*Update at post 4 - Just when I thought we could move on to "Potty Learning"...

[nstewart]

I think I need some reassurance more than anything...

DS is 18 months old.  We started ECing him at 2.5 months.  He was in trainers and we had very few misses by 7 mos.  Since that time we've had a short strike or two, but never more than maybe 2 weeks or so (I think...) and only ever for pees.  We've been pretty much 100% for poop catches since 6 mos or so.

Anyway, until about 1.5 months ago, DS was so consitent and really seemed to "understand" about peeing and pooping on the potty that I thought maybe we could transition to potty learning.  I don't know if him picking up on my readiness to move to the next stage was part of the problem, or if it is a coincidence but we've been in a full on pee strike for the last 6 weeks.  I know he can hold it.  We'll be out of the house for like 3 hours without a miss.  Sometimes when  I offer out of the house he'll pee, sometimes he'll hold it until we get home and pee in his trainers or wait until nap time and pee in his diper!  He ALWAYS resists going at home now, unless he happens to pee while on the toilet to poop.  Thankfully, we are still 100% in the poop department.

I don't know what I should do:

(a) Nothing.  Just let him pee in his trainers and stop offering.

(b) Keep offering but don't insist if he protests.  Offer more often and be more consistent.

(c) Step it up and get rid of the trainers.  Go for naked time or underwear.

(d) Step it up and move onto more conventional "potty learning".

Any thoughts or experiences or reassurance that he hasn't given up on EC is appreciated!!

(Oh, also, I think he genuinly doesn't care if he's wet!  He just won't poop in his pants! ugh).

Edited by nstewart - 2/14/12 at 7:12pm

[emmaegbert]

hmm if it was me, I'd probably go into diapers but offer regularly. And talk about it! My DD was in trainers from early on, but having a LOT of misses at some point before she was 2. And fighting the potty. I think we busted out the diapers b/c I just didn't want to deal with all the puddles. I don't really remember BECAUSE... it didn't actually last that long :)  at 2.75yo she only wears a "just in case" diaper at night and its wet maybe 2x per month.

good luck!

[theboysmama]

i'd go for b and c. I would get rid of the trainers and keep offering but not insisting if he protests. If he chooses to go in his undies he will get really wet and at 18 months will be able to see the connection to the feelings of the pee needing to come and then being wet. That was my experience with my dd. If that isn't working then just stick with opiton b.

[nstewart]

Thanks for the thoughts and advice!

I kept DS in his trainers, but actually cut back on offering.  I'd offer at "peak" times but back off as soon as he said no, sometimes even before getting to the bathroom or potty.  We were still getting mostly refusals, until this past Saturday...

Saturday morning (this is after a 7 week full on pee strike, down to maaaybe catching 2% of pees, seriously!) I just had DS go naked from the waist down, and kept showing him where his little potty was and telling him he could go whenever he needed to.  I took one of his stuffed animals "pee" on it from time to time as well (he got a kick out of that).  Then, mid-morning he ran to me in the kitchen saying "pee pee" and I I just told him "Ok D, you can go on the potty.  You're a big boy." and he ran around the corner to his BBLP, sat down, and went pee all on his own!  I feel cautiously optimistic that we've turned the corner!  He prefers to go on the toilet, not on the BBLP but is telling us when he needs to go, and asking to be taken.  He has NEVER even cued for pees so this is exciting!

Now I'm thinking I need a step stool or something so he can get himself onto the potty, and perhaps we need to tackle teaching him how to pull undies up and down himself so he can go when he needs to on his own...or is he too young for that at 19 mos?