If you will remember, we've tried potty training in the past. I like to consider myself a go-getter and I think I am in many areas, except a few kinda random ones. For example, as Tabitha grows we are learning that Daddy is far better at teaching her to brush her teeth, swim and potty train. Mommy, um, not so much.This past weekend Tabitha got a really bad diaper rash. We told her that big girls wear underwear and that if she did she wouldn't get rashes from the nasty diapers. Well, David convinced her to put on the underwear (something I've been unsuccessful at since she turned 2) and potty training commenced. She even commented that, "I don't like diapers. I wear underwear!" I was practically giddy. She seemed interested and motivated and we were gonna encourage every step.
Then she had two days of accidents. The thing that has both of us flummoxed is: She is good about sitting on the potty, and is great at telling us she has gone to the potty in her underwear--despite sitting her on the mini-toilet every 15-30 minutes, but she will not inform us before she goes. We're at a loss as to how to teach her to notice that sensation/feeling.
Ideas, suggestions, and tips are welcome.
I totally let my kids take the lead on potty training. Potty training is hard! And going on the potty is one of the first things kids realize THEY can control. Anyway...I have no tips. Although, I did use this book on Nadia and Leila after Jethro was born and things were chaotic and I could not keep up on laundry...and it helped a lot. It's called, "Toilet Training in Less than a Day."
ReplyDeleteMy midwife got it for me...it had worked great for her grandson. I will try that with Jethro.
Potty training - ugh. I am dreading it with Noah (he's three now) because it's a lot of work and the experience was not great with Naomi. She wasn't fully potty-trained until this summer, after her 4th birthday. We had on-again, off-again success from 18 mos onwards - she was almost fully potty-trained before her 3rd birthday - we were still working on pooping on the potty. Sometimes she would, sometimes she wouldn't - and then she started to refuse to poop on the potty. And it wasn't a question of ability - she would go and hide when she needed to poop, and tell me afterwards. Then it became a control thing, and she regressed and starting wetting again. We tried lots of different things - pretty much anything we could think of - nothing worked. So I threw my hands up and put her back in diapers - pregnant with a toddler and a preschooler, I did not want to be doing more laundry and cleaning up more messes than absolutely necessary. Everyone (except grandparents, who were like "why isn't she potty-trained?") kept saying,'don't worry, she'll get it when she's ready' and I kept thinking 'but when is that going to be?!?' Finally this summer, a chart and the promise of preschool (and I think her just mentally deciding it was what she wanted) and she is now fully potty-trained, even at night. All that to say - try different things, but when it comes down to it, they have to want to. If it's too frustrating, for you or for her, give yourselves a break. And eventually, she'll get it!
ReplyDeleteSo I'm late in the game here, just catching up on your blog, and have absolutely no experience potty training, but have you tried rewarding her for dry underwear? I know some of my friends found more success that way than for rewarding for going on the potty. Everything in due time, right? :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the advice. It's heartening to hear that I'm not the only mother that is trying but also not forcing. I love the ideas of rewarding for dry underwear, using a chart & some external non-food incentive, and sourcing other ideas from books. THANK YOU. We're going to use pull-ups during the day because she's interested in sitting on the potty regularly, but can't be trusted to actually go in it. Once those stay dry then we'll try the training pants. Here we go! (again) :-)
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