Potty Learning Tribe! - Page 7

[Angelorum]

I feel like things are pretty good here.  After one day in diapers (all the trainers were in the wash) we had a big set back.  We went from 1 accident a day to 2-4 accidents a day, and bigger ones too.  Definitely not going to back diapers again! That was about a week ago, he seems to be back on track now.  We've even had a couple of completely dry days!  We'll still have an odd day with more accidents, I'm trying not to focus so much on the day to day progress/regression but on the overall arc.  Still wearing diapers to bed, but he's now had 2 nights where he stayed dry, and he asks to go potty occasionally in the middle of the night now, so hopefully the night time dryness will come soon.

As far as errands, I always take him before we leave, but he always asks when we are gone.  I think he likes to see all the different bathrooms, lol.  We had a week or two when he would ask when we were out, and I would take him but he couldn't figure out how to go.  But I just kept taking him, because we didn't have any other options, he was also still in diapers then so it wasn't as big a deal to miss.  I was trying to find one of those folding seat reducers, but right before I bought one online he figured it out.  It just took one time of actually going in a big potty before he could do it reliably.  My biggest problem is that not one of the playgrounds near us have bathrooms.  I've thought about having him pee in the grass, but I'm just not sure if I'm comfortable with that.  So I make sure we leave for the park right after he's gone and then cross my fingers and head home while telling him to hold it if he asks to go while we're there.   

My sister is babysitting him for me tonight.  I hope he feels comfortable enough to let her take him potty!  She's never babysat him, though we've hung out all together with her before.

[CourtBChase]

Well, reporting back in, we seem to be very close to fully potty learned in the past week or so.  Still doing diapers overnight, but she is often dry in the morning if I go to her and take the diaper off right away.  We had two accidents this week, both in the car.  She asks to go *all* the time when we are out of the house, which gets old pretty fast.  Both times that we missed the potty were times she had gone very recently and I didn't believe her when she asked.  Oops.  But, Yay! for things going so smoothly.  Once she got it, she got it pretty quickly.

[Hannah32]

I'd love to join and read everyone's tips and tricks. 

My little guy isn't a toddler quite yet, but we're getting close to a year. I bought a potty awhile ago, but it was strictly a toy. However, I recently read "Diaper Free Before 3" and was totally sold. 

He had his first poo on a potty today. It was a very positive experience. He has no problem sitting on the potty for a few minutes if I'm reading him his favorite board book. He seemed a little surprised after the fact, but I cheered him and told him how good he was. Then, he gave himself a round of applause. 

[lactatinggirl]

DD has gotten to the point where she never has an accident when she's bare bummed, but she still occasionally does in underwear/pants. Any tips? 

Also, we still put her in diapers for sleeping time. I try to change her as soon as possible, but sometimes she poops in the diaper first thing before I change her in the morning (I'm preggo, so super tired and don't wake up entirely when she does). Any advice here too?

[Angelorum]

cute potty learning thing happened today.  Ds is 22 months, and has lots of words, but doesn't speak in sentences or anything yet, so sometimes he surprises me with things he understands.  Today I had shut myself in the bathroom to get ready for the day.  DS doesn't really like when I do this, but if I don't, he gets into my makeup.  When I came out  he had taken off his training pants and was just playing bottomless.  I didn't see them laying around anywhere.  When he asked to blow bubbles, I told him to go find where he put his pants, because he needs pants on to blow bubbles.  So he went to the other bathroom, drug out the diaper pail, and pointed to the pants he had been wearing, which he had obviously wet while I was getting ready.  The clean ones were all in the dryer, out of his reach, or I'm betting he would have fished some out of his drawer and changed himself!

[azzeps]

So we are trying a new tactic this week.  I read this in Positive Discipline A-Z, so I can't take credit for the idea.  She is going to choose if she wants to use the potty or not.  We are not going to put her in pull ups or anything, but she is responsible for the cleanup for her accidents.  She has a bucket in the laundry room where the dirties go, and a stack of cloths to clean up the messes on the floor.  She is to stay in the bathroom until she is cleaned up.  So far, she had one pee accident that she successfully cleaned up, and she has been in the bathroom for a half hour now, playing because she lost interest in cleaning the poo off her bottom.  Not sure where we're at when I have to leave the house in an hour and she's still in there.  Guess we'll see.

[westcoastlady]

Okay, I have a kinda silly question.  We are taking a short break from the potty this week.  It was just becoming a power struggle.  We were doing bare bum at home and diapers when we go out.  I've heard a lot of  'just keep a potty in the car/stroller ' for when he needs to go.  But once they go on the potty... what do you do with the pee?? or the poo??  I mean, now I'm at the park with a potty full of pee.  I just can't figure out the logistics.  I thought potty training would be easier in the summer but at least in the winter we are always close to a toilet.  

[CourtBChase]

Originally Posted by westcoastlady 

Okay, I have a kinda silly question.  We are taking a short break from the potty this week.  It was just becoming a power struggle.  We were doing bare bum at home and diapers when we go out.  I've heard a lot of  'just keep a potty in the car/stroller ' for when he needs to go.  But once they go on the potty... what do you do with the pee?? or the poo??  I mean, now I'm at the park with a potty full of pee.  I just can't figure out the logistics.  I thought potty training would be easier in the summer but at least in the winter we are always close to a toilet.  

We took a cue from people walking dogs- pee we dump on the ground (preferably in the grass, and away from where people are walking) and we have only had one poop out of the house, but we bagged it up and tossed it in the trash.  She will use big potty's when we are shopping, so we only use the little potty for potty emergencies on the road, or at playgrounds with no bathroom facilities.

[AKA_PI]

My little guy is doing the typically potty thing: he's going potty at school but not at home. He still wears pull-ups/diapers at bedtime since he's only 2.5 anyway. I don't expect him to have nightime down for a while since he still wakes up for juice at night. 

As soon as we get home each day, I put him on a pair of fresh undies (if he hasn't had accidents in the ones I sent to school) and I ask him every 10 minutes if he has to go potty. I try to time it so that after he's had some juice, I take him to the potty 5 minutes later. Nope. Nothing. He's gone potty at home all of 3 times since I started training him around 22 months. Any advice?

[toriaj]

I have a new question: is it a good thing for me to be taking 21-months-old DD to the potty every 30-45 minutes, whether she asks for it or not?

Since I started doing this, she's had very few misses. She verbally tells me she needs to go or signs it every now and then, but if I rely on that we have many more misses. I take her after nursing and naps, and at least every 30-45 minutes in between. She usually does pee every time, and will ask to get back on the toilet if she needs to poop. I keep her in training pants at home (sometimes with a diaper or plastic pants over if I want to protect her pants from missed pee) and a diaper away from home and for sleeping. I carry her to the toilet, undress her, and redress her. We cheer every time her underwear is dry and sing when she pees in the toilet. She has definitely learned that pee makes her underwear wet. She has more misses if she's nakeybum than if she's clothed. If I ask her if she needs to go, rather than just taking her, she answers no and then wets shortly afterward. She showed an interest in using the toilet about a month ago, so we've just been trying for that long.

I've heard that potty learning at this age is more of a "partnership" between parent and child than independence on the child's part. But am I taking too much of it on myself rather than letting her learn herself? It feels more like EC than potty learning to me (but then again, I haven't really EC'ed.) Should I just keep going this way and gradually she will begin to take more ownership in it? Or should I back off and let her tell me when she needs to go, and just expect the misses?

[CourtBChase]

Originally Posted by toriaj 

I have a new question: is it a good thing for me to be taking 21-months-old DD to the potty every 30-45 minutes, whether she asks for it or not?

...

I've heard that potty learning at this age is more of a "partnership" between parent and child than independence on the child's part. But am I taking too much of it on myself rather than letting her learn herself? It feels more like EC than potty learning to me (but then again, I haven't really EC'ed.) Should I just keep going this way and gradually she will begin to take more ownership in it? Or should I back off and let her tell me when she needs to go, and just expect the misses?

It sounds like you guys are on the right track.  I am definitely of the philosophy that early potty training is all about breaking the pee/poop belongs in diapers association (assuming your kids aren't ECed).  So I think whatever gets the pee in the potty, and doesn't cause a battle is the way to go.  I pretty much never ask if she needs to go potty, at this point she does tell us, but if we are headed out for a long drive, or it is a time when I think she really probably needs to go I just cheerfully say "time for the potty" and bring her to the potty and help her get undressed.  Of course if she then said no or protested, I would say "ok, let me know if you need to go".  I would maybe start stretching the time out as she gets more successful, and perhaps give her the chance to tell you now and then, once she seems like she is figuring it out.  I am convinced my daughter needed to have a couple of accidents to really put the whole puzzle together. 

We are doing pretty awesome now, except she randomly pooped in her underwear at a friend's house yesterday.  Gross.  She hadn't done that in a couple weeks, so I guess I had stopped looking for it.  Oops.
 

[youngspiritmom]

Question --

Is there anyone who is potty training without the bare bum/ let the kids run naked method? How are you doing it?

Thanks

[toriaj]

Yes, we keep clothes on around here DD actually misses more often if she's naked. And I've heard the sensation of being wet can help them learn. I just try to watch the clock and take her to the bathroom every 30-45 minutes. But tonight I was distracted, and DD asked to go by herself, twice!

Thanks for your reply, CourtBChase. It was encouraging, just what I needed

[Angelorum]

no constant nakey butt around here either.  We did a part time EC when he was young, and then we switched to cloth trainers.  At first, I put an extra  soaker layer in the trainers and put a wool cover over the top to help keep my carpet/couch/lap dry.  Now that he's almost there, he mostly just runs around the house with a t-shirt and underpants on.

[Aufilia]

I'm jumping in.  I need inspiration!  I had every intention of starting to put DS on the potty months ago but I've only recently got around to it.  A couple weeks ago I put him on the potty first t hing in the morning and right after nap, and we got pee in the potty 5 out of 6 or 7 short potty sits--shrot by like the whole sit was maybe 2 minutes max.  Then for whatever reason he decided we were no longer going to play that game, so refused to sit down.  As in, will go stand in front of the potty, but nothing will convince him to actually bend his legs to sit on it.  I have no idea what that's all about, I've been re-reading "Diaper Free Before Three", which I read when we PT my daughter (with her we started around 16 or 17 months and she was in underwear full time just after 2, and at night by 2.5).  Hoping this will inspire me to be less lazy!

[thoughtfulmamma]

Would love to join!! I work outside the home while DH stays home with our DD (3 at the end of August) and DS (1 in July). Our DD seems no where near being potty trained even though she tells us when she is going to go poop (grabbing a toy and running into our bedroom) or when she has 'leaked' (peed) but when we ask if she wants to sit on the potty she says no. She'll even go so far as to say "diaper" when she needs to poop and doesn't have one on (swimming or going naked). She will go pee in the potty but not regularly. She has pooped on the potty 2x, once by accident (she was stalling bedtime and was sitting on the big potty with her training seat on..when we heard the poop we were ALL shocked!lol) and once while we let her go naked outside in the kiddie pool (she got out and actually went to the potty we had outside for her) but that was a month ago and it seems anytime she needs to go and we try and get her to sit on the potty she can't go...resulting in her 'tummy hurting' We really don't force the issue but she's been in cloth diapers since 2 months old and so is her brother and we are getting desperate waiting for her to be ready when we see all the 'signs' that everyone else says are signs she's ready?!!

Looking forward to gleaning wisdom from more seasoned mammas!

[Agatha_Ann]

Can I join too? My DS is 29 months and 100% pooping on the potty for a couple months now. We are working on the other! If he has on a diaper, he'll just pee in it without much thought. If he has on trainers or is naked we are probably making it to the potty 3/4 of the time. Still going through a good 8 pairs of undies a day though...I think he starts to go before he realizes it, so his underwear are always a little wet when we go. I'm impressed with his ability to stop the flow and hold it till we get to the potty though!

The frustrating thing for me is that he will not go if it isn't totally his idea. I can ask him a thousand times and he'll say no, and if I suggest we try he flips out. Maybe I need to start some sort of incentive. I also think sometimes this is all in vain anyway with the new baby coming which pretty much guarantees a regression! Oh well...I've always been pretty laid back when it comes to this stuff!

[elizaMM]

Glad to find a thread! I posted in a new thread last week about my 39mo DS who just couldn't/wouldn't go at school. He still hasn't. I put him in diapers when we get there and take them off before we leave. He tries tho.

But my current question: We "ran out of diapers" about 11 days ago. The first 4 nights he was dry all night long. Every night since he has pee'd in his (our) bed, sometimes more than once. The first pee in bed coincided with his return to school (either the night of his first day back or the night of his second, can't remember now). So I'm thinking it must be stress. (Despite the fact that we try to be really chill about it and have even backed off on the praise b/c it seems to be too much.) But I'm wondering what others think. And I'm considering going back to night time diapers...Would you?

[rgnolan]

I'll Join!  This was exactly what I came looking for today.

DS will be three in September.  We started doing some EC when he was ten months old and he has not pooped in a diaper since!  He was out of diapers during the daytime by 15 months.  He never told us when he had to go we just took him regularly and had some idea when he would need to go anyway. Right after he turned two he started telling us when he needed to go every time.  It was like something clicked.  The thing is we cannot get him out of diapers at night!  Its really frustrating.  We shared a bed with him until he was about 15 months or so and he has been sleeping about half the night in his own bed ever since.  It is when he wakes up to get one of us to sleep with him (we are currently co-sleeping with our 6 month old so it gets a little squished if all four of us are in the bed..) that he pees.  If he sleeps all the way through the night, he usually wakes up dry.  We could make sure he goes to the potty when he wakes up but that tends to be difficult for everyone in the middle of the night.  Also, I think sometimes he wakes up because he peed.  So, what to do?  Just wait it out or take the diaper off and let him wet the bed (yuck!)?

[elizaMM]

rgnolan: I don't have any experience with what you're doing, but my husband pee'd in his bed occasionally until he was around 10 and my brother did into his teen years. Some boys just take a while. Something to keep in mind...

thoughfulmama: if she's "showing the signs" and if you have the stamina, you should go for it. my son (39 months) showed all the signs accept interest and its gone fine (except for at daycare and at night). since you probably want to use her diapers for her little bro it's a bit harder--but start talking about saying goodbye to them (whether you lend them to a friend, pretend to, send them to grandma's, give them away, whatever--just prepare her for the inevitable). Talk about it more and more as it gets closer 7 days before, 5 days before, 3 days before, and lots on 2 and 1 day before. Then get rid of them, involve her in the process if possible. set a timer and take her to the potty every hour. if she doesnt' go, try again in half an hour. consider using a reward (bribe), even for just trying. don't ask her if she wants to go, tell her you are going. She's known its coming. I say "do you want to walk to the potty or do you want me to carry you?"; "do you want to pull down your underwear or do you want to?"; "do you want to sit down or do you want me to sit you down?" it works. read up some more on others' tips. mentally prepare. then mentally prepare her. then dive in. good luck!

Agatha_Ann: see above :-)

Aufilia: see my last few sentences above :-) but you said you need inspiration. it's totally do-able. try again in a few weeks and you'll probably get the same success and then rebellion. that's what we got.

Edited by elizaMM - 6/6/11 at 8:46pm