Really OT…potty learning advice

[sbornia]

This holiday weekend we're planning to teach our 2.5 year-old how to use the potty. She'd definitely ready, so we're going to give the three-day, stay-at-home-and-follow-her-around method a shot. If any of you have any tips to share, I'd appreciate hearing them. For example, did you give rewards for success, or simple praise? Did you go 100% cold turkey, or use diapers or pull-ups at night?

Thanks!

[mjbabcock]

Good.
Fuckin'
Luck.

Worst part of parenting yet.

[Mabouya]

Potty-Training Your Toddler: Is There a Right Way? | TIME.com

Potty Training Tips and Products

Dr. Spock's Toilet Training Method | Potty Training Concepts

Caveat: I'm single, no kids, but my cats both learned how to use the litter box in about 2 seconds.

[joosttx]

It'll take three straight days. That's a good start

Rewards work.
Positive encouragement.
Asking if she need to go about every 20 minutes.
It's more about them than it is about what you do. Remember that. Good luck.

We went 100% except naps and night time. We had about 4 accidents and stopped it once and tried about two weeks later

I bailed on several bikes rides with Lionel bc of potty training.

[vertical_doug]

Unless she is going into a pre-school where she needs to be potty trained, I wouldn't worry about it.
If the child wants to give it a try, then go for it. Otherwise, put it off and go for a ride.

[Bobonli]

I wouldn't disrupt your weekend over it. It all works out in the end (pun intended). Put some effort into encouraging and suggesting but I wouldn't make it the focus of the weekend. I have twins and the boy took considerably longer than the girl. That's life.

The good news is that once it's done you will be liberated not having to haul diapers around!

[BShow]

My daughter is 20 months old. Last night in the tub, she stood up and shut up. I knew it was time for the business. I asked her is she wanted to use the potty and her bottom lip quivered and she wimpered "noooo?" I tried to show her that I use the potty too... opened the lid, sat down, and offered encouragement. She wasn't overly stoked when I picked her up and put her on the seat. Floaters averted though and she wasn't traumatized. I praised the shit out of her - pun intended and she calmly pointed and waved bye bye as I flushed.

My plan is to keep doing this type of thing whenever I can, outside of that... I'm not doing a damned thing to force it. It's not like she'll never learn. Eventually, she'll be interested and we can teach her what to do. At some point, she'll "get it".

It would be super cool if I didnt have to buy diapers and wipes anymore though.

[slowSSer]

one item for down the road: dont get discouraged. my daughter just turned 7 earlier this month and we're still having issues with her not wetting the bed at night. our pediatrician thinks that her bladder is under developed/small, which isnt completely unheard of.

plastic sheets are your friend.

[davids]

Is she interested?

We missed a window when our daughter was - My wife actually took a photo of her sitting on the floor, fully clothed, wiping her bottom with some TP. We thought it was funny. Oops. The next time she started playing potty our daycare provider noticed, and she was using the toilet that day.

Of course the nighttime diapers stayed on for a long time (maybe a year? We'd check them every morning and once she stayed dry consistently, they went too), and there were occasional accidents even after that. But all in all it was easy, and it worked because she was on board with the program.

Good luck, and keep it light & fun for your kid!

[sbornia]

Thanks all. No question that she's interested -- she wants to wear "big girl underwear outside." We're going to try the three-day approach and see how it goes.

[BShow]

Thanks all. No question that she's interested -- she wants to wear "big girl underwear outside." We're going to try the three-day approach and see how it goes.

Please report back - I'm not far behind you...

[Noteddy]

As parent of five, the best advice was something our pediatrician once said. "By the time they are sixteen it will have worked itself out." Applied to a host of things, the long view works.

This too shall pass.

[BShow]

one item for down the road: dont get discouraged. my daughter just turned 7 earlier this month and we're still having issues with her not wetting the bed at night. our pediatrician thinks that her bladder is under developed/small, which isnt completely unheard of.

plastic sheets are your friend.

It took me a while to overcome the same thing. I wet the bed into 5th grade I think; 10 years old or so? I may have even been older. I dont recall when it stopped, but it just sorta happened. Its not something your kid can control and it's extremely frustrating and embarrassing for her. Go easy on her.

[astaft]

We gave our kids books to read and left them on the potty for a bit and that helped.

We did underwear during the day and diapers at night, at least until she started waking up from naps dry.

Routine is everything, but there will be accidents.

good luck

[Jake Rosenfeld]

boys are easy, any excuse to chase some cheerios or fruitloops around the toilet. we kept a small dish of them on the back of the potty.

girls are different, they do get tired of wet feet though. I suggest no undies and a dress. Training pants and even underwear offer the same sort of familiar feeling as a diaper when it first starts. Nothing at all really gets the gears in their head turning.......

[davids]

Oh yeah - underwear under diapers at night. The discomfort helps them control their lil' bladders while they sleep.

[nrs5000]

If she is interested, strike while the iron is hot. If it doesn't work out try again later.

[edoz]

Training pants and even underwear offer the same sort of familiar feeling as a diaper when it first starts. Nothing at all really gets the gears in their head turning.......

Bingo. We tried pull ups or whatever and he saw it as a diaper without side closures. We got a whole bunch of those really thick cotton underwear put those on him. The look on his face the first time he pooped in a pair of those was priceless. After a few days of sitting in his own shit he was ready to play ball.

[ned]

Is technology cheating?

The iPad and Netflix did the dirty work for potty training both #1 and #2. Put the boy on the potty with a movie going. Eventually, his attention outlasted his bladder (his bowels took much, much longer). Once he got over the initial fear of using the toilet vs diaper, he was good to go. And lots of treats. He's almost 5 and still gets dried cranberries and pineapple if he poops AND wipes.

But we're open to suggestions on the thumb sucking....

[Philster]

On my ride yesterday, I saw a cyclist leaning on his bike on the other side of the road.

I yelled "are you alright?"
he answered "yes, I had to pee pee"
I said "what?"
He said "I had to pee pee"
still thinking I must have miss-heard I said "so you don't need a tool or anything?" Incredible

That's all I know.