Seriously Considering Montessori Primary Program, Must Potty Train ASAP

[JuniperMama]

I'm officially looking for new work which means, due to the impossible location of his former school and the very short school day, we're also looking for a new preschool program for Owen. I need something that can be full day ASAP.

I found two programs very near our house that both look pretty good. They're relatively affordable and seem like they're also good quality. The only thing is, both require him to be fully potty trained before he can start. He is not very interested thus far and we haven't really pushed it. He will often tell me when he's poopy and needs to be changed but if we ask him to sit on the potty he says no.

Help! How do I quickly potty train a 3 year old boy? I don't want this to be a battle for us as a family and I need to get him into a good quality program where I will feel good about leaving him.

All suggestions most appreciated. Thanks!

Jenn

PS: Would also love any thoughts you have on Montessori primary program. I'm intrigued but don't know much. Thanks!

[tbone]

I would read him potty books and rent a couple of potty learning videos from the library to try and get him interested. This got my little guy more curious about going on his own.

I didn't do this with ds, but I wasn't too pressed for time with him either, but one of the M schools I visited had given me a handout on potty training that suggested just quitting diapers cold turkey. Day and night. The teacher said that they would have lots of accidents at first but within a week they should be potty trained.

[supervee]

Can you spend a complete weekend focusing on it? No stress, just "let's have fun using the potty!" Offer lots of juice or water to make for more opportunities to go. (Obviously, don't drown your child by forcing liquids, just offer.) Put on a long t-shirt and go bottomless outside to pee on trees--little boys adore this. Stickers if you're cool with that.

That's a combo of what I and my sister did with our kids.

Good luck!!!

[caeden&connersmom]

Our Montessori gave us a sheet of ideas to help potty learn. I have to say, DS potty learned in 3 days! He even poops on the potty! I was amazed.

He still has accidents occasionally, but that is to be expected. He stays dry at night too (Which I am totally amazed by as my older DS took forever to poop on the potty or stay dry at night)

I would think if you could get him started, being in an atmoshere where other kids are using the potty and their is positive reinforcement would be huge! (I didnt think they had to be 100% potty learned to attend Montessori.) They do have the kids change themselves if they do have an accident too.

Good luck, its tough to have a dealine!

[caeden&connersmom]

Originally Posted by supervee

Can you spend a complete weekend focusing on it? No stress, just "let's have fun using the potty!" Offer lots of juice or water to make for more opportunities to go. (Obviously, don't drown your child by forcing liquids, just offer.) Put on a long t-shirt and go bottomless outside to pee on trees--little boys adore this. Stickers if you're cool with that.

That's a combo of what I and my sister did with our kids.

Good luck!!!

OMG my boys LOVE LOVE LOVE to pee outside!!!! My 6 y/o has been doing it for about 3 years (He loves to just jump out of the van when we get home and pull down his pants and pee anywhere!), and we just KNEW when he went to Kiga that he would do it at recess, well the first week at school he did! We got a note home. I thought it was pretty funny actually. He has gotten better about going behind a tree now, but all the guys in my family just go outside and pee off their decks! Perfectly good toilets inside, but they have to go outside!

[JuniperMama]

Thanks for the info, mamas.

We had DS's 3 year old well check today and ran it by our Ped. He's a great guy and very into developmental awareness and readiness. He says if DS is not interested we should not force it. Sure, offer and try the naked thing at home so he starts to sense when he needs to go, etc. but he feels strongly that we should not have DS potty training just to go to a preschool if he's not ready.

We might go check the school out on Monday and see if we really like it first of all and then see how the initial potty training efforts go. If he's not interested, we might just wait and try enrolling him in January or something. (Assuming they would let us do that.) I can come up with extra enrichment activities at home to compensate for being in a very loving but totally unstructured daycare in the meantime.

Of course he could surprise us all and learn it off the bat. Who knows?!

[Lillianna]

In Montessori toddler rooms, the Directress keeps daily notes on when the child eats, sleeps, pees and poops, as well as other notes. After a few days you will notice a rhythm. For example, the child pees 20 minutes after drinking or around 9 am, 2 pm and 6 pm etc.
The children are dressed in cotton underpants, not naked. He should be able to feel when he has peed/pooped and slightly uncomfortable (want to be changed)
also the child is involved/responsible for helping to change and wash up.
it's not really a choice/asking the child if he wants to use the toilet, rather it's more matter of fact..."pee and poop go in the toilet"
I usually suggest beginning with one successful trip to the bathroom a day until he is comfortable with that, then add another time, etc. For ex, you visit the bathroom every morning after breakfast or each afternoon after snack.
good luck.