Having trouble with potty training (learning)...

[boopie2001]

I'm in the process (again) of trying to help my twins learn to use the potty. I am having a difficult time with it. My twins are 2.5 years old and they both a little strong-willed. For quite a while I could not get them to sit on the potty, but now I able to get them to sit on it for a little while.

Here is my problem...I can get my daughter to sit on the potty sometimes but I can get her to pee or poop in it. She will not go in it. I have tried running a little water from the faucet. I've also tried letting her splash her hands in some water while she is on the potty. I have tried M&Ms, cookies, hugs and praise. I tried modeling (going with them) and taking their diapers to the toilet to dump the contents in (while them watch). Nothing.

She has peed in her potty 2 times and her brother has peed and pooped twice (they have had their potties for over 8 months).

I tried to get them to use the potty in the morning when they get up in the morning. He diapers are usually dry in morning but she still will not pee in her potty. Two days ago, I bought a cheap Baby Alive to show her. My husband thought I was crazy. Has anyone had any success using a doll?

Can anyone give any other tips? Right now they are using Baby Bjorn potty chairs.

Thanks for any help.

[meemee]

first question - why do you want them to learn how to use the potty?

i also think 2 1/2 is a little too young to insist that they 'get' it. esp. since you have tried so many different things.

the thing is two things need to be ready for them to PT. one is their own physical body readiness. the other is their own mental readiness.

i would back off and not focus on it anymore. give them a little space.

the best way i have found is letting them go naked. let them have accidents and they will figure it out from there.

however i really do think backing off is your best tactic right now.

[JBaxter]

What has worked for me is a week of naked. Ive only done boys ( and one at a time )
Bottomless or naked lots of liquids and incentives. I kept a potty in what ever room we were in. For the first 3 or 4 days you cant let them out of your sight. I set a timer for every 30 minutes until they peed and hour / hour & half if they did. As much juice, water , milk smooties etc. as tehy want. When the timer went off I would say "potty time" not ask just announce and go try to pee/poo. I gave one chocolate chip for trying, 2 m&m's for peeing and a hershey kiss for pooping. After a few days we would go out for short trips just after peeing.
Once we started we did not re diaper daytimes. Its worked for me 3 times my sister 2x and my niece. All of them were out of day time diapers before 2 1/2

[SparklingGemini]

Are they still in their diapers?

You might want to get them out of their diapers and into something where they can feel the wetness.

It may not be that they are strong-willed or don't WANT to eliminate on the potty chair. It may be that they simply do not recognize how to release and go.

So, if you allow them to have a few accidents, and proceed to take them to the potty immediately after, it helps to build the recognition between the sensation of needing to go, going and getting wet.

2.5 is definitely not too early.

[boopie2001]

First of all, thank for your replies.

I don't think 2.5 is necessarily too young to start. There are many children how are "potty training" earlier than that. I guess it really depends on the child.

My daughter does tend to be quite resistant to new things, so I am trying to get around that at the moment. I have backed off twice (I approached it around their 2nd birthday (last May) and then around Oct./Nov. I have tried now to put too much pressure on them.

My son has a problem with staying focus right now so it is hard for him to sit on the potty for very long. I also have a hard time speaking to him and getting him to follow directions because of his extremely short attention span. Hopefully he will grow out of this.

I will try to incorporate more nakedtime. I had to limit it because the extreme cold weather we've had lately. Our house stayed cold even with the heater on. Hopefully things will warm up a little more.

Thanks for the help.

[AustinMom]

Originally Posted by boopie2001

First of all, thank for your replies.

I don't think 2.5 is necessarily too young to start. There are many children how are "potty training" earlier than that. I guess it really depends on the child.

My daughter does tend to be quite resistant to new things, so I am trying to get around that at the moment. I have backed off twice (I approached it around their 2nd birthday (last May) and then around Oct./Nov. I have tried now to put too much pressure on them.

My son has a problem with staying focus right now so it is hard for him to sit on the potty for very long. I also have a hard time speaking to him and getting him to follow directions because of his extremely short attention span. Hopefully he will grow out of this.

I will try to incorporate more nakedtime. I had to limit it because the extreme cold weather we've had lately. Our house stayed cold even with the heater on. Hopefully things will warm up a little more.

Thanks for the help.

You are so right, 2.5 is NOT too young. My son is 18 mo and potty trained. I believe it's your job as a parent to teach them the potty, not wait for them to notice it. That's my opinion

Yes, diaperless is a good idea. That's what I did. With twins, I can see it harder. I took the first couple hours of the morning diaperless, and gradually, extended that. maybe spend the first half of day with one diaperless and second half the other if you don't want to do them at the same time. If it's cold, put them in socks and slippers and long sleeves, just their bottoms naked.

Also, i don't know if you keep the potties in the bathroom like most people, but that to me doesn't work as well. Yes it can work, but it can be harder. Keep the potties where they are most of the day. With us, it was in the living room. Once he understood that he was to go potty in the potty, we slowly moved it further and further down the hall to the bathroom.

If focus is the problem, find their favorite snack (Liam's was raisins) and let him eat as much as they want as long as they sit on the potty.

I have never used a doll. So I don't know much about that. But I will ask, did they "pick" their own potties? If not, that may be a good idea to go to the store and have them pick out which potties they want, and have them "promise" to use them. I have the froggy potty from target/walmart ($12) and it's great, easy to clean, and with little boys, no sprays over the top. They have ones for little girls and boys. If you don't want to buy a new potty, may go to the store and have them pick out underwear. And tell them, when they wear their underwear, they don't potty in them.

It takes patience no matter when or how you do it. hang in there, they won't be pooping and peeing in their pant/on the floor when they are 30, so you only have about 27 more years!! LOL. Seriously, that helped me, I knew this was only going to be a time in parenting, and wouldn't last forever.

[Neera]

Originally Posted by boopie2001

I will try to incorporate more nakedtime. I had to limit it because the extreme cold weather we've had lately. Our house stayed cold even with the heater on. Hopefully things will warm up a little more.

Thanks for the help.

We did naked time too but, having her in pants works better for us and certainly was the only option in the cold. We use zipper, button free pants that dd can pull up and down herself if she wants to. if she has accidents or we need to change the pants because of some other reason, juice spill or food on her clothes and we've gone thru all (haven't yet) I am planning to use her pjs.

[ZippyGirl]

I am totally embarrassed to admit this, but *the* trick that worked for us was letting dd watch this video on my iPhone while on the potty:

Shimajiro, the Toilet-Training Tiger, at home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW0H2...eature=related

Shimajiro, the Toilet-Training Tiger, using a public toilet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVk7g...eature=related

Shimajiro was like her new hero! Hey, when you're desperate...

[azzeps]

ZippyGirl, that was hilarious!!! I'm going to use those for sure!

OP, I know this would probably be hard with 2, but maybe... if they are using potty chairs now, maybe a potty ring on the big toilet would be better. Now I haven't started any serious training with my daughter yet, but when we have had "potty time" on the big potty, she stays on there longer than she does on the little potty chair. Mainly because she can't get down as easily, but also because I think the potty ring on the big toilet is more comfortable. The potty chair we have is the cheapie little one from IKEA and to me it really doesn't look all that comfortable. She tends to pop up from it too quickly and say, "I'm done" when she really hasn't sat very long.

Good luck!