Should I Postpone Potty Training My Son Because He Has a Broken Arm?

Updated on August 02, 2009
C.D. asks from Saylorsburg, PA
8 answers

My 3 year old DS isn't potty trained yet. He goes to Daycare 3 days a week (M-W-F) and will sit on the potty there and even use it for #1 and #2 - thing is he won't at home. We talk about it - I ask him if he has to go - I ask him if he wants to sit on the potty - I even tried giving him one M&M if he did sit on it. He doesn't mind being wet or dirty. If I didn't notice that he was either he would just go on with his day until I did. A few weeks ago on the weekend I took his diaper off in the morning and put big boy underpants on him. He did have a few accidents (which was to be expected) but didn't seem to get it that he could have gone on the potty. We talk about the potty in a positive way - I ask him if he wants to sit on the potty - I ask him if he has to use potty. Thing is - a week ago he broke his wrist and is now in a cast and it's difficult for him to pull his pants down or even to hoist himself up onto the potty. So here's my question . . . Should I wait until after his cast comes off to attempt potty training again?

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

Don't ask him if he has to go. Keep track of when he last went and then judge from there when you think he should be ready. Then you tell him it's time to try and go potty. You may want to avoid the whole reward system at home if he is going at day care for the simple fact that he's going to eventually feel as though he should be given rewards for it there as well. If rewards are in order, you may want to consider giving him a sticker chart or something to that effect, but I do suggest avoiding the whole candy issue--even if it is just one M&M. I personally would not postpone training with him because he's in the cast. Yes, you will have to help him get on and off the potty as well as help him with his pants, but you may actually undo any progress that you've made with him so far.

Good luck!

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A.K.

answers from Allentown on

last summer i potty train my daughter who too broke her arm i had three pottys one on the porch behind the chair one downstairs and one in her room i took her to the potty every 15 min ( i gave her water down juice) all the time so she had to go i had her trained in three days and i never used pull up just pantys
hopes this helped oh yea i pulled her up and down and in the house i keep her in a long shirt no bottoms

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A.F.

answers from Springfield on

My husband and I potty train our children early - my son was two in May and he just finished potty training. He's not capable yet of getting onto a regular toilet and has to work pretty hard to get his pants down, but since he'll likely pee on the wall without help getting things pointed in the right direction anyway, that's ok, I'll help! If your son were mine, I'd potty train now anyway while it's warm outside and get it over with.

I use cloth diapers, and I know that helps with them knowing when they go. Once we start potty training, diapers are only for bed and only underwear for during the day - even when we go out. I never use pullups - we just take a bag with extra pants/underwear with us until we know accidents aren't likely. Once ready to start, picking a few days you are home all the time for, letting them run around naked for a few days and taking them potty often really helps. High fiber and lots of water help with upping the need to go - and the chance for more successes!

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S.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I agree with Lisa,giving options does not work for us. Everytime I ask if she wants to go she says NO. So dont ask at all the answer will always be the same.

So I recommend pushing through their boundaries that they have set and pushing through your boundaries that you have set.My advice is to keep plugging along unless you
feel once you put him on and he sits there for an hour and doesnt go then its useless but if you continue to put them on they start to get used to it and go reight away especially if he is going already at daycare then he knows he is just trying to get out of going.
Good Luck

D.S.

answers from Allentown on

Hi C.,

Ask the people at the school how they get him to the potty.

They might have some suggestions.

Good luck. D.

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C.H.

answers from Allentown on

don't make it a big deal now might be best to wait for cast off which should only be 5 more weeks max.

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L.T.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I think I would continue with his potty training and just help him with the tasks he needs help with.

Something that worked in my house was making a rule that the kids need to use the potty at certain times during the day - upon waking in the morning, before and after naptime, before leaving the house, etc. My son was pretty easy to train, my daughter was/is not. She will be 4 in a few weeks and is finally warming up to the idea of going potty. For her, letting her know she NEEDS to use the potty but giving options for when to use the potty works better. I guess she needs to feel some control. I might say to her when I wake her in the morning, "It's time to get the day started. Are you going to go potty before getting dressed or after breakfast? Remember - no accidents in your pull-up." I don't necessarily like this plan but she has made good progress with this method compared to telling her when to go. Good luck.

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L.H.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Maybe he is just not ready. Kids reach this developmental stage at different times. It's also a thing a lot of parents boast about, and if your child isn't potty trained yet, they are amazed and make you feel like you aren't doing something right. None of my kids were completely potty trained until 3 and a half or later. But they all eventually were.

If having a broken arm is making it hard for him, maybe you just need to back off on it for awhile and wait until he can do things more easily.

If you want to keep trying, ask the day care what method they use to get him to use the potty. That seems most logical to me.

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