Extremely nervous about potty training. Is it time?

[gbailey]

Potty training makes me really nervous as I am sure it does other moms who are doing it for the first time. DD used to tell me when she pooped or peed (she'd call my name and point to the diaper or go stand by her changing table) but she stopped and if I ask her if she's pooped or peed she ignores me. This morning she pooped and tried to pull her pants and diaper off. What are the best signs that DC is ready for potty training? I keep telling DH she's not ready but the truth is I'm not sure if I am ready

I just ordered a toilet seat reducer on amazon and I'm looking for a safe step stool. I also have a potty reward chart collecting dust in my closet. What other things do I need to make potty training successful for DD?

[ShyDaisi]

The most successful thing that I did with Micah was offer a regular naked time. Only 30ish minutes to start a couple of times per week (it initially started out as airing out time...) and slowly increased the duration and frequency. If he started to pee, I immediately picked him up and placed him on the potty which was within the room in which we were playing. When he was successful at first, I got excited (naturally ), and he slowly caught on. One morning 3 or 4 months later, I took off his morning diaper, he didn't want a new one, and the next thing I knew, it was nap time, and he hadn't had a single accident all morning. He hasn't worn a diaper during the day since and only at night for the following week or two. We have had a couple of regression periods surrounding stressful events (moving and the "spring forward" time change), but other than that, it went amazingly well.

ETA: Another piece of advice is....don't stress. Easier said than done, I know, but your child will pick up on that stress and be stressed - which could lead to more accidents, refusing to go, or even a fear of elimination in the potty.

[paakbaak]

this is what I did

i waited until i could see that my son peed or pooped "on purpose", meaning the time that he was in total control: right befor bath time. i´d take of his diaper he´d stand there, look down and pee.

i´d take of his diaper and sit him on the toilet. sometimes peed in, sometimes peed out.

then, summer came and i started leaving him without diaper during the day. i saw that he wouldn´t poop without the diaper, so i´d put it on, he´d po and no more diaper. sometimes he´d poop in the living room, in the same place, on the floor, at the same time. so i started taking him to the bathroom at that exact time. and so on...

just follow your kid.

at night the same, as soon as he kept his diaper clean for a few days, diaper came off. sometimes went well other times i´d have to wash every single morning, and then dry again. he eventually asked me to put the diaper back on, he was peeing every night. so he is now 4yo and diaper on at night. i follow his lead.

don´t rush, there is no hurry. be very very happy when your kid pees in the toilet etc, but don´t be NOT happy when she doesn´t, so she doesn´t feel it. slow and happy!!!!!

[swd12422]

Originally Posted by ShyDaisi

The most successful thing that I did with Micah was offer a regular naked time. Only 30ish minutes to start a couple of times per week (it initially started out as airing out time...) and slowly increased the duration and frequency. If he started to pee, I immediately picked him up and placed him on the potty which was within the room in which we were playing. When he was successful at first, I got excited (naturally ), and he slowly caught on. ...

ETA: Another piece of advice is....don't stress. Easier said than done, I know, but your child will pick up on that stress and be stressed - which could lead to more accidents, refusing to go, or even a fear of elimination in the potty.

This is what we did, too. Naked time regularly. I didn't know to start small with only 30 minutes at a time, but DS actually enforced that by not being interested after 30-45 minutes. He'd go and sit on the potty every five minutes for the first 20-30 minutes or so, and then just have accidents on the floor. I'd sit him on the potty as soon as the accident started, and he didn't seem to be getting it, until one day I realized it had been 3 hours without an accident. The next day we went out and bought big boy underwear. We talked A LOT about how you don't poop or pee in underwear, you poop and pee in the potty. We borrowed several books about pottying from the library that became very popular. And then I finally just got brave and put him in underwear, and took him to the potty every 20 minutes.

I stressed out about it more than I should have. When you hear people say their kids trained themselves, it's true. You can only facilitate the learning by providing reminders and equipment like undies and potty seats. The rest is up to them. DS was always interested in the toilet, so I'd ask if he wanted to sit there. Most of the time, he'd say no. I thought it was going to be a huge struggle, but it wasn't. He just decided one day (after I kept introducing the idea) to do it on his own. Little pushes: Offer naked time, with potty in the same room with you. Offer sitting on the big potty before and after sleep and meals. If they say no, don't say anything but "okay."

Good luck!