ok, we're still wrestling with potty training.

[ulysses]

Hard-headed child. It's becoming urgent, because he's learned everything in the 2-year-old class and gets a little rougher with the little ones than he needs to when he gets bored...but he can't move up until he's out of diapers.

So, a question - just how many pairs of underwear *do* we need to have to make the "see? that doesn't feel good, does it?" strategy workable without having to do a tiny load of laundry every three hours?

[RadiationTherapy]

1. We used cloth diapers and our daughter potty trained very quickly.

The "uncomfortable" method works. Undies are pretty thin, though.

[ulysses]

2. we thought about cloth.

Decided we really didn't want to deal with having to do what we're having to do now...

[RadiationTherapy]

7. Sigh. I hate when life does that to me.

Another thing that might help is to help the child identify "the feeling". Watch and play with them after they eat and see if you can work with them to understand what it feels like to have to go.

[ulysses]

9. working on that now. n/t

[pokerfan]

3. Do you have the video?

The book? Have you let him watch you poop?

[ulysses]

4. no video or book,

but it has fascinated him at times to watch me void, yes.

[MorningGlow]

12. I wouldn't worry about it

We had several books and the video and--nuthin'. Didn't make a damned bit of difference, even though he LOVED to have us read the Big Boy Potty book or whatever it was called.

[MorningGlow]

5. A million--and then some

Stubborn kid? F'git it--it isn't going to happen till he decides it is (and it's especially tough with boys). Will they allow pullups? Are you starting the 3-year-old class in September (meaning, you still have time)?

We have a stubborn little one, and he was just. not. going. to. potty train. PERIOD. He knew HOW, he just chose not to. Luckily for us he could still wear pullups in the preschool's 3-year-old class, but when he got to the 4s...well...that was do or die time. He learned how to pee in the toilet and didn't have accidents, but poop? Oy vey. (And he was still 3 when the 4YO class started.)

The only thing that "broke" him of pullup pooping was a bit of serendipity. We went to Disney on his 4th birthday and used the "Disney Magical Express"--the bus that takes you to the hotel and your luggage comes separately in a delivery truck. We got to the hotel at 4:00, but our luggage never came--and the pullups were in the luggage. (At this point he was wearing underwear and we had to put a pullup on him so he could poop--yeah, he was weird.) Long story short: pooped in the toilet because, well, he had no other choice. But the weird thing is that when we took the choice away at home, he preferred to hold it instead of using the toilet. (Oh--and the luggage arrived 20 minutes after he pooped. Go figure.)

Like I said, stubborn. :shrug:

[ulysses]

6. the policy is no pullups

but they may be willing to bend that, given his penchant for knocking over the 1.5 year olds when he's trying to give them a "good job" pat on the back. I'd rather not go there and just get him to go in the damned toilet, but he's one of "those kids" who take notice of it when they leak on the carpet (or sofa, or recliner) and go right on about their business.

[RadiationTherapy]

8. Well, like any other "mess", that is "unacceptable". Obviously, be gentle.

But maybe letting him know he may not do that might help.

[ulysses]

10. working on that, too.

He won't always be this age. He won't always be this age. He won't...

[tigereye]

25. don't worry, they all learn sooner or later...

he'll be trained before Kindergarten! :rofl:


just teasin a little. Mine is 12 now... and he did learn before he went to big kid school. :hi:

[MorningGlow]

11. Hm. Have you told him he can't go to his 3s class till he can go potty like a big boy?

That went a long way toward MG Jr. being able to bite the bullet and at least pee in the toilet.

[ulysses]

13. yup. we've even put him in the 3s class for circle time

to show him what he can look forward to. He won't stop talking about being with the "big kids" when he's been there, but it hasn't had much impact on the toileting.

[MorningGlow]

17. Hm. That's a toughie.

Seems like requiring the 3s to all be out of diapers AND pullups by the start of the school year is a bit much. Some kids (again, especially boys) are just plain old not ready to make the transition for real, even though they are in fact processing the information as they get ready to use the potty exclusively.

Not sure what to advise. It's always a risk, working on it through summer and crossing your fingers that he'll have caught on by September. Keep trying...because once they do tweak to the fact that potty is better than diapers, it's an overnight switch!

[Breeze54]

14. Does he have a bottle still or a binky?

Until they are GONE, he won't 'get' it. I made my 3 sons laugh by calling them "stinky" when they were 20 months old and had shit their pants. Though it was funnier than hell, but I had a method to my madness! I knew they didn't want to feel, "left out" and when they stunk, I offered the potty chair. It worked like a charm for all three. I 'showed' them where the poop went and that it was OK!! I made a game out of flushing the toilet! What great fun!! :P They were all out of diapers before 2 yrs old and they all have a great sense of humor!! :rofl: I hope you succeed and you will! :hug: I know it's hard.

[electron_blue]

15. If people knew the truth about toilet training, most would never become parents.

Worst part of parenting so far, hands down.

Good luck! And I have no idea what the answer is to your question, other than the obvious bit about if he's still 2, then he's possibly still not ready. And if they ain't ready.....

[ulysses]

20. see, I'm still with "will wake your ass up three times before dawn"

as the great inhibitor. :)

[electron_blue]

28. good luck with that.

:)

[Shakespeare]

16. I have no advice, but can at least offer you an anecdote to make you laugh.

File under "at least you don't have THIS to deal with:" A friend's 4-year-old son has discovered his biological ability to have erections, and keeps whipping it out at the most inappropriate moments. They're not quite sure how to break him of this, and he's just so completely pleased with himself over the whole thing. His dad has taken to calling him "Sir Boner."

[MorningGlow]

19. ROFL!

Good thing your friend has a sense of humor. MG Jr. doesn't whip it out, but he was investigating his equipment in the bathtub just the other day--having a grand old time. I just glanced over and said, "Having fun waggling your winkie, are you?" I'm finding it's easier for me not to freak out than I expected.

[ulysses]

21. mornings are a continuing revelation.

He knows what his penis is, but it acts weird when he wakes up, and boy does he notice. :scared:

[hedgehog]

30. My oldest was quite the conversationalist. My sister was watching him in the

tub, and as a good host he took it upon himself to entertain her. "Here, what this does ....."

[FloridaJudy]

18. Superman Underpants!

Or something of the like. Help him pick out some underwear he really, really likes at the department store or on-line. I'm not in step with what's considered ultra-desirable for two to three year olds, but I'll bet he is. If he really loves the underwear, he'll take care not to soil it, especially if you replace it with plain tightie whities after an accident.

This worked like a charm on my son. I had him toilet trained in three days.

[ulysses]

22. we have cars and Diego.

He doesn't seem to associate his bodily functions with pissing on Diego. Maybe we need Bush undies...

[kath]

23. IMHO, this is probably the best toilet-training advice out there:

Long articles -- especially see the "Parent Guides" at the end of each article, which boil down the info.

Toilet Training: Getting It Right the First Time
http://www.americanbusinessmedia.com/images/abm/pdfs/events/neal_library/Contemporary%20Pediatrics--Class%20A%20Cat%205--1.pdf

Toilet training problems: Underachievers, refusers and stool holders
http://www.americanbusinessmedia.com/images/abm/pdfs/events/neal_library/Contemporary%20Pediatrics--Class%20A%20Cat%205--2.pdf

I'm a pediatrician by training, and in my opinion Dr. Barton Schmitt is absolutely the best pediatric advice-giver out there. A giant among docs! His book "Your Child's Health" belongs in the home of all parents - it's an "owner's manual" that should come with each new baby. :-) http://www.amazon.com/Your-Childs-Health-Emergencies-Development/dp/0553383698

He also publishes multiple parent handouts on myriad childhood issues, which are used in lots of ped. practices. His advice is very practical. His pediatric telephone triage protocols are used in practices and hospitals around the country.

If I were still in practice, I would give out "Your Child's Health" to all the families in my practice, and I certainly wouldn't be the only pediatrician out there doing this. Great advice on many problems/injuries on when to call the doctor NOW (or an ambulance), when to wait until morning, when to treat at home and for how long - with changes to watch for that indicate you need to call the doc. Advice on "how to avoid the spoiled child", "how to develop attention spans", feeding, sleep, behavior problems, and on and on. (I haven't seen the most recent edition, but I have the first 2, and I assume that not much has changed.) I've given this book as a gift to virtually everyone I know who's had a new baby, also to friends who are parents, but not necessarily of newborns. More comprehensive than Spock ever was, and better even than the child-health guides put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics (Your Child Birth to Age 5, etc.)

[tigereye]

24. I think it really depends on the kid

some learn quickly and some take more time... I wouldn't push too hard unless he's really interested in learning... I think they learn when they are ready.


Depends on the daycare, but I know a lot of people like the "bare-butt" technique at home for training - kinda messy though.

[latebloomer]

26. At 4, my son declared-

"Soon, I will go to potty train" (Did he think it was a version of Amtrak?)
Dat my plan."

So he made his plan, and a few months later, when he was finally good and ready, he carried it out.

I guess I really didn't push it that much- you have a lot more motivation. But he does seem a bit young- you can push it some, but they have to be developmentally ready. And boys do tend to be slower with this.

[My Good Babushka]

27. It takes a lot of underwear

I pottytrained one after I brought the new one home from the hospital. No way I'm changing two poop butts all day. I brought all the pants and underwear downstairs, and we just kept going through them. I think it took less than a week, maybe four days. Buy extra underwear, but you'll still have to do the wash everyday until this all blows over.

[momto3]

29. It sounds a little early to require potty training.

Most kids potty train between 2 and 4 years of age. My daughter was potty trained by 2-1/2 years, but my son was not potty trained until he was 4. He is now 5-1/2 years old and is just now "mostly" night trained. Our pedi said that 20% of boys are not night trained at his age. It is okay to encourage potty training, but not to push it. You definitely do not want it to become a battle. My son decided when he was ready and it literally happened over night. But no amount of cajoling would convince him to sit on the potty.

All that being said, try sitting him on the potty after meals and after he has a drink. This is the time it is "natural" to use the bathroom. Does he know when he is wet? If not, he just may not be ready.

Hope this helps.

Tracy

[Lyric]

31. Gummy bears. Seriously.

Buy a plastic tub of gummy bears. Keep them in the bathroom (no, don't let the kid *eat* them in there, but just put them there for the sake of visual stimulation.) Make sure the kidlet can't reach them, but that they're in plain view from a "sitting on the potty" angle. Make an absolutely Ironclad rule that the gummy bears are ONLY allowed to be eaten as a reward for actually using the potty, and make sure that he never gets gummies as a treat for anything else.

We did this and had OktoberKid trained for Number One within a week, and Number Two within three weeks. We used Pull-Ups in the interim time period, too, just to cut down on laundry. Good luck! :hug:

[fight4my3sons]

32. I don't have any advice that you haven't already heard.

My oldest was done about two months before his fourth birthday and a chart with stickers worked well for him. When he filled up a row he got a small reward. Filling up the whole chart got him a trip to Chuck E Cheese.
The twins have been done since February. They still have an occasional accident, but they are few and far between. They turned four last Sunday. We didn't use charts or anything, but they have each other and would clap and carry on when one 'went'.
None of the boys went to preschool, so your little guy probably has the upper hand there.
We have more underwear in our house than anyone one should have for three little boys. It really is ridiculous, but at one point we were doing so many loads of laundry. Also, I found that my older son (now five) prefers boxers. That may not be great when still learning to go on the potty though.
Good luck. :hi: