I think it's nearing that time. The time I've been dreading for quite awhile.
Potty training. NOOOOooooooooooo!!!
As much as I'd like to stop paying out the ying-yang for diapers and as much as I'd like to not feel like I just diapered a 26 lb catfish after a change, I'm really dreading the whole potty training business. Mostly because I have no clue where to begin.
Joe's pediatriciain said that most boys are 2 1/2 - 3 years old before they are potty trained. One of the first signs of being ready is when they can verbally tell you when they have pooped or peed. Just this past week Joe has been doing just that.
While at my in-law's house this weekend he would run into the guest room and yell at us to get out. Then he'd come out and yell "Poop!" He has told us numerous times since then that he has pooped.
We have a little potty chair for him and we've sat him on there (he hasn't done anything in there) and we have rewarded him with tiny little toys or suckers when he has told us that he has pooped. We also have a few pairs of training pants.
But that's where my knowledge ends. I've tried looking up "how-to's" online and I'm just overwhelmed with all the information. I don't even know where to begin.
So if any of you could throw out some tips or strategies or even a "how you did it" plan, I would be very grateful!
7 comments:
Uhhh not much help, but use cloth diapers to save money? ;) They make cloth training pants too!
We're slowly working on potty training Annamarie, I talked about it a while ago. We're going slow though since she's only 16 months old. I have yet to catch anything in the potty, but she signs the word for potty and then we go sit on the toilet and she pushes. So far she always signs potty after she goes in her diaper already so she doesn't have anything left to let out. But I'm happy she knows what to do, and that she realizes when she does potty.
I've heard the easiest way is naked time. But I don't have the dedication or time for that, and I imagine with a newborn you don't either. But you let them run around diaperless and then as they are going rush them to the toilet. They help pick up the mess as well if they don't make it to the potty in time.
Good luck!
my one major tip would be to not waste your money on pull ups. our pediatrician agreed and said they are too much like a diaper so its a waste of money. we never used any for Emma. she was 3 months shy of turning 3 before she was trained and when we did it only took about a week. we used diapers at night for awhile, but after a few weeks we were even done with that.
my advice after having done this five times and am in the middle of the 6th is this: don't push them if they are not ready. I did that once and we battled accidents until she was five years old. Therese is showing the same signs as Joe and I leave the potty out in the living room. I also let her go around in just panties (training pants) so I can try and figure out cues from her. Yes, it is frustrating and messy sometimes, but it has been the best approach so far for us. Also, gummy bears as rewards are a big help! Good luck!
So I haven't done anything yet with regards to potty training Gus, but I did read a book: Potty Training Boys by Dr Caroline Fertleman and Simone Cave. I thought it was a really easy read, and the information in it was really common sense, but in a good way, as I didn't really know where to start! They make it all seem quite easy and relaxed.
The reason I haven't actually started with it yet was because I was not ready to start! Some people talk about a window of opportunity, but I think there are probably multiple windows (again, not from experience, just reading and gut feeling). And I think it is just as important for the parents to be ready as it is for the kids, as we are going to be putting in a lot of hard work as well! Good luck!
Just don't force it. We started trying with our sone when he was 2.5 and it just wasn't working. We just had a lot of messes to deal with! I also say don't use pull ups. We just used cloth training pants so they would really notice if they had an accident. I did keep some pull ups around for going to the store and things like that. Anyway, we tried for a couple weeks and it didn't "click" AT ALL so I just quit completely. Finally a week before his 3rd birthday he said I need to pee, went in the potty and that was that. Good luck!
I've potty trained two, but for some reason I'm completely stressed about the third. Several people have recommended the books regarding potty training in a day. I'm going to try it. We'll see!
I agree with the others about not forcing it. I never did, but a friend was convinced her daughter would be potty trained by 2 and it was 3 1/2 before she was potty trained. Not only does it not help the kid, my friend was SUPER stressed about it.
The way we knew Jack was ready was that his diapers were dry when he was waking up. That's not always a good indicator (because some kids aren't nap or night potty trained for a while), but I figured if he wasn't going for that long of a stretch then he could handle it. We did a lot of nakey time with a little potty out in the living room, then we moved it into the bathroom, then we moved to a potty seat on the toilet. We used cloth training pants & regular underwear. Get a LOT of [cool] underwear. I'm talking like 4x6-packs You will go through it in the beginning... (Or maybe if your kid is on antibiotics and has a major #2 accident, you won't feel bad just throwing a pair away.)
We also got a train sticker chart and when he filled one up he got a Hot Wheels car. We had a 1 sticker for #1, 2 stickers for #2 and 3 stickers for "going without being told to" scale. Find something that motivates him. I've seen people use M&Ms for EVERY time, but we didn't go that route.
It was a slow process because we didn't push him and Jack will randomly have accidents (when he is having way too much fun), but he has no trouble 95-99% of the time!
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