Time for the Potty

[chadtm80]

Ok Moms and Dads.. I believe the time has come and Dustin is ready to accomplish the potty chair!! lol. He now comes to us with diaper and wipes in hand after he goes in his diaper.. So that seems like a sign to me that he at least now understands some what.. So what tips does everyone have to transition him over.. If I have to change diapers much longer im going to scream.. lol.. Dustin is 25 months now..

Thanks everyone!!

[isobar]

Some kids are ready earlier than others. Looks like Dustin is one of them. Mine were both closer to 3. He definitely is telling you he doesn't like having a dirty diaper.

I sat mine on the potty chair periodically during the day, and we would read or tell silly stories. It was kinda fun and no big deal if nothing came out. Success will come.

Also, take him in the bathroom with you. They learn best by trying to copy Mom and Dad.

I remember our doctor saying to toss some Cheerios in the bowl and have a contest to try and sink them. That is such a guy thing, to make peeing a competition.

Good luck!

[weathermom]

Use regular cloth training pants, not pull ups. (when at home at least) Pull ups make them too dry and they dont always realize what they have done! If he is dry in the morning, have the cheerio sinking contest first thing in the morning when he is likely to be successful.

[Amanzi]

Use regular cloth training pants, not pull ups. (when at home at least) Pull ups make them too dry and they dont always realize what they have done! If he is dry in the morning, have the cheerio sinking contest first thing in the morning when he is likely to be successful.

I agree totally with that!!!!!!!! The cloth ones, although they are gross to wash, get the idea into little ones head that this is not a diaper, they are big boy pants and they get wet! Im not sure if its huggies or pampers, but they have a new pull up that feels wet on the touchie (may get a bit pricy, but it works). Another thing that is KEY, is being consistant. If the parents are not consistant, the children tend to get confused.

Yup, my boy learned mostly from copying dad. I also put a chart up in the bathroom, everytime he made it to the potty on time, he would get a smiley face sticker. I think he was also around 24 25 months.

Good luck!!!!

[Persepone]

Yes, cloth training pants work MUCH better...

Having kids "watch daddy" has disadvantages. My twin grandchildren were living way out in the woods...

But we took them for several days and took them to an amusement park type place--and they "found a tree" and proceeded to imitate daddy. Of course the tree was not way out in the woods with no people around...

They were so proud of themselves... no they did not wet their training pants...

Looking back, of course, it was pretty funny.

[Yankeegirl]

Not to sound gross, but my boys potty trained when they were about 4.... My hubby made them wash the poop off their butts in the bath tub... Ill tell ya, that made them potty trained over 1 weekend.. They hated washing their own butts... I know it sounds gross, but ill be darned, it worked...

[coriolis]

You can't push them. We took a very relaxed approach and let the kids do it when they were ready. We were pretty "open" about the bathroom, we let them see what we were doing and that took away a lot of the mystery and scaryness. They did it somewhere between 2 or 3 and without any big production.
Some parents will brag about how early their kids did. It's not a contest between parents.

[breeze]

LOL! No tips from the non-parent, here, Chad,
but...I'm LOVING reading all of the good Storm2K
buddy's tips! I LOVE the Cheerios in the bowl
tip, Donna!

Good luck with our little Dustin!

[streetsoldier]

Coppertop was "potty-friendly" at 14 months, all on his own...and he has the "potty-mouth" to prove it.

[petal*pusher]

Ahhhh the memories this brings back!

When potty-training my kids years ago, someone suggested using that candy that "explodes" in your mouth....(Pop Rocks?)

It worked well.....especially with my son! Good luck....consistancy IS the secret!......p

[Guest]

Thanks for all the advice. Dustin seems to be taking to this potty training business pretty well. He likes to mimic his older cousins, so I think he feels grown up when he sits on the pot.

And of course thanks for the well wishes. I should be around more often again now that the semester is about over. Chat with you all later...
...Jennifer...

[StormCrazyIowan]

Awww.... sounds like an exciting time for you guys! And life will be cheaper when you don't have to buy diapers all the time!

Guess I'll know soon enough!

[azskyman]

My second son learned mostly by watching his big brother. Granddaughter Emma is trying to figure out the sequence of things. She hasn't quite figured out that you ask BEFORE and wash AFTER. Soon enough, she will catch on.

Living in a house with three guys all her life, my wife should have used the smiley faces well into adulthood...the Cheerios might have even worked!

Best source of adult training on her behalf, though, was handing the rubber gloves and cleaners to any in the house who might have wandered from the target!

[Skywatch_NC]

Don't remember my own potty-training those early years in Cincinnati...but when my aunt and cousin lived w/ my folks, sister and I (aunt was going through a divorce)...anyway, as an incentive for my cousin during her potty-training...her mother gave her a few M&M's each time for a job well-done.

Eric

[Miss Mary]

Annette - I'm enjoying this topic too! And petal.....sigh, it does bring back memories!

Having had girls, the process is er, umm, different! I've always heard little boys learn best by imitating daddy too.

Mainly what I would suggest are two things:

1. Have a relaxed approach. Be prepared for setbacks and try your best not to get upset. I remember using this phrase a lot - oh well, you'll do better next time! Or you'll get the hang of this, I just know it! And remember to smile, not sigh!

2. Take a change of clothing with you whenever you leave home. Even for the few months after he's well on his way. You'll just be so glad you have them, b/c when you least expect it, he'll have that accident at a time could be very hectic (holiday dinners, amusement park outings, etc.).

Mary

[Amanzi]

2. Take a change of clothing with you whenever you leave home. Even for the few months after he's well on his way. You'll just be so glad you have them, b/c when you least expect it, he'll have that accident at a time could be very hectic (holiday dinners, amusement park outings, etc.).

Mary

Mary, that is so true, even after my son had been using the toilet for a few years, if he got very involved in a game or got totally absorbed in something he would just forget to go to the bathroom and have an accident. I always keep a change of undies and shorts around. (I normally leave them in the car).

I dont know how much truth there is to this, but they say boys are normally easier to train than girls?

[bfez1]

The bottom line is PATIENCE!!!

[alicia-w]

All of my kids were trained by age 2. My granddaughter is 18 months and trained as of last month. My grandson was trained by 2 also.

[Cookiely]

http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/
I had a book called potty training in 24 hours and its the same basic concept as the link above. You really don't need the fancy doll or play potty. This really works in 24 hours but you have to be diligent. Turn off the phone and don't make plans for anything else.

[Miss Mary]

Amanzi and Jenn - I forgot one more thing! I would make sure my child's bed had a complete clean change of bedding - sheets, blankets, etc. A clean change of pj's/underwear too. Because just when you're in your deepest sleep, your child will wake you up - Mommy, my bed's wet! It only took one time rooting around for clean bedding/pj's, half awake/asleep, to make sure I had everything ready for the next time. And it almost jinxes you too - it doesn't happen again for a long time. Just keep your laundry caught up and little mishaps will be taken care of quickly. Another plus - you can change their clothes/sheets so fast, before they know it, they're back in bed, expected to sleep of course and hopefully, they will!

Mary