I will start potty training in a few weeks, after all my subbing and tutoring is done for the year. I have lots of ideas already, but I honestly want to hear was HAS and HAS NOT worked for you and your kids. Just don't tell me to start earlier or later because I'm definitely starting on June 16th.
Please, moms, help me out here. Tell me books to read, things to try, realistic timelines to expect, etc. Do I use pullups? What about a diaper at night? Should I just get rid of diapers altogether and go cold turkey? What about traveling? What is your reward system? How do you deal with naps?
Even if you've told me before, please tell me again. Make a bunch of LOOOOOONG comments and tell me everything!
Thanks! :)
6 comments:
Here's what's worked for us (twice). And note: I do think Bekah is old enough.
I go cold turkey- no diapers, no pull-ups (except at nights- we did pull-ups at night). I put them in their NEW COOL underwear, that they got to pick out (read: no princesses) and on said day, we started. I let them drink juice, hot chocolate, water, etc... and I just started taking them to the toilet every 20 minutes or so. With both kids, there were a few accidents the first day, 3-4 the next, and 1-2 the next. Both were completely potty-trained in 4 days.
Night training took a lot longer, especially with Elias, but I wasn't nearly so worried about night-training as I was about just having them potty-trained.
For travelling, I'd keep pull-ups handy, but if it's going to be a few months before you go anywhere again, I'd just keep her in her underwear. If you're going somewhere sometime soon, I'd put her in pull-ups and have a very frank talk about how it's not a diaper and she is NOT to go to the bathroom in it (but if she does, no harm done).
YAY for a toilet-trained toddler! :)
Oh, and I do think I let them have like a Skittle or something each time they went, but the rewards thing wasn't as big of a deal to them.
I agree with the first post go cold turkey, pull-ups at night. Let her pick out some panties, but buy some cheaper ones to have on hand. Easy to pull off shorts and skirts work best. Do all you can to get her excited before you start. I let my kids pick out a treat like skittles, m&m, something small. They only get the treat if they do something in the potty. If she doesn't want to sit on the potty you can reward her for sitting there. I don't do the liquids and every 20 minutes, it just seems to be too much trouble for me, however I know it works. With my youngest one, I cleaned the first few poop messes, then I started putting her is the shower and she had to take her pants off and clean herself. Then I can just turn the shower on and let her wash herself. She HATED it but after a few times she decided it was easier to use the potty. Be aware that the urine does not always go in the toilet with girls. We take pants and panties all the way off for sitting on the potty. The absolute hardest part for me is to be patient. GOOD LUCK!
Hmmm.... ditto all of the above. A few other important points that I can think of at the moment:
1. Make a HUGE deal out of successes. Every single trickle on the potty throw a freakin party. (Seriously, get hats and those annoying blower things. I'm not joking.) On the other hand, try REALLY hard not to get too angry at the failures. As nasty/awful/annoying as they are to clean up, getting mad seems to make it worse. What is it about kids craving negative attention? Of course let her know it's wrong, just don't lose your cool.
2. When you buy undies, get lots and lots and lots. You will go through them like lightning.
3. This was said before, push the liquids when you are first learning. Dr. Phil called it a "target-rich environment." You want to make it easy to go. Then be sure to take her every 15-20 minutes. Set a timer so you won't forget. The first few days I would put her in nothing but the underwear on bottom. Put the potty RIGHT next to where you are playing (with some towels under and around it.) Make everything QUICK AND EASY cuz you don't get a lot of forewarning in those early days! You can add clothing and extend the time in between potty trips as a few days go by and she improves.
4. Make dinner be her last time with liquids and definitely go before bed, but YES, use pull ups for sleeping times. When she's good with the daytime stuff you can eventually have rewards when/if she wakes up and they are dry.
Everytime I took the pull-ups/diapers away it happened pretty quick. However, it was obvious when they were ready or not. I took pull-ups/diapers away from kids at 2 years old, and 3 and yes, even 4. On some of them it was me catching them, not them catching themselves. More training of the mom. If they are not ready, they will obviously still have accidents after the first week or two. (I'm talking like tons of accidents, not once in a while when they get distracted at the playground). Give it a few more weeks, then try again.
My kids were extremely late at potty training, but then again, it is very typical for "my type" of kids to not potty train until later (since they can't pay attention until it's too late).
I haven't trained a girl yet, so I don't know how different it is from boys. But candy as a motivator worked really well for us. With poop we had to use small toys. We had an enitre box full of underwear too, because he went through them fast!!!!!! What else that hasn't already been mentioned? The first few days dont even bother to go anywhere. When you feel comforable leaving the house, always know where the closest bathroom is. At every store, park....know where the bathroom is. I would take Jack to the bathroom first thing when we got to a store or where ever. We did pull ups at night, but I've read that night time training is enitely a separate issue. So don't worry about that so much. You just have to be by her side for a week or so and watch for signs. There is always a tell. It's mostly mommy training at first. The more you realize its mostly you being trained, the easier it is for you mentally. Good luck and God speed.
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