepted it and stayed on the potty.
Right now, I would just sit her on it when you go potty with her clothes and diaper on. Slowly transition to her sitting on the potty with her diaper on, then without a diaper. See if that works. Good luck!

I have a 4 year old daughter and soon to be 3 year old in daycare. My daugther was not pottying til she was around 2 1/2 year old. Having her watch the other children at school helped alot. She also began to fight going to the potty shortly after learning - especially with BM. I discovered that the noise of the potty flushing and the cold seat would make her uncomfortable. She could not handle the flushing and would not go at all. In fact, my daughter up until 3 years 8 months would not poopie on the potty and would only find comfort doing so in a diaper. The process would overwelm her. We reached out for help from occupational therapist and her fear has begun to subside. My son has some similar behavior. My son is now taking interest in the potty and I hope he will be trained by September - 3rd bday.
Both of my children are extremely smart and active. They have sensory integration disorder. Potty trainning with my daughter was one of the challenges of 4 which gave us insight into needing an evaluation. Neither her doctor or teachers in daycare knew or understood sensory integration disorder. Not all children have the same needs.
What I have learned is not to sweat it. Be patient and grow with their needs. They will respond - I promise!

Hi, one thing that worked great for me was a smaller seat that sits right on top of the normal toilet, this way they're using the same toilet as you. I also told my kids that mr.toilet is hungry and thirsty and we need to feed him, hahahaha, I know it sounds gross but they loved feeding mr.toilet(mr.toilette only eats poopies and peepee's) :)

Another trick that worked with my oldest who was a really hard one to potty train was getting one of those dolls that actually pee's and then you have her teach her dolly how to use the potty and everytime the dolly uses the potty like a big girl it gets a big celebration with blowers and party hats...then when they've taught the dolly how to go they feel like big girls and want to do it themselves.
One key thing thats very important is not getting angry when they make mistakes, and to really celebrate the positive things they do...
I hope this helps

E.