Potty Training / Sharing

I agree with Theresa, my son showed no interest in potty trainging till he was almost three. When he finally did want to use the potty, I set aside one day where we stayed home all day. I put regular underwear on him and the potty in the livingroom. I kept asking him if he had to pee every 20 minutes or so. The first time, he wet himself without using the potty. The 2nd time, he used the potty but did not pull his underwear down. And the 3rd time, he used the potty and
pulled his own underwear down! That day I told him that I threw his diapers away and he was fine with it. Not sure if that will work for you, I just thought I'd share what I did.
The sharing thing will eventually come, just be patient.
Good luck and God bless!

This sounds very typical of this age. Sharing doesn't become more of an easy thing until about age 3, and my boys didn't potty train until after they were 3 as well.

You can play "taking turn" games with your son to start teaching him about sharing. "Turns" with a toy might just be 15 seconds for you, then 30 seconds for your son...back and forth, then gradually lengthen the turns.

For pottying, keep a potty chair around, talk about it. Let your son see you and his dad pottying. He will eventually want to try. I HATE "Pull Ups"--they just feel like diapers to kids, so I just don't see how they encourage potty training. My 4th child actually called them diapers. I did use them at night with my kids until they were night trained--but not in the daytime. Everytime my hubby would try to use them in the daytime our kids would regress.

Jenn
www.BabyBodyBirth.com

This all sounds like typical 2yo behavior! You've gotten some great advice - teaching him what TO do, taking turns, etc. When you're trying these suggestions, remember that he won't necessarily change right away. It takes lots of repetition and practice, so be sure to praise him anytime he does something right.

As for potty training, perhaps taking his diaper off is his way of telling you he's getting ready. What would happen if you let him run around the house w/ no diaper for a day? I've done this w/ my boys when they were PT'ing and almost every time they go on the potty. Sure, there were a couple messes on the floor, but they were no worse than what my dogs did when they were puppies! You could also let him wear underwear and see what happens. I agree that pull-ups are a waste.
Good luck!

I guess it is a common conception that children should be potty trained at two years old. However, my children were not interested until they were three. In fact, they were both trained 1 month after their third birthday.
I tried everything to get them to go on the potty. I was convinced that they were never going to go to school, because they were not potty trained yet.
All children are different and each child goes to the potty in his own time.
Good luck!

Your son may not be ready for potty training yet but some things you can do to get him interested and assess his readiness is putting him on a potty, reading books/watching videos about going potty, when your husband goes to the bathroom have him take your son along. Also watch for signs that your son is having wetting or messing in his diaper (facial expressions, hiding in a corner, etc) and put him on the potty to do his business. Don't get too upset about accidents or him not being ready. That will put stress on both of you and then you won't make any progress.

As far as the sharing and being rough with your daughter...using a stern voice as well as time outs has worked well for my son. Show him how to be gentle with his sister and how to share toys and take turns. Be sure to praise him when he does the right thing. Also be sure to set a good example with your own actions. I've noticed my son immitates a lot of my behavior. For example, when I go to the kitchen I'll ask my kids and my husband if they need a drink or snack. My son now will now announce that he is going to get a toy and asks if we would also like one? he isn't a little gentleman all the time, but is mostly well-behaved.

No 2 year old that I know of *likes* to share. I don't even know if they're capable of the concept just yet. You've surely read the "rules of toddlers" before, right? The one that goes, "If I see it, it's mine, if I want it, it's mine, if you have it and I want it, it's mine, etc."? It's funny to read, but based in fact.

What I'd do is focus on what you WANT him to do. Instead of telling him, "Don't push the baby down!" encourage him to, "Be sweet to your sister, help her walk, share with her,etc." The subconcious mind is incapable of processing negatives - for example, if I tell you, "Whatever you do right now, do NOT under any circumstances think of a red elephant!" - oops! Bet a red elephant image popped into your head, right? Well, the same with toddlers - if you say, "Don't slam the door!" all they hear is "Slam the door" But if you say, "Please shut the door gently, like this..." and show them, you're more likely to get a positive result (although it may take several times of showing them how TO do it, it's still better than focusing on what NOT to do).

As for potty training, you don't really explain much about that. He is probably pulling his diaper off b/c he can. If that's the case, try to find a way to keep it on (assuming it's clean) using onesies or putting plastic pants on over it. Most boys take longer to potty train - my first son had zero interest and wasn't trained until he was 3 years old, so there's no rush until he IS ready.