Potty Training Issues!!!!!!

N.-
Look into Elimination Communication. I think their website is www.diaperfree.org. They have several local groups who get together once a month also. According to them, any child who starts potty training after 12 months is a 'late starter.' Their techniques/philosophy focus on communication between the parents so it's not a power struggle. My son and I were late starters because we started potty training at 14 months. By 17 months we were done. He is SUPER active so we incorporated his energy level into the potty training. For example, we would laugh and run as fast as we could to the bathroom to tee tee. I also taught him the sign for tee tee and for poo. It was fun for all of us and nobody got stressed out about it. He wears a diaper at night because he is a deep sleeper and doesn't wake up to go to the bathroom. Other than that, we are diaper free and loving it!

Good luck and happy communicating!

It sounds like he is not ready. Don't push the issue unless he is interested in the process and is trying. It is hard for me to believe that a class full of 2 year olds is potty trained. Don't let this teacher push you and do what you feel is right for your child.

My son was nearly 3 and a half years old before he was potty trained. He's now 4 and I still put him in pull ups at night because he still has accidents. (He sleeps like a hibernating bear) I tried starting at 2 because someone told me he should have already been trained. He couldn't even talk and here I was trying to get him to tell me if he had to go potty.
I'd tell his teacher the truth. This is your son, your decision. If he's not ready, he's not ready. Just keep doing what you're doing, and don't woory. You'll look down one day soon and he'll be tugging your pants-leg telling you he needs to go. Relax!

I agree with some of the others and have a hard time believing that an entire class of 2yr olds is potty trained. ESPECIALLY boys, as they are slower to train. My son is 2 1/2 and he is starting dayschool 2 days a week starting Tuesday and he is not potty trained. Neither is 90% of his class! And they do not require it or push it. Neither do any of the other programs I checked out. I would question them if they are pushing it. I know I would not want that done with my child. I read a report that stated that boys train slower as they are not physiologically ready at 2 on the average. So most of them do not have the ability to do so yet at this age. Again, I wouldn't push if he seems resistant, he's trying to tell you he's not ready and it will become so much harder for you both if you force the issue. We're going through the same with my son. We go at his pace and each day he is displaying more and more interest and taking steps to prepare himself (he now tells me "change" when he is uncomfortable, or just this week starting really being curious about the "big potty" etc.). It has to be their idea and on their schedule or it's just hard. You can't force another human being to go to the bathroom, that's all there is to it. Ok, now I will get off of my soap box. lol Sorry. I'm going through the same, so it's hot button issue for me as well.

Now--I have to ask--how do you help other Mom's to work from home, because I'm trying to find something to do from home for extra money. lol

I am have own Home Daycare. I have two tow years old, one is potty training and other one is not ready yet. and I have two kids my own ( they are teen age and 8years old.) My daughter done potty traing when she was 2.3 years old. My son I couldn't done potty training till 3years old. I don't push child if the child is not ready. I think most Daycare center is have to be potty training when they are three years old. so I think you should tell teacher He is not ready and You want wait until he is ready.

Please do not let anyone force you into potty training your child before he is ready because it could have more negative consequences than positive ones. First, he might not have control over his bodily functions, so you are forcing him to do something he does not quite understand or have the capacity to do. Second, you (and he) may get frustrated because things are not going well with the potty training. Third, it will take longer because you will need to wait until he really CAN hold it and know he needs to get to the potty to relieve himself. Also, remember that boys mature and develop more slowly than girls. This trend extends to potty training as well. My daughter was potty trained (including at night) by 2.5 years. My son started consistently going in the potty around 2 years 9 months. At almost 3.5 years now, he's completely potty trained during the day but not ready at night (he wears a diaper to bed). Most importantly, though, remember that all children are different. You have to do what is right for you, not what is convenient for his teacher at school.

N.,

My son wasn't potty trained until he was 3. I would try for awhile, and he just wasn't ready. I think that if you put too much pressure on when they're not ready, it just makes it worse. My daughter was potty trained when she was 2. I think girls are ready sooner.

I got a Bear in the Big Blue House Potty video, and my son really liked it.

B.

N.,

I, like the others, have trouble believing that a class full of 2 year olds are potty trained! My son was between 3 and 4 when he was potty trained and my daughter was 5! It all depends on the child.

May I tell you what psychologist/author Dr. Kevin Leman says? He says to just put a kid's potty in the bathroom and when your child decides to use it he will. If you let him train when he's ready, it will go much easier. If you want some good parental instruction about such matters and would appreciate a good laugh at the same time, I recommend Dr. Leman's books.

Hope this helps.

A. S.

I agree with the other moms. You are his mother and you know in your heart. If you wait until they are ready, the process is so much easier. I have 4 children, my daughter was trained at 18 months, my 3 sons were all around 3 yrs. old before trained. I agree with the other mom who said girls are easier.
I will say this, I have my nephew I keep during the day, when his parents moved him from his other daycare to me because they wouldn't potty train, I started right away because he was already 3. I am not kidding it was amazing and like a dream. He was so easy to train. Not a problem, it took 3 weeks, but by the 2nd week he was not having accidents and telling us he needed to go and on the 3rd week he was completly out of diapers/pull ups including at night. The parents were so thankful. I told them and tell you now, it wasn't me, or anything special I did, it was that he was ready.
You are the mom and have the right to decide. Trust your heart in this and if you don't think it's time, then it's not time....
- T.

AHH! I can't believe they are pressuring you to potty train at 2. Most boys aren't ready until age 3 and even that number is now being extended to 4! Every kid is different. Go with your gut. You know he's not ready. If you force it, it will take even longer to train. You don't want to make the experience negative and you don't want anyone trying to train him at his school behind your back either! That happened to my son and it took two years of "training" before he was finally ready and he just decided one day that it was time. But, I think it wouldn've happened a lot sooner if his school hadn't introduced potty training to him before I even did! There's no rush and no pressure to be trained by two, especially for boys!

Hi N.,

Little boys are harder to train. They just want to run and play and don't always think to stop and go peepee. If you have any trouble at his MDO, I would be willing to take care of him. I have an in-home day care and we could potty train at his timing. I have a 2 1/2 yr old little girl and we are in the process of Potty training. She has worn panties a few times, but only when another child is here to be her competion. Sometimes that's what kids need. They like to be able to watch each other go on the potty and then try to do it themselves. He may feel discouraged if everyone at his MDO is already doing it. Let me know if you need my help.
Thanks,
M.

At age two I was encouraged to switch my son from diapers to training underwear (which actually hold about a cup of liquid before leaking) and was told to skip Pull-Ups all together by my childcare provider. I was skeptical, but it did work out for me. My son hated the feeling of wet underwear, so he only had a couple of accidents before he figured it out.

I do not know if this is typical of all children or if I was just lucky, though. All children are different, so trust your instincts.

Hey this is T.. I have a 4 yr old boy now, but I had problems with mine too. What I did was went out and brought him nothing but underwears, and did not buy anymore pampers. I would take him into the bathroom and show him that we have to go potty in the toilet, if he wanted to be a big boy, and if he does not tell me when needs to go then I will let him potty on himself, the first few times I will change him, but after that I will not, and he eventually learned.

Hi N.,
I've been on vacation and just reading your post. You have gotten alot of good advice, but I had to comment as well. Our son's dr said that we would know when to start potty training when our son woke up with a dry diaper! I couldn't believe it since he was always soaking wet in the morning. But at about 2 1/2 years old he started waking up with a dry diaper so we started letting him wear pull up's during the day and started taking him to the bathroom everytime we went and on a regular schedule after he eat and drank. Within 3 months, he was wearing underwear and telling us he had to go. The doctor was righ on the money in our case. You are right to question and go with your gut! It will work out...hang in there. D