Nothing scares me more than potty training. Yes...I have a 33 month-old. Have we started potty training?? Heavens no! I am way too scared. I don't think I can handle the accidents.
Last weekend, we went to Idaho with J's family and my sister in law is potty training her barely-two-year-old boy. My daughter is almost a year older than him and aren't boys supposed to be harder to potty-train than girls?? I am a potty-trainers failure!
I don't really even know where to start! How do I know if she is ready?? And more importantly...how do I get myself ready???? HELP!
Don't say you're a failure! We're still in the middle of potty training, and some days are better than others. I say definitely wait until she shows interest, but there are things you can do to help her get more interested. Does she come to the bathroom with you so she can realize that this is what you do when you get older? Also, maybe buy a little potty if you haven't already so she can get used to the idea of it. We can definitely chat more about it when we get together soon- my comment doesn't need to turn into a novel. It can be hard, but I think we're starting to turn the corner to see the benefits. And yes, I waited for a long time also in fear of the accidents. It's really not as terrible as I thought it would be!
ReplyDeleteOH.....I am in the same boat right now. I almost wish I had trained my three-year-old like a puppy dog so she wasn't old enough to challenge me or tell me no. And now our brilliant idea of bribing her with something she wants (a doll house) doesn't even seem to be doing the trick.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that has worked is letting her go naked and sitting the little potty in front of the television--all day. By default she pees because she's sitting there. When she needs to poop, she asks for her diaper back on!!!
If you figure it out--let me in on the secret, too. I think my son (16 months old) is likely to be potty trained before she is.
Ay, ay, ay....
we started a little before Savvy turned three and we probably could've waited until her 3rd birthday and it would've gone faster. Bethany read a book about potty training and has it on her good reads list. She really liked it.
ReplyDeleteThe trick was getting her to sit long enough on the toilet to actually go potty. Once she went one time, she was excited and knew what she was supposed to be doing.
We went cold turkey and stuck her in underwear and told her the diapers were all gone (they were) and that now she peed and pooped in the toilet and went though all the steps so that she could do everything, or almost everything by herself. There's no point in doing it if you have to do everything. Then YOU are potty trained!
We had her go potty all the time and fed her a lot of water and juice in the beginning so she'd need to go, and then we gave her tons of positive reinforcement.
We had a jar that she got to put money into and when it was full or we had enough or whatever we took her to a treat of her choice, like bowling or to ride one of the machines at the grocery store or to get ice cream.
When she pooped (which was the hardest for her) she got to call someone and tell them.
we were stuck at home for awhile because she had a phobia of public bathrooms and so going places and to friends houses sortof had to take a backseat. It also helped a lot that she saw her friends do it.
Kids are stubborn though, so in the end it's not like you can make them or anything. good luck!
Dont worry about it. Maggie was a late trainer-she was over 3 when she finally went for it. The accidents are hard for me too. Dont compare her to other kids, they are all different. My Maggie is so strong willed and it all must be in her own time. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteYou can do it! I have faith in you! (No advice, just cheers!)
ReplyDeleteYou're doing fine. Try not to stress. I'm seriously against training before you have to. Too early and you'll end up dealing with tons of accidents and disappointment.
ReplyDeleteWith girls, I wouldn't even think about potty training until a LEAST 2 1/2. With boys not until at LEAST 3. So you're right on cue to start thinking about it, IMO. Unless you have a wonder kid who's ready to do it early.
As far as accidents go, I wish there were some guarenteed way to not have them but most likely you will have to deal with at least a few. They aren't so bad, not fun but not terrible. My advice: Don't worry, it's normal and part of learning. Keep an extra pair of pants and undies in your car. :)
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ReplyDeleteOh potty training! I am so glad that i am all done with that.
ReplyDeleteGood luck girl :)
EEK! Good luck. I have been putting off potty training for the last few months. I just have no desire to deal with poopy underwear and puddles. Let us know your secrets!
ReplyDeleteThe only good thing about potty training is that someday it will be over. You're right to be scared. ;)
ReplyDeleteI just finished up with my littlest-- and the feeling that I've bought my last package of diapers ever makes it all so worth it!
Cute blog, Hannah!
I take my cues from my kids. Blue has been asking to use the potty for months now and I finally have just been asking her and she just goes! I hate the accidents too but that's just part of the game! Yesterday we had a big one right in the middle of the living room. GREAT!!!
ReplyDeleteI still haven't gotten her 100% but thats my fault for sure. I think as parents we don't give our kids as much credit as they deserve! You may be really suprised at how well she'll take to it and then you'll be kicking yourself for not doing it sooner! I say just dive into it.
What worked great for us was devoting an entire week to staying at home and being nearly naked. I just had my daughter in a skirt for easy access and every 30 min I just put her on the potty. it really only took a week and it was done! I even had her in panties at night a week later! No pull ups for us!
Have you gotten a potty book? That interested Darcy. Also giving her suckers while she sat on the potty.
ReplyDeleteSome people say that they put the potty out in the main living area so that the kid will sit on it for a while and go in it, rather than being banished to the bathroom. I never tried it.
It seems though, if you wait until SHE is ready, you'll have less problems, stubbornness and accidents. So don't worry. She'll go at her own pace and she'll pick up on it if it's stressing you out. Once she's ready though, I agree with Jenny on the cold-turkey thing. You've just got to go 100% or she'll fall back on the easyness of diapers.
I had a mother tell me she had her kids potty trained before 2. That is what set me off on this journey and how I found you blog. I am on day two, I think it just takes a lot of patience and chocolate. My daughter thinks its fun.
ReplyDeleteNot that you need any more advice but we are currently working on it with Lily.
ReplyDeleteFirst, borrow a book from the library. I read parts of Potty Training in One Day and found some great tips.
Second, my favorite thing are the plastic covers that you put over cloth diapers and such. They work so great! I rarely have a leak if she has an accident.
Third, I think it has a lot to do with YOU being ready... to tackle the effort it takes. You have remember to remind her, take the time to take her to the restroom when you are running errands, and take time in the restroom each time she is trying.
We just took a car trip to Utah for Thanksgiving and what do you know? Lily asks to go potty while we were driving. By the time we found a restroom she had already went but I think the effort shows her the process and I got to explain to her that it wasn't her fault. Accidents are a big learning time.
GOOD LUCK! We miss you guys!