Potty Training - West Branch, MI

Hi J., my name is M. and the way I got my son to train was, I made a potty chart, you can buy them to, so I made the chart and I had some stickers, I would ask him constantly if he had to go potty and we'd go in and he'd sit on the toilet, (he didn't like the potty chair) anyhow reguardless if he went or not when he came out I gave him a sticker and let him put the sticker on by himself wherever he wanted. He did this for about a month, then was completley trained except for at night we're still working on that one!
Good Luck and Congratulations!

Neither one of my daughters were fully potty trained until they were almost 3. Both of them started to show interest at 2, but would loose interest in a couple weeks. When we finally did get them to potty train, we couldn't use the pull-ups (they treated them like diapers). Instead we had to use padded cloth panties with the vinyl panties over them. Went through a lot of clothes sometimes, but it worked with both girls. Good luck!

they will do it when they want tooooo...I have three boys and ALL trained differently!!! my first a breeze at 2 years and 3 months we were DONE my second child (the devil spawn - lol) it was 3 1/2 years I yi yi and i had to have 2 in diapers (the last two are 21 months apart) and my youngest was 2 years and 3 days he wanted to be like his brothers so he basically trained himself! Just look for cues and try not to use pull ups unless its nap or night time use the cloth trainers IMO they train faster if they FEEL the wet!!!!

I get a piece of poster board and let my 2 year old put his choice of a sticker on it every time he uses the toilet. He is thrilled to be able to choose this sticker and it works like a dream. I agree - try not to use pull ups at home. Away from home they come in handy to control the mess if there are accidents. Good luck!

My son did the same thing. And unfortunately he didn't get interest back until after his 3rd birthday no matter what we tried. But the good news was that once he was ready he was trained in a weekend and hasn't had any problems since. I had two in diapers for a while to...it is tough but we made it :) Just don't stress about it and don't pressure him because the more you do the less likely he is to want to sit on the potty. Take care and good luck with the new baby.
K.

Ok, here's old mom here. My son is almost 23. He was about
2-1/2 yrs when I potty trained. Got a book from the library called "Potty Training in less than a Day". It worked great. I decided it was time, because we were too broke to buy diapers anymore! Basically the synopsis of the book.....spend the day w/your child - say the kitchen (uncarpeted area)baracade it if you have to - but make it fun, play with him all day. dress him in "big boy" underwear. No rubbber pants on top. You want him to feel and see if he has an accident. At first put him on the potty about every 1/2 hour and then give him a treat after he pees in the potty. I used hersheys milk chocolate baking chips (I know chocolate is bad, but it tastes great, and I didn't give alot)

After showing him this about 3 times - he started going to the potty when he had to, on his own the rest of the day. I kept praising him, and the amount chocolate got less and less. The next day we went to Toys R Us and I steered him to an item that was big, but not real expensive - in his case a plastic slide, at that time it was around $30. I told him that IF he could go 30 days & nights in the big boy underpants with no accidents we would buy the slide. Each day we put a star on the calendar. It worked great. Good luck. Just try not to let him feel your anxiety about wanting this done.

So many mama's have given the right advice. I have been there, done that. My son was interested at 2, then wasn't. The only thing it accomplished was getting me frazzled trying to get him to go. I left the potty in the bathroom, and he started going on his own. He did it when he was ready, and was potty trained before three. Hang in there, you will have your hands full with your new baby coming soon. You need to let this issue rest and focus on the important things. Now go hug that little guy and savor the time the two of you have right now - that will forever change soon (in a good way).

Congratulations and all the best to you.
Lisa J.

My son turned 3 this past June and after about one year of trying to get him to use the potty, he is FINALLY using the potty. He has accidents, but at least he's going on the potty sometimes--I'm ecstatic, we've progressed alot in the last 2 weeks. What worked for me was to not push it, but encourage it by reading potty books, potty videos, and both my hubby and I showing him how to use the potty. I've taken alot of the advice offered from the other moms on this site and one thing that helped get him motivated was to pick out a potty chair from IKEA and have my son decorate it with stickers of his favorite characters. He loves his little potty and just the other day he has moved from that potty to the big potty. I also reward him with a prize once a day, so that is something he looks forward to. Also, true, most boys do not start potty training until after 3 years of age. So, be patient, don't push it, just encourage and motivate. Once he starts using the potty, be consistent with the routine of using the potty, flushing the toilet, washing the hands, etc.--it'll be old hat before you know it:)

Good Luck,

MC

I went through the same with my daughter. In the end I think it all came down to time and her being ready. I finally just said one day (when she was just over 2 1/2), we are done with diapers, they are for babies and you are a big girl now. We put on underpants on Sunday. She had a couple accidents, which she understood were okay but not something to be proud of. Then she pretty much did great after that, knew going potty like a big girl equated to me being proud of her and so her being proud of herself, too. She still wears Pulls Up at night (no diapers as I don't want her regressing), but often will get up to go potty, too. I just haven't tried the night training yet, and probably won't for a couple more months as she's only been potty trained about a month now, though doing incredible at it. No accidents since those first few days.

Good luck!! Though be warned, boys are often later to potty train than girls. Of course each child is different, so you might find the complete opposite.

And congrats on your soon-to-be new addition!! :)

~ J.

P.S. I almost forgot. She was very interested at 2 and then regressed for about 5 months, so this is very normal.

I looked online for a free potty chart and my son got stickers when he went on the potty and when the chart was full he got to go to the store and pick out a toy.. also i used m&ms as a reward .. when my son went potty on the potty he got 2 pieces of candy . Good luck i know its hard

Wait until after you have the baby. I know you think it will be easier with only one in diapers, but trust me (my girls are 27 months apart), it won't be worth it. Experts also say that a new baby is a huge adjustment for a young child already in the family, and huge changes in their little routined lives can cause major problems. So things like potty training, if not already well-establised (since you only have seven weeks with a two-year-old, probably wouldn't be "well-established"), can actually reverse. All the work you do, then after the baby is born, he may just turn off potty-training completely for even longer, leaving you extremely frustrated. My niece acted out by wetting her bed night after night (three and a half-years-old) when her twin siblings were born. Good luck with whatever you decide. Remember, they only train when THEY are ready (as I'm sure you know with your first two). ;o)

My daughter and son-in-law have made a chart for my grandson. They use stickers & treats. For going pee-pee, he gets 1 sticker, poop 2 stickers or sometimes a scoop of ice cream. Don't push him to do it though. By the way, have him help with Cole (getting diapers, helping feed the baby, etc.), that way he won't regress and he will be pleased as punch to be useful.

T. V

It's normal to show interest and then lose it when the novelty wears off. My son loved the potty at 2, then hated it, then finally did it at 3. We just let him go at his own pace, though. We didn't push him at all and it was really easy! No joke! I also did it after my baby was born, mainly because I just didn't want the hassle. Im all about picking my battles and this wasn't one I picked. I knew he'd be potty trained eventually.

~L.