Mandatory potty time?

[barefootmama0709]

So, Canaan and I are currently potty-learning. He is very into it (Cars undies help) and we have been having some success. He usually goes to the potty in the AM if he needs to pee and pees right in it with no reminding. However, I have begun noticing that he always pees while sitting in his booster for lunch, so today I made him sit on the potty before lunch. It worked-he peed in the potty and did not have his usual accident in his chair. I'm wondering-should I continue the mandatory potty thing for awhile or will it be more harmful than helpful in the long run? (I'm mostly worried that he won't learn to read his body's cues if I'm the one telling him when he has to pee). What are other's experiences??

[hotharmony]

Not my personal experience but my mom just had us sit on the pot every two hours throughout the day to try. I don't really see any harm in catching it if you know its probably going to happen.

[SallyN]

Totally appropriate (IMO)... you're helping him identify patterns and make the connection between the sensation of a bladder not-yet-bursting and going to the bathroom to empty it.

I would talk to him while you sit him on the toilet... explain that you've noticed that he tends to need to pee during lunch, so if he goes BEFORE starting lunch, then he might not need to go DURING lunch (and be less likely to have an accident.)

As long as you're doing it in an "engaging cooperation manner", as opposed to a "go to the bathroom or else" threatening sort of way, then you're providing gentle guidance as opposed to taking control over him, kwim? (So, don't force him to sit there until he does pee, and not let him eat his lunch until he produces something... that wouldn't be healthy. But guide him to "sit and check" (with my DD1, we would sing the ABC's... to get her to sit long enough to give her body a chance to actually pee, rather than the "hop on nope no pee hop immediately off" that toddlers sometimes like to do.) And if there's no pee, that's fine... move on to lunch. And if he does then have an accident... no shaming. If that happens repeatedly, maybe take a potty-break in the middle of lunch. (That's how I know DD1 is really done with dinner... she stops to go potty, then eats a few more bites. My theory is that the fuller tummy is putting more pressure on her bladder/intestines.))

[serenbat]

We do reminders way past toddler stage and it's in no way view as mandatory what so ever-
get up-GO, we do prior to eating and 15 mins after, prior to nap-GO, prior to bed-GO, going away-GO, etc.

it's viewed as trying, not mandatory, you go, you don't go- you try
it has noting to do with setting when I child goes, the learn very well on their own when they have the need to go