Potty Training Help - Milford, MI

Hi K.-
I just want to let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel. My daughter did the exact same thing at 2. She talked about the potty all the time once in a while she would go on the potty I put her in a pull-up but that was too much like a diaper. I finally decided to put her in big girl panties. We would go through at least 8 pair of panties a day it was very frustrating but I knew I had to stick with it I was so tired of washing panties but, she also didn't like it when her pretty panties would get wet. Anyways to get to my suggestion I made her a sticker chart and put it on the back of the bathroom door. What kid doesn't like stickers! Every time she went pee-pee on the potty she got to pick what sticker she wanted to put on. In just about a week we were all good going on the potty and maybe had an accident here or there. Well I hope my suggestion helps. Good Luck!!
L. A.

Try getting rid of the diapers completely and going with pullups at nap and night time... keep her panties on, but put on the pullups over the panties, so as not to confuse her. Otherwise, I think everything you are doing is great and she'll be 100% trained in no time.

I have heard of people who have made the little ones stay in the wet pants for a few min. just to make them NOT LIKE THE FEELING and then change them. It would only take a couple times of them NOT LIKING THE WET FEELING, and then they go on the chair.

My six year old was the same way. Keep at trying to get her to understand that the undies are undies. At night the dipers are dipers. She should pick it up in the end. Hang in there, have alot of clothes on hand she will get it in the end mine did.

look for littlest signals that she has to go (a leg shaking, a little twitch, etc.), and tell her to go. She needs the attention that she got from you when she WAS going on the potty. And she is still young, so she needs to be reminded that she has to go. If it's been a little while since she went, tell her she needs to go try. I think she'll have a lot less accidents. My daughter was the same way. She still has an accident once in a while (she's 4), but it will get better.

Hi K.,

My little girl is 3 now. When she started to show interest in potty training we started. I put the undies on the first thing. The pull ups are just a glorified diaper to me. Yes, she had accidents but she is doing well. The only problem we have is the pooping. She has the idea but just won't go in the potty. I think the undies kinda gets them used to what they will be wearing for a life time. They wash too.

Just hold in there and they will eventually do what they are supposed to do. We only use diapers at night time.

Hope this will help some. You get all kinds of advice. Just go with what you feel is right!!

M. H.

Hi K.,

Wow, you should be very proud of yourself and your daughter, you are doing great. My oldest daugher who is now almost 14 years old potty trained early (about 22 months old). While I understand that you would like your daughter to wear the cute panties, because you are putting diapers on her at bedtime and on long trips, she may be getting confused. After all at 23 months children usually are limited in their cognitive reasoning. Also, you have been letting her run around with out anything restricting her from being able to handle toileting independently, and she may unable to pull the panties down. I think if it were me I would spend some time teaching her how to pull her pants up and down. You know, I just thought that since she is already able to tell when she has to go potty, that maybe instead of diapers at night you would try sending her to bed in her panties and use an incomp pad on her bed, so that she gets used to feeling the sensation of when she has to go in the middle of the night.

I hope this is of some help to you. I will be praying for you, as potty training can frustrate even the most patient parents. Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalms 127:3

Blessings,
M.

A little about me: I am a full time homemaker, and school teacher to my two beautiful girls ages 10 and nearly 14 years old. I am married to a wonderful, godly man who is my best friend and my greatest fan.

In my opinion, she's too young and you could be "potty training" for at least 6 months or even longer. I have twins (boy/girl) and I waited until they were almost 3 to even think about potty training. I started training my daughter first and after 3 days, she wasn't having accidents. It took my son about 3 weeks. I waited until they were older because I wanted to make sure it was time and they were completely ready. I didn't want to be potty training for months and months. Good luck!

My daughter will be 2 in 2 weeks and we started potty training about a month ago. We had a similar problem at first where she would start to go in her underwear...I was able to say "wait" or "stop" and she would then run to the potty and finish. She's doing great now with a few relapses of course. We were in diapers most of last week b/c we were both sick...but she's doing great again this week (we have had a few times she's peed on the floor). Ok, sorry...I'm rambling... We use pull ups when we go out during the day and call them "special princess underwear" she has definitely figured out she can pee in them, but I'm ok with that at this point b/c I'm pregnant and I don't think I could get her to the bathroom fast enough...

One thing I tried when she was starting to go in her underwear was using a panty liner in her underwear. I know it sounds crazy, but it was just enough that she would feel it in time and stop it and go to the potty, but it would absorb a little so I wouldn't have so much clean up. We only used them about 2 or 3 days. During that time we made a big deal about not getting "George" or "Elmo" wet...whatever charater she was wearing. We would say, oh, now Elmo's sad b/c he's all wet and he needs to go in the laundry. Elmo doesn't like to be wet. I also showed her my underwear and she would help me put it on in the morning (a little strange I know) but I would talk about how I don't get my underwear wet...and I let her watch me "go potty" and we would clap etc.

I hope some of this helps...if even to know your daughter is NOT too young to be potty training if she's showing signs. Just keep reminding yourself how much you're saving on diapers by starting early...it may be longer till she's accident free, but just keep encouraging her and she'll get there! Good luck!

I know it's very frustrating but maybe she associates the diaper as security (like a blanket). If she does good with the diaper ween her out of it. Try using rewards ($1 store) Tell her if she wears her big girl panties all day you'll give her a piece of candy or a toy. Then work on two days then three etc... Tell her if she goes all week she will get a big girl toy. It takes time but I did this with stars on a calender (visual) it works but it take patience. Good luck!

Hi K. My daughter is the same age and does the exact same thing!!! If she has nothing on she uses her potty but as soon as the panties are on its all over with!!! So If you get any ideas please pass them on and i will do the same!! until then good luck!!

Based on the experience of two daughters, I would say she is to young. However, I have a ton of cousins (I think there are now 30 and I'm the second oldest) and have seen them potty train at different times - so to young and really old doesn't really work for me. They potty train when they potty train. With that said, I have to wonder if your daughter is equating the panties to diapers and therefore finds it okay to pee in them, until it feels different and makes a mess. Her mind is young, making associations is harder. If she doesn't have anything on she knows it. You need to help her make that association that panties are not diapers - show her how you wear them and pee in the toilet. Continue to work with her, don't give up.

K., I haven't had this problem boefore I think I wouldjsut take the underwear away and give her the choice of diapers ro nightgowns and nothing or cover her underwear with a diaper so she can't "see" it until she decides to go again, but that may be too much pressure...

S.

K., congratulations to you and your husband on your precious little girl.

You seem to be doing a good job. Keep up the good work! Continue putting her big girl panties on in the day time and diapers on nap time and at night. Potty training takes time, so as I said before be patient and consistent.
Much success to you on your potty training endeavor.
Be patient and consistent.

My daughter was 26 months when we potty trained. She had been showing us for months that she was ready to start the process. I work full time so I took advantage of having a week off around the holidays to start training and it worked great! We woke up Christmas Day and she started wearing underwear (same characters as you bought your daughter). It was very hard that first week (mostly for the parents) but she got it and would tell us potty and rarely had an accident. Everything was wonderful....until the past few weeks. She is now 29 months and she started going in her underwear and then would tell us WET and run to the bathroom to finish in the toilet. She went from telling us every time she had to go to now occasionally telling us and having 3 pairs of wet underwear a day. However I will not go back to diapers, yes they are young but going back to diapers would be horrible after getting this far. We have started to ask her every 30-60 minutes like we did when she was first training and giving high praise when she does go. Nothing has changed in her life so I assume this set back is normal for some children and we will just ride it out and keep asking and praising until she gets over this phase. Good luck!