Potty Training

Contributor: unfulfilled unfulfilled
I have two boys and the oldest was potty trained right after he turned 2, but my youngest is 2 1/2 and no matter what I do doesn't want to potty train. Are there any suggestions on how to get this strong willed boy of mine to give it up and go potty like the rest of us. He has a potty chair and potty seat that goes onto the normal toilet. He knows when he needs to go,but just won't go for me.
10/16/2011
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Contributor: Bignuf Bignuf
Quote:
Originally posted by unfulfilled
I have two boys and the oldest was potty trained right after he turned 2, but my youngest is 2 1/2 and no matter what I do doesn't want to potty train. Are there any suggestions on how to get this strong willed boy of mine to give it up and go ... more
Honest...bring out the secret weapon..the M & M. Yes, it is there, in your hand. The SINGLE glorious M & M and it gets "eaten" ONLY...only...ONLY if he uses the potty.

Kids and puppies both respond to positive TREAT reinforcement SO well.

Our preschool gets permission from parents for specifically this technique at the beginning of each school year. It works. They buy a 2 pound bag of
M & M plain, and a bunch of those tiny paper "sample cups", preloaded with a single M&M each, in the class-rooms, just for that reason!!!
10/16/2011
Contributor: Beck Beck
Quote:
Originally posted by Bignuf
Honest...bring out the secret weapon..the M & M. Yes, it is there, in your hand. The SINGLE glorious M & M and it gets "eaten" ONLY...only...ONLY if he uses the potty.

Kids and puppies both respond to positive TREAT ... more
This has not worked for me. I have a son who is going to be 3 next month still not potty trained. He will go #1 on the potty but that is it. They do it when they do it. The cheerios in the potty does help with that. That is it though, so far for me.
10/16/2011
Contributor: - Kira - - Kira -
Quote:
Originally posted by Beck
This has not worked for me. I have a son who is going to be 3 next month still not potty trained. He will go #1 on the potty but that is it. They do it when they do it. The cheerios in the potty does help with that. That is it though, so far for me.
M&M's don't work with my little boy either. He will be 3 in November and still nothing. He's the type that will pick something up quick...when he's darn well ready. I wish I had something to tell you but I'm in the same boat! I've tried EVERYTHING! I've tried letting him run around in regular underwear hoping that he would notice when he peed and would be unhappy with the result. I've tried sitting him on the potty every few hours. I've tried treats. He's just not ready I think. I'm waiting for him to be able to tell us when he uses the bathroom ("Mommy I peed!") in his diapers and then we will try again. Until then, we are holding off. I feel like if we push it too much it will just make it worse.
10/16/2011
Contributor: Tuesday Tuesday
M&Ms don't work with strong willed kids. When my son was 2 1/2 or 3 he declared that he was done with diapers. And he succeeded in staying dry and making it to the bathroom on time. I was elated. Then I miscarried and toilet training went out the window. I had to wait another year before he was willing.

I had tried different things to encourage him to re-embrace using the toilet, but in reality all I could do was wait until he was ready. My pediatrician assured me that no non-retarded children go to kindergarten in diapers.

By the time he finally was using the toilet I was ready to stand on our balcony and yell out to the neighbors "He peed in the toilet!"
10/16/2011
Contributor: CSEA CSEA
Quote:
Originally posted by unfulfilled
I have two boys and the oldest was potty trained right after he turned 2, but my youngest is 2 1/2 and no matter what I do doesn't want to potty train. Are there any suggestions on how to get this strong willed boy of mine to give it up and go ... more
Consistency. You need to regulate the time. There are little gadgets to help make this easier such as kid watches that have a timer or little clock. And take him to the bathroom every like 20/30 (depending on the child) to the bathroom. If you give hm a watch and make him the potty police he make feel in charge, which even grown men like to think they are. Keep doing this and eventually this should work.

I work with students with exceptionalities and we have done this several time in smaller time increments and it has proven effective. the key is consistency because after long time gaps, they loose focus on what needs to get done..

Also, they may tell you no they dont need to go and such but pull him there and leave him there till he goes. This is a fight for who has the trophy right now mom or him... Good Luck!
10/16/2011
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by unfulfilled
I have two boys and the oldest was potty trained right after he turned 2, but my youngest is 2 1/2 and no matter what I do doesn't want to potty train. Are there any suggestions on how to get this strong willed boy of mine to give it up and go ... more
I've taught a number of kids to use the potty, including all three of my own. The absolute youngest a child can learn potty use is about 2.5 years. It's rare for a child to actually have the muscle control, the will power and the ability to relate his desire to use the potty before the event happens before then.

If "nothing works" simply wait at least 2 to 3 months and then try again, gently. NO FOOD REWARDS! I don't think normal behaviors like learning to use the toilet should be tied to food rewards, nor do I think food should be a reward for ANYTHING. It only leads to overeating and obesity. Kids should eat when they are hungry, have sweet limited and learn the potty organically.

Some Good tips, Or how to tell when he is ready:

~He will go at least FOUR hours without wetting his diaper consistently, every day.

~He can tell you the difference between "wet" and "dry" and can say them clearly.

~He can pull down and take off his own pants. He can also pull up and put on his own pants.

~He wakes up dry at least half of the time.

~He hides to poop. (That means he knows it's coming.)

If ALL he hasn't developed these behaviors yet, he isn't ready to use the potty.

WHEN all those things are being done, THEN get rid of all paper diapers, Pulls Ups, Good Nights or anything else that doesn't feel "WET" when they are peed into. You can save diapers for at night, but once he is going pee in the potty at least a few times a day, put him in cloth underpants. Kids have NO impetus to learn to use the toilet if it's comfortable to sit in super absorbent diapers that don't FEEL WET! Why use the potty when Pull Ups are so easy?

When a toddler has on cloth underpants and he wets himself, the pee runs down his leg, his pants FEEL WET, it's sticky, it smells bad, and it's downright unpleasant! "Hey, this sucks to have wet pants. I'll go to the potty next time."

In Pull Ups, he wets his pants and is as dry and comfy as if he has dry pants. His thought processes are, "So what? I'm comfortable. She'll change me later."

THIS ONLY WORKS though, if he's ready to use the potty. Most kids really aren't until after the third birthday!
10/16/2011
Contributor: JessCee JessCee
Quote:
Originally posted by P'Gell
I've taught a number of kids to use the potty, including all three of my own. The absolute youngest a child can learn potty use is about 2.5 years. It's rare for a child to actually have the muscle control, the will power and the ability to ... more
.... this is why I you, P'Gell. Not only are you completely right and do I agree with you 100%, but you put it in such an easy way to understand!
10/16/2011
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
A friend of mine has a lovely son who is 3 years and 8 months old, who still only pees in the potty erratically and waits until he's in the tub to take a dump.

She goes out all day long, despite knowing she needs to stay home for at least a week solid to complete the potty learning process, she gives him an ice cream bar or candy every time he does makes it to the potty, she REFUSES to give up the Pull Ups and paper diapers.

He's getting close to four and still doesn't use the potty regularly. It's becoming a Power Struggle between the two of them (Did I mention she "started potty training" right after his 2nd birthday?) A lack of consistency on her part: the constant "field trips" out every single day and not concentrating on the task at hand, because he DOES fill all the criteria for being mature enough to use the potty, plus insisting on using comfy Pull Ups that don't feel fully wet is sabotaging him. He isn't even allowed into a regular pre-school program because he is still fighting her about the toilet.

Trying too hard, not being consistent, using food rewards and using absorbent paper diapers are the main reasons so many kids of pre-school age are not going to the toilet when they are fully able to.
10/16/2011
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by JessCee
.... this is why I you, P'Gell. Not only are you completely right and do I agree with you 100%, but you put it in such an easy way to understand!
Thanks, sweetie.
10/16/2011
Contributor: karay123 karay123
I did 3 day PT with my daughter.

Day 1: no panties or pants. Long shirt/dress and babylegs. It took until 7pm for her to use the potty.

Day 2: same

Day 3: Enter the underwear.

I couldve used another day for her to practice taking pants down too but she eventually got it.

Good luck!
10/16/2011