2.5 year old peeing any time, any where

[hrsmom]

Hi Mamas!!!!! I think my daughter is at the stage where she's getting ready to take herself potty. She already likes to climb in and out of her own car seat, and of doing do everything herself that she possibly can. Recently, she's begun just peeing right where she is. She'll tell me, and then just go. And she declines potty opportunities, which isn't really anything new!

Prior to this stage, she was dry almost all the time, maybe a pee miss at Nana's house every 3 weeks or so. She was at the stage of telling me when she needed to go, and would go while other people were going if she had to. I've considered her a grad (stage 2?) for a long time.

This peeing anywhere is a bit inconvenient- she peed at the department store, and on me this morning! I'm excited about the idea of her getting ready to take herself, I just feel that is what's going on right now. I'm wondering what you all do in the meantime, though. Waterproof trainers? She's been in panties for so long that I think we only have two pair that fit her anymore!

[pixiepunk]

is she pretty verbal? i'd talk to her about it, and explain that it's hard to clean up messes especially when you're not at home, and ask he how she wants to handle it. do you want to wear a diaper when we go out? do you want to find a potty when we first get to where we're going and pee so we don't have to think about it again while we're there? if it's independence she's wanting, and to assert her control over the situation, maybe asking for her help in problem-solving and seeing how she wants to handle it (making it clear that pee on the floor in the middle of the dept. store is not one of the choices) perhaps it will help empower her to take more initiative?

i know with my almost 2.5 yo, when i tell her something "we're going to x,y,z" "you're going to wear x,y,z" there is no way she'll comply. she's so willful she'll throw herself bodily on the floor (which is a surprise, my other two never did stuff like that!). but if i say "can you help me x,y,z" or "do you want to wear this shirt or that shirt?" and give her choices, she's pretty easy-going. we've had a few random misses in the last few months that were out of stubborness simply because i said "you have to go to the potty before we get in the car" because we live in the boonies 45 minutes from everywhere and there's nowhere to pull over in a pee emergency, and she refused and peed in her pants before we even left the house LOL and this was after a year of being a grad and months and months and months without a miss. so now i start a half-hour before we have to leave, asking "do you want to pee right now, or after we put on your shoes" kind of thing, not giving her the choice of not peeing, just letting her decide when.

[hrsmom]

Thanks, pixiepunk! Long time no see! I was reading your response in my e-mail and didn't see who it was from til the end, I started wondering if it was you! Our daughters are similar! Great suggestions!

[EdnaMarie]

Sounds like she's experimenting.

I agree with pixiepunk's advice. They are bad planners and experimenting with holding it longer at that age.

Also, perhaps, "That's such a pretty dress you have on. I wouldn't want you to have to change it! Shall we pee now to keep it nice?" Could work. At times.

[hrsmom]

Thanks, EdnaMarie! My crazy girl only pees about 3 or 4 times a day anyway! But I can see that she is experimenting with holding it even longer. No random pees since posting, of course!

Now she's having fun leaving her panties on when she pees, and then pulling them back up! Prior to about yesterday, she had to have all clothing from the waist down removed in order to pee. That's why we just do dresses and long t-shirts, I guess!

[hrsmom]

Funny thing is, she hasn't done this since I asked this question!! That still works, I guess!