My son is 2 years and 2 months old, and we decided to try potty training. He has been pooping on the potty for about 7 months now, but still pees in his pullup or diaper. So we decided to try to train him to pee in the potty all the time, too. We've been at it for a week and a half now and I'm not sure what to do. I thought he would either catch on and start doing it, or not catch on and we would just wait a little longer. He's somewhere right in the middle. It's a roller coaster ride for sure. Sometimes he does really well and I think he's got it and the next thing I know he has an accident and doesn't say anything about it, and continues to have accidents. It's like he thinks he still has a pullup sometimes. Sometimes he'll just have a small accident and then run in the bathroom to finish, like he realized it too late. If I tell him to go potty he resists me. Sometimes he'll say he has to go, so I say ok, and then he says no and has an accident a few minutes later. It's like a control issue he has with me. It's pretty frustrating. I don't know whether to put him back in pullups and try this again later or keep him in underwear and hope he gets used to it. I don't want to ruin the progress we've made, but I don't want to push him too much either. Oh, and the other thing is he does really well for other people, he will go for anyone else but me if he is asked to. Since I am a SAHM and the one who is with him, it stinks. We've used all sorts of treats and rewards and my husband worked with him... in fact he is the one who got him interested in the first place. No matter how fun and positive I tried to make it for him, he just get's upset with me. Sorry to ramble on, I just wanted to see what you all thought.
Thanks so much for all the responses! We kept at it and it's been almost 3 weeks now. He's doing really well! I elicit help from anyone around me since he resists me but likes to show off for others. He's had two (not consecutive) days with no accidents and other than that maybe one a day. They're never very bad... he catches himself and goes to the potty before he makes a mess everywhere. He's been waking up from his naps dry as well. I really proud of him. He's caught on really well being as young as he is.
Wow! You've gotten every king of advice so far! I agree that you should take a deep breath and think about what you can live with. Can you go back? Keep pushing forward? How are feeling about washing all that underwear? Or spending the money on pull-ups? A good friend once told me, "find a level of guilt you are comfortable with and live there."
They all get it eventually, you just have to think how crazy you will end up when it's over!:)
I also potty trained my boys in the summer- they liked to be outside and it was easy for them... It may be difficult to do this if you are in apartments, but if you are in a house with a yard it isn't so bad- My yard isn't fenced, but they go behind the tree usually- plus generally people understand.
With my oldest we used pullups for awhile, partly because of a bowel issue-but the ones that have the designs that fade when you are wet work good for "proving" to them they are wet when they want to say no...
Sometimes it just takes a while--you are really lucky to have a boy who is already doing so well at this age. I haven't started training my son yet (he's 19 months) but all the stories I have heard from friends with boys, and the experience I have had from working many years in daycare, is that most boys potty train later. (I have known many that were 3 1/2 or so). Just keep encouraging him. He'll get it. Have you tried putting targets or cheerios in the potty for him to aim at? Or have you gotten a special seat that goes on the big potty so he can go there, instead of on the training potty? Sometimes that helps.
He is very young still. He very well probably doesn't understand the urge to pee. Pooping is a whole different sensation and you typically can feel that coming before peeing. Give him time. If you push him it will backfire on you. Keep him in pullups until he has the feelings down and is more able to do it himself. I did pullups at first with both of my kids and they lessen the stress for mommy and child. Neither of my kids were potty trained until around 3 though. I think 26 mos is very young especially for a boy. The best thing you can dot is continue to take him to the potty when you can don't ask him if he has to go, just set him on the potty ever few hours. He will get it, just be patient and let him decide. I think most moms will tell you if you wait for them to figure it out and in their time then it is done 100% and no regression.
Hang in there
If your husband was the on to help him in the first place it may be that he wants to be like daddy. (standing) They sell really cool urinals for little boys. Just do a web search or Wal-Mart has one called the Peter Potty. You fill the top with water and then when they're done going they flush it at the end of the day or what ever empty out the reserve. I also know that there are some out there that attach to the toilet. Just an idea
Keep him out of pull-ups. Pull ups mask the wetness and won't help him know the difference. You may have him help clean up the puddles. I know that doesn't sound fun but makes him responsible and he probably won't like it too much. Good luck.
Be patient. Take a deep breath. My daughter was 2 1/2 before she finally decided she was going to be consistent. Within 3 days she was trained. You can't make them ready before they feel ready themselves. I had one boy potty train at 3 and the other at 2 and 2 months. My daughter had difficulty realizing how to control the muscles to pee. The fact that your boy is doing anything in the potty is great! Realize that he will do things on his own schedule and not another child's. Hang in there, it WILL happen!
I would say that you are doing good and try to stick with it. I know that in the summer I taught my boys to pee on a tree in the yard. This was so much fun to them that they couldn't wait to do it. This kept them thinking about it and started just doing it in the toilet in the house. I know that it is frustrating, but another option is to put cherio's or fruit loops in the toilet and have them try to aim through the holes. I would not tell him to go to the bathroom, but rather think of games to make it fun. If you regress it will just make things harder down the line. Try not to get stressed out about it as much as possible. If he wets his underware I would make him clean himself up and deal with the wet underware. This will teach him that there is cause and effect and that he does have control of the situation. Control of the situation is power and youngester love to know that they do have power over things. Good Luck!!!
I would pray and ask God for wisdom. It sounds like (in part)it is a control//rebellious act for him not to obey you and do what you ask. My 14 month old understands a lot more than I give him credit for and I'm sure a 2 year old understands completely what is going on. I don't have much advice for you. You are the parent and with that the authority. If you ask your kiddo to do something its not unreasonable to expect them to do it as long as it's in their capacity to do. That's what makes this situation tough b/c it's hard to tell sometimes what kidos are capable of. You could maybe have Dad work with him one day and see how many accidents there are and that would tell you if he can do it he just chooses not to with you. I don't know if that makes sense. We obviously haven't hit that age yet but I would test him to see what he's capable of w/Dad or others and then I think you'd feel more confident in requiring the same behavior from you.
