Potty Training DS

L Sass

L Sass

Cathlete
Does anyone have any advice? DS is 3 and a half. Fully trained at preschool 2 days a week, and when he wants to be. But so darn stubborn! I ditched the pull-ups idea long ago, gone to the underwear and when he goes in them, I've actually let him stay in them for up to an hour (until we couldn't stand him anymore). Tried the favorite character undies, "Diego doesn't like it when he gets wet or poopy" and even had him see me put those undies in the trash when he's gone in them. Done the rewards if ... Done the "not until you ..." He totally knows how and when, but is testing us. How do you get past that? Appreciate any advice.

Lorrie

I'll be walking the Komen 3-day (60 miles) the week after Cathe's RT. Here's my webpage.
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=202302&supid=166016627pOTTY
 
I am interested also in the replies you get-my son just turned 3 and he is partially potty trained-still in pullups,but he does use the toilet.i think for him it is just me not really pushing the underwear issue-but he still does not really tell me when he has to go.or if he does its usually right after he has gone in his pants.i have always heard that boys can be more of a challenge to potty train and some take awhile longer to catch on.
 
Hello! This is my first post on Cathe's forum so please bear with me if there are 'issues'.

I have not potty trained a boy, but when my daughter was 2 1/2 we kept a self-standing potty chair in the living room...many times she refused to wear clothes at home so it was a little easier. But it was right there when she needed to go. Once she went in it regularly, I took it upstairs into our bathroom. Once she went regularly in her potty chair in the bathroom, then I took the top half and put it on top of the toilet seat for her to use there...yes, it was a gradual thing but it was the easiest for us.

Do they have child sized toilets at his preschool? If so, perhaps that's why it's easier for him there.
 
Hi Jill - my girls were a piece of cake compared to this guy. Yesterday we went to Chuck E. Cheese and all day there he went in the restroom (and I didn't even have one of those collapsable potty seat rings!) and he did great. As soon as we got home - pee'd his pants! UGH!!! Today - we've gone through 3 pair of underwear and pants - he's sitting in yucky pants on a towel for the 3rd flippin' time today! He KNOWS - he just REFUSES. I know it's a control issue but my goodness!

Lorrie

I'll be walking the Komen 3-day (60 miles) the week after Cathe's RT. Here's my webpage.
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=202302&supid=166016627
 
No advice here...Just wanted to say those darn boys!! My DD was so simple (as it sounds like your DDs were) but almost everyone I know with boys has some sort of issue like what you are describing. i don't think they care as much when they soil their pants...and they are practicing to be controlling men when they grow up! Good luck!


Debra

Bite off more than you can chew. Then chew it---Ella Williams

http://www.picturetrail.com/aschendell
 
Here's what we did with my oldest ds when he was developmentally ready, but refusing to use the potty.

We told him that poo and pee belonged in the bathroom and had germs and could make people sick so if he was going to do that in his pants, he needed to stay in the bathroom. We didn't make it a punishment, just acted very matter-of-fact that he needed to stay in the bathroom if he was going to continue going in his pants because it was a health issue and we couldn't have that in the other areas of the house. We just went on with our business and talked to him, but he wasn't allowed to leave the bathroom except for meals. The next day, he was trained.

I didn't have to use this technique with my other kids and I don't know how well it would work with other kids, but it worked great with my oldest. We had tried absolutely everything at that point and nothing worked. We actually got this advice from a child development expert at Kent State.

Good luck!

Erica
 
What a stubborn little guy! I have 3 boys and have trained the older two, and it's no picnic. By the way, I love the "stay in the bathroom" idea for sure. For me potty training was a gradual process. My oldest was so against it, it was disheartening. I got kind of lucky, he got a really bad stomach flu one month after his 3rd birthday and that trained him. He just couldn't stand the loose stools in his pants anymore. My middle guy was 6 weeks and done. He has never had an accident since. My approach for him was no pants, and sit on the potty until you do something. He did try the "poop and pee in pants on purpose" trick a few times. Ugh, very frustrating. Something just clicked in his head and he was trained.

Good luck, those darn boys can be a handful. Although, I have heard some pretty good girl stories too. Someone should write a book "tales from the potty" or something like that. Bestseller for sure!

Sallly:p
 
Erica-that's a fabulous idea! LOL.

Lorrie-I have 2 boys, now 9 and 6. My first son was HORRIBLE and sounds like we went thru the same things you did. He was just a few weeks shy of 4 when he finally trained. For him, I tried it all. Just kept getting frustrated. Finally, I just figured I'd let it all go. Put him back in diapers and VIOLA.....within a week he was potty-trained on his own with NO accidents. Now, for my second son, I promised myself I wouldn't punish him or me by repeating what I did with first DS! LOL. I just let him go, and go, and go. Around 3 1/2, when he seemed emotionally (and itellectually...that doesn't looked spelled right, lol) ready, I one day took him into the bathroom, asked him to try for me, and that was it. No pressure. Just a polite request when he was ready, and off he went. Never a problem. So, for my boys, it seemed like once I gave them the control they were SO badly looking for, they decided on their own!

HANG IN THERE!

Gayle
 
I had an awful time training my dd. She was over 3 when she finally decided she was ready. That's the operative phrase: when SHE decided. It's not something you can force, only encourage. I got rid of pull-ups and got training pants. She also didn't care if she was wet. I tried rewards, bribes, everything suggested by others and books. Then one day, I must have gotten her at the right time and I told her that it would make me so happy if she started using the potty and didn't she want to make me happy? So, she said she'd try. And when she went, I was so excited and she was so pleased with herself, that she was pretty much trained from that point on.

Good luck - just remain patient and understanding. It will happen.
 
That's the operative phrase: when SHE decided.

Not necessarily. The two girls that I nannied for were both completely potty-trained by the time they were 2 1/2; a friend of mine pottie-trained both her kids, a girl and a boy in less than a month (not at the same time!), by the time they were 2 years 8 months; and my friends' little girl, whom I adore and take care of on occassion, was potty-trained about 6 months ago when she was 2 years and 3 months...and none of the children "decided." The parents just did it. I was actively involved in four of the trainings, and it definitely takes work and consistency on the parents' and caregivers' part (I really think it's more about training the adults instead of the kid, since the adults are the ones who have to remember to put them on the toilet 15-30 minutes after eating and drinking).
 
I think this totally depends on the child. Some are motivated to do it themselves and others aren't. I have four kids. Three of them loved their diapers and would have never chosen to make the switch to underwear and use the toilet if I hadn't pushed them. Two of these were very easy even though it was my idea, the other was extemely difficult. The other child was very motivated to get out of diapers and decided to do it himself and was very successful.

Erica
 
Perhaps....but with my daughter, any of my pushing just resulted in her resisting more and more. I had to back off or we both would have been miserable.
 
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