Potty Training

[LostAngel]

My daughter will be 3 in March and absolutely, positively refuses to use the potty - and I'm looking for some ideas I haven't yet tried!

I'm positive she's ready for it - she goes through all the motions of sitting (with no success), then wiping, flushing, and washing her hands. She knows when she has to go - if she's bare butt or in birl girl panties she will ask for a diaper to be put on - and after she soils it she will take it off. I've tried the whole 'naked weekend' thing - and every time she wet her pants. She actually held a poo for 2 days because I wouldn't give her a diaper.

I'm beyond frustrated and hoping someone can give me an idea I haven't tried - or read about.

Thanks!

 

[Geek]

Buy a toy she wants, put it up high (where she can see it), make a simple chart with attractive stickers. ( I would do a daily chart at her age) If she goes pee, let her put a sticker on the chart, If she takes a dump, put two stickers on her chart, when it is full give her the prize. I also suggest confetti in a little jar and throw a little party evertime she goes (flushing the confetti with the pee or poop). I have trained three stubborm kids this way. It makes it a whole lot more fun for both of you. Good Luck!!!

 

[Nickel]

My brother and I were potty trained very early, but my youngest brother threw my mom for a loop. I was 16, so I remember very vividly...he was 4!!! Eventually she just started bribing him and he picked it up in a heartbeat. He's 13 now and very well adjusted. So, talk it up like it's the best thing since sliced bread, bribe her, let her come to it on her own, whatever. She will get it on her own time, and in a few years it won't have made a difference whether she was 2, 3, or (God forbid ) 4.

 

[my-thyme]

I used to set the timer on the kitchen stove for every 20 minutes, and I'd take them into the bathroom when the timer went off. Didn't always do something, but soon got the idea of using the bathroom. Also made a big deal of Mom and Dad using the bathroom...didn't necessarily leave the door open, but they knew we were in there and what we were doing.

Good Luck! Life without diapers is wonderful!

 

[Island_Chick]

My daughter will be 3 in March and absolutely, positively refuses to use the potty - and I'm looking for some ideas I haven't yet tried!

I'm positive she's ready for it - she goes through all the motions of sitting (with no success), then wiping, flushing, and washing her hands. She knows when she has to go - if she's bare butt or in birl girl panties she will ask for a diaper to be put on - and after she soils it she will take it off. I've tried the whole 'naked weekend' thing - and every time she wet her pants. She actually held a poo for 2 days because I wouldn't give her a diaper.

I'm beyond frustrated and hoping someone can give me an idea I haven't tried - or read about.

Thanks!

I am going down this road too with my little girl (4/05) ! This is funny ,but I tell her she needs to go sit on the potty and make bubbles ! . It's been working most of the time .

 

[SweetThang]

My daughter will be 3 in March and absolutely, positively refuses to use the potty - and I'm looking for some ideas I haven't yet tried!

I'm positive she's ready for it - she goes through all the motions of sitting (with no success), then wiping, flushing, and washing her hands. She knows when she has to go - if she's bare butt or in birl girl panties she will ask for a diaper to be put on - and after she soils it she will take it off. I've tried the whole 'naked weekend' thing - and every time she wet her pants. She actually held a poo for 2 days because I wouldn't give her a diaper.

I'm beyond frustrated and hoping someone can give me an idea I haven't tried - or read about.

Thanks!

Take her into the bathroom each time you go and make a big deal out of Mommy using the toilet.

 

[LostAngel]

Thanks for the ideas - keep 'em coming!

To address a few - I actually did buy her the one toy she wanted - the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - and sat it on the counter (in the back where she could look but not touch). She had a mega meltdown for it and wound up peeing on the kitchen floor.

I am a single mom so when I'm in the bathroom it's more likely that she comes in with me, so she knows what it's all about. She's actually gotten to the point where she congratulates me and tells me that now I get to have Mickey Mouse.

She's a smart little thing - and we're in a power struggle - and I fear I'm losing the battle. . .

 

[SpriteZero]

My girl was 3 1/2 brfore she finally got it.. I stopped making a big deal out of it and she finally got the idea that when she went, then it WAS a big deal!!
And then she realized how fun it was to be grown up and not in diapers like her 2 yo cousin!!

Hang in there, she will get it!!

 

[thenewgirl]

Hev you tried buying her big girl panties and making a big thing out of that?
I love a sticker chart, for sure.
"They" say never to bribe with food, but never underestimate the power of m&m's. 2 for pee, 3 for poop.
If it is a power struggle, I would act like you don't care at all for a week or two to take all of the "power" out of it. Good luck and much respect for the single parenthood! Don't worry too much, she won't pee in her prom dress, kwim?

 

[bcp]

I used to set the timer on the kitchen stove for every 20 minutes, and I'd take them into the bathroom when the timer went off. Didn't always do something, but soon got the idea of using the bathroom. Also made a big deal of Mom and Dad using the bathroom...didn't necessarily leave the door open, but they knew we were in there and what we were doing.

Good Luck! Life without diapers is wonderful!

all that is going to do is cause them a lifetime of embarrassment when they pee their pants everytime they hear a bell.

really not going to look good in the board meetings in 30 years or so.

 

[nicole_M]

My oldest was 4 before he was potty trained...He did so well for so long but when we brought home his new brother and sister, he wanted nothing to do with the potty anymore.

I decided to stop pushing him and backed off, still encouraged him, but wasn't so worried about it...

He decided one night he wasn't wearing pull ups anymore and he has never once had an accident.

His brother and sister are 3 now and they are ready..They are in pull ups and go on the potty but not faithfully -- So won't be long until I am diaper FREE!

Good Luck - I stressed so bad about it - But when I backed off is when it happened.

 

[Dymphna]

I've tried the whole 'naked weekend' thing - and every time she wet her pants. She actually held a poo for 2 days because I wouldn't give her a diaper.

Been there done that.

Buy a toy she wants, put it up high (where she can see it), make a simple chart with attractive stickers. ( I would do a daily chart at her age) If she goes pee, let her put a sticker on the chart, If she takes a dump, put two stickers on her chart, when it is full give her the prize. I also suggest confetti in a little jar and throw a little party evertime she goes (flushing the confetti with the pee or poop). I have trained three stubborm kids this way. It makes it a whole lot more fun for both of you. Good Luck!!!

tried that too, didn't work

Eventually she just started bribing him and he picked it up in a heartbeat.

I tried that too and every time she wanted the bribe, she sat on the toilet and let out a couple of drops. As soon as she was finished with her candy bribe, she suddenly had to go again.

I used to set the timer on the kitchen stove for every 20 minutes, and I'd take them into the bathroom when the timer went off. Didn't always do something, but soon got the idea of using the bathroom. Also made a big deal of Mom and Dad using the bathroom...didn't necessarily leave the door open, but they knew we were in there and what we were doing.

Good Luck! Life without diapers is wonderful!

Sheesh, I always had a whole frigging audience every time I went to the bathroom...they knew what it was for, they just didn't care to do it themselves.

Take her into the bathroom each time you go and make a big deal out of Mommy using the toilet.

see above.

Hev you tried buying her big girl panties and making a big thing out of that?
I love a sticker chart, for sure.
"They" say never to bribe with food, but never underestimate the power of m&m's. 2 for pee, 3 for poop.
If it is a power struggle, I would act like you don't care at all for a week or two to take all of the "power" out of it. Good luck and much respect for the single parenthood! Don't worry too much, she won't pee in her prom dress, kwim?

bribes, stickers, it works for some, never worked for mine. Power struggle? OH YEAH! They love a power struggle. They can control this and they can get your reaction.
Single mom? I imagine that means girl spends a lot of time with someone else while you make a living, so when she does see you, she's begging for attention.
Your job is to take away her power. Don't react, be very matter of fact about changing her. Give her tons of attention when she's dry and a big sad look of disappointment when she's not. It may not be easy. It will take time.
Ignore anyone who tries to make you feel like a bad mommy because she's not trained.
If someone says or implies that they could get her trained in a day, a weekend or whatever, by all means let them try (I did they didn't have much to say on the subject after that.)

My mother was the disapproving one...until her mother pointed out that SHE was over 3, (for that matter, so was I) and THAT was back in the day of cloth diapers.

 

[Callie girl]

Mine were potty trained at 2 and 2 1/2. Guess I got lucky but they hated wearing the plastic underware over the cloth training pants. I think that helped.

 

[onebdzee]

The only thing I got to say about all this is that if you think she is ready, get rid of the diapers and don't put them back on her

 

[NAS]

Mine were potty trained at 2 and 2 1/2. Guess I got lucky but they hated wearing the plastic underware over the cloth training pants. I think that helped.

Same here with mine ! I used the plastic over thier underwear as well they hated them, i told them when they stopped having accidents they could stop using them, potty training didn't take long!!!!

 

[terbear1225]

my mother in law found an article that suggested putting the big girl panties on inside a pull up. seems to work fairly well. definitely DO NOT do this if you're planning on leaving your house at any point though!

 

[thenewgirl]

I think pull ups can make potty training harder and take longer, personally. It's important that they associate the "nned to go" feeling with the "wet and uncomfortable" feeling. Another vote for the horid plastic pants!

 

[LostAngel]

I think pull ups can make potty training harder and take longer, personally. It's important that they associate the "nned to go" feeling with the "wet and uncomfortable" feeling. Another vote for the horid plastic pants!

Her daycare doesn't allow pull-ups so I wouldn't use those anyway - just don't see the point in switching up between there and home.

But thank you all for the suggestions - there were some new ideas here that I'm going to try!

 

[terbear1225]

I think pull ups can make potty training harder and take longer, personally. It's important that they associate the "nned to go" feeling with the "wet and uncomfortable" feeling. Another vote for the horid plastic pants!

where exactly does one buy these plastic pants? I've been thinking about giving them a try but haven't seen them in stores. ( at least not in stores around here)

 

[Callie girl]

where exactly does one buy these plastic pants? I've been thinking about giving them a try but haven't seen them in stores. ( at least not in stores around here)

I got them at Walmart in the section with the underwear, socks, bibs and stuff