Potty training help!

[sarahr]

For all of our parenting decisions -- weaning, STTN, etc. -- we've stepped back and let dd do it on her schedule, rather than when the books say she "should." We did this for potty training too, but she's now 3y9m and showing no signs of interest. But there's a summer camp that she would absolutely love that starts mid-July that requires potty training.

So we bit the bullet and first went to pull-ups and then, at her request, to underwear. She happily sits on the potty whenever we suggest it and will sit for ages and ages.

But she never initiates it and she can sit on the potty for 15 minutes, only to pee in her pants 1 minute later. We've been doing this for about a month. And forget pooping -- that's always in her pants. And too much of my interaction with her is reminding her to use the potty or asking if she has to pee.

We tried a sticker chart and she doesn't care. We tried bribing her with her favorite toys, fancy markers. She now says she has enough markers and doesn't want them even when she does pee in the potty. We have big potties, little potties, toilet seat rings.

What else can we try?

[lonegirl]

Do you think making the 'ssss' noise like with ECing might help? I know that every child is different and generally when they are ready they are ready....some recommend bare bottom days...to bring on awareness of what they are doing. We EC'd from 8m and switched to pullups at a year (easier for us) so I am sorry I don't have more advice....just a big all the best!!

[tbone_kneegrabber]

no pants/no underwear really helped us out here. then we went to skirts/dresses for ds with no underwear, he is able to go potty on his own then. he seems much more aware when he isn't wearing anything.

we also do a lot of "everyone has to go pee/potty before dinner" then I go, dp goes, our housemates go, and ds goes. The group pressure angle seems to be working for him!

[momto4plus4]

So sorry, we're going through that with my dd right now. She's 3 yrs almost 5 mths. At first, she could sit on the potty for literally 2 hrs then stand up, walk across the room and pee. Dr said it sounds like it just hasn't clicked for her what the feeling is before she pees. So, she needs to have more accidents in order to experience the feeling. We're letting her do that now (still in diapers when we leave the house and at bedtime). I don't know if this will work or not as we just started allowing her in panties all day yesterday. She's the same-she knows she gets a toy or candy or sticker if she goes potty but until yesterday she'd just say no. She still hasn't initiated going at all and no pooping in the potty. In fact, she didn't poop today at all. My other 2 were not this hard. Everyone I've talked to says just let it go. Won't help to push her. I'm trying and at the same time trying to let her decide if she wants a diaper or panties. I think it's harder on us than on them!!!

[Jenne]

I just returned from a conference and this is still the gold standard

http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com...-One-Day4.html

Azrin and Foxx are research proven to be successful. It sounds like it may be just the ticket since there is this camp in July.

Good luck!

Jenne

[knee_deep_with_1]

I am pretty much in the same boat with my 7 year old at night wetting the bed. I pmmed you what all I have tried. I know how frustrating it can be, especially with an older child.

Mary

[zeldamomma]

I would make it easy for her to find a clean change of clothes, and calmly talk her through putting her dirties in the wash and changing into clean clothes when she has an accident.

Instead of you asking her to use the potty, you could give her a kitchen timer, but I think I'd be inclined to leave it completely up to her for a couple days-- plan for there to be lots of accidents, maybe even put her in a dress without underpants, to see if she does better that way.

[claras_mom]

Originally Posted by sarahr

What else can we try?

Waiting. Sorry - btdt. If she misses the camp, tell her the truth, that it wasn't possible because of pottying. Lack of, that is. If you back off a little, it could help with the possibility of performance anxiety.

nak

[Dreaming]

DS turned 4 in February and had no interest in potty learning.
2 weeks ago, I asked if he wanted to try again and he kept having accidents UNTIL he stopped wearing underwear (at his request). I just put shorts on him and that's it. No pee accidents at all. He's not pooping in the toilet, but he will when he's ready.

[claras_mom]

Dd1 was almost 4.5 before she pooped regularly in the toilet. But once she figured it out, she's had no poop accidents. We're dealing with some recent pee accidents--but it's just a playing hard and/or not close to a bathroom thing. Gonna have to teach her how to pee in the woods.

[lolar2]

Originally Posted by knee_deep_with_1

I am pretty much in the same boat with my 7 year old at night wetting the bed. I pmmed you what all I have tried. I know how frustrating it can be, especially with an older child.

Mary

It's unusual for bed-wetting to be behavioral. Usually that's more to do with the endocrine system not secreting much anti-diuretic hormone and that kind of thing. Not much can be done about it when that's the case, but most kids grow out of it by puberty.