Potty Training

[Tromp]

I can't believe I'm even writing this :?:.

So my son is almost 3.5 years old and we've been working on his potty training for close to a year now.

We bough him his only little potty which he showed no interest in.

We bought a Sponge Bob seat for the normal toilet. He doesn't really care.

We made a big huge progress chart and gave him a sticker everytime he went on the potty to put on the chart. This worked ok for a month. There were still plenty of accidents.

We set a timer for every 30 minutes to remind us to take him to the bathroom.

One problem is he'll only use the potty when we take him to the bathroom or we remind him.

Bigger problem he continues to crap in his pants with no progress on changing his pattern what so ever regardless of whether we take him to the bathroom or not. He'd just rather drop a load in his underwear. He'll go hide somewhere and let it go rather than go into the bathroom. Occasionally we'll be able to grab in the pre poop stage and rush him to the bathroom.

We're about at the end of our rope here. Its been a year now. He doesn't wet his bed which is weird.

Any suggestions, comments, questions. tips? PLEASE.

[Jolena]

I had this issue with a step-daughter and it didn't stop until I stopped having her in ANYTHING from the waist down while she was at home. No panties, no pull up, just bare ass. Of course you can't do that with company or whatnot, but it worked when she was at the house with just us and she just stopped. Why? I have no effin clue. But it worked. :shrug: As to other suggestions, I've no idea what to offer as advise because honestly I was where you are with your son when I had my step-daughter to deal with.

[Jorddyn]

I had a cat when I was young that didn't like the litter box. I locked him in the bathroom for a week.

:D

Jorddyn, obviously not a parent

[Czeska]

Most experts will say "they'll go when they're ready" and this tends to be true.
A lot of toddlers won't "poop on the potty" because they want control, pure and simple. The hiding is indicative of this.

Maybe give him some more age-appropriate choices in other areas of his life, so he feels he has more control, and he'll let go of the gross things easier? For example, do you want to wear the red or blue shirt? Which book do you want me to read? Would you like potatoes or rice for supper?

Bottom line (no pun) is he WILL go eventually. But making it a big deal might make him delay longer.

Check with your pediatrician, too. Chances are they'll tell you he's still well within "normal" range.

[Jolena]

I'll also mention that it is VERY common in potty training for a child to do it perfectly for a little while and then stop suddenly for a while, and bounce back and forth. I don't know why it happens, but it has occurred with three out of four kids that I have dealt with potty training on. I'm still working on my fourth and youngest one and he's doing the same thing-- bouncing back and forth between going and not doing it at all.

[Brattt8525]

Try the no undewear idea as that was the only way my daughter decided to use the potty. She pee'ed down her leg and was horrified never had a problem from that day forward. Boys are slower to potty train then girls for the most part too, my son was a bear with it then one day poof not a problem.

[HarmNone]

Some information here:

http://www.drgreene.com/54_19.html

I really don't know a thing about all this, but there are several articles on potty training problems on this site. One of them might just lead you to your answer. :)

[Tromp]

Well the underwear is somewhat saving my furniture, area rugs, etc from being completely ruined. Not by much though. It seems that in both recommendations above that the no undies worked for girls. Guys don't have to pee on themselves which I'm sure you are well aware of.

[Caiylania]

I did the no underwear thing, too. Other things that worked for me were saying only babies use diapers, Kiara wanted to be a big girl so that encouraged her because when she went we would go "what a big girl you are! you are so good!"

Every child is different, hope you figure out his way. One thing I highly suggest not doing is making him sit on the potty for long periods of time, that could just set him back even more.

[Gan]

I've got a 3 year old, we are trying the no underwear thing, but he just has too much fun watching himeself arcing a stream of pee across the floor. And wet diapers do not bother him much, so we're working on 'big boy's use the potty' routine.

Fun times indeed.

[Atlanteax]

I have a feeling that Chuck Norris would know what to do?

[Jolena]

:wedgie:

[Tromp]

Originally posted by Atlanteax
I have a feeling that Chuck Norris would know what to do?

or we can ask Brian Boytono :lol:

[The Cat In The Hat]

I gave my daughter a quarter every time she went pee, and 2 for peeing and pooping. She made her own bank to keep the money in and it only took about 3 months until she was fully potty trained.

Works well if your kid likes money.

[Gan]

My kid could care less for money, but there is all this left over halloween candy....

hmmmmmm.

[Tova]

Both of my children were potty trained by two. I used bribery, had a cabinet in the bathroom with thier favorite toys. To get one..they had to go in the toilet. Worked great. As for the child that runs off and does it in the corner. Watch him closer, don't give him the oportunity. Once they get it they get it, or at least mine did. Maybe I was just lucky.

[AnticorRifling]

Rub his nose it it and smack him with a rolled up newspaper.

[Lookkin]

Our kid who is three now, but 2 when we were training him. He would only go #1 or #2 if we put him on the pot, but would sneak off and make a bomb in his diaper when we weren't watching him.

I took a few days off to help my wife out with potty training and removed his diaper completely during the day and made him wear sweatpants and regular underwear during those four days. He made a mess a few times and hated the feeling of being really wet and dirty. He was cured from that point on.

Almost went the Anticor route, but decided against it.

Lookkin

[Sylvan Dreams]

Originally posted by Tromp
I can't believe I'm even writing this :?:.

So my son is almost 3.5 years old and we've been working on his potty training for close to a year now.

We bough him his only little potty which he showed no interest in.

We bought a Sponge Bob seat for the normal toilet. He doesn't really care.

We made a big huge progress chart and gave him a sticker everytime he went on the potty to put on the chart. This worked ok for a month. There were still plenty of accidents.

We set a timer for every 30 minutes to remind us to take him to the bathroom.

One problem is he'll only use the potty when we take him to the bathroom or we remind him.

Bigger problem he continues to crap in his pants with no progress on changing his pattern what so ever regardless of whether we take him to the bathroom or not. He'd just rather drop a load in his underwear. He'll go hide somewhere and let it go rather than go into the bathroom. Occasionally we'll be able to grab in the pre poop stage and rush him to the bathroom.

We're about at the end of our rope here. Its been a year now. He doesn't wet his bed which is weird.

Any suggestions, comments, questions. tips? PLEASE.

This has to be one of the nastiest things I've ever heard of. If it doesn't go in a box or in grass then I don't want it!

I think it just put another X in my "reasons not to have kids" column.

[The Cat In The Hat]

I also bought her a "potty book" it's called "Once upon a potty" and they make it in both a biy and a girl version. She loved that book and the ONLY place she was allowed to have it was when she was using the potty. That helped alot too I think. It's available at babies r us.

Jenn

[Edited on 11-19-2005 by The Cat In The Hat]

[Gan]

I've got the video. The damn song gets stuck in your head and you want to slash your wrists...

My son likes the video, but could care less about the 'potty' as it were. :(

[Rangerpuff]

My three girl's were much easier to potty train than my little boy. However we lived in Turkey when he was being potty trained, and the Nanny let him run naked all day at home, this seemed to speed things along, also cheerios in the toilet for "target" practice did really well too. My oldest daughter just needed bribery of "pretty big girl panties" and she was set. Cool undershorts for our son was an incentive and he never peed in his Batman undies.

Good luck to you

[FinallyDomesticated]

Ok - my two cents worth.

I had two of my children perfectly potty trained at age two. How? I became a super uber dork with a stash of candy. We'd go to the potty, sit together, read a book if it was a slow day, and if there was the slightest dribble, drop or movement - everything would stop and I'd grab a couple of small pieces of candy and do a crazy dance while singing loudly - You went to the pot-ty, you went to the pot-ty, you went to the pot-ty cause you're really smart! After they got in the hang of it, the candy tapered off and they were given alot of praise for being a big boy/girl now.

The middle child, however - has been very frustrating. He just simply didn't want to try. I tried my method, methods of experts, bribery, begging, all sorts of things. He didn't care in the least. Finally, the child was almost 6 years old and I told the pediatrician not to give me another, "He'll go when he's ready." speech. He gave me a form to fill out, did some tests, and finally gave him a prescription for a nose spray. He explained he had an immature bladder and so he didn't always know that he was about to go which made potty training that much more frustrating for him. We used the drops and he just started going to the bathroom one day and never looked back.

Good luck!

[FinallyDomesticated]

Ok - my two cents worth.

I had two of my children perfectly potty trained at age two. How? I became a super uber dork with a stash of candy. We'd go to the potty, sit together, read a book if it was a slow day, and if there was the slightest dribble, drop or movement - everything would stop and I'd grab a couple of small pieces of candy and do a crazy dance while singing loudly - You went to the pot-ty, you went to the pot-ty, you went to the pot-ty cause you're really smart! After they got in the hang of it, the candy tapered off and they were given alot of praise for being a big boy/girl now.

The middle child, however - has been very frustrating. He just simply didn't want to try. I tried my method, methods of experts, bribery, begging, all sorts of things. He didn't care in the least. Finally, the child was almost 6 years old and I told the pediatrician not to give me another, "He'll go when he's ready." speech. He gave me a form to fill out, did some tests, and finally gave him a prescription for a nose spray. He explained he had an immature bladder and so he didn't always know that he was about to go which made potty training that much more frustrating for him. We used the drops and he just started going to the bathroom one day and never looked back.

Good luck!

[drigore]

First step for teaching boys, float cigarettes or something else flushable in the toilet and let them aim at it. It's fun for them and hilarious for you. Other then that, I can't really add to what's already been said, except letting him pick out his own underwear at the store, no matter how outrageous to you it might seem. Explain to him, if you want to wear it, use it correctly. If it's something he wants, just make him work at it.

[Lady Shadow]

I made mine wear underpants, nd when he pooped in them I made HIM get in the tub and clean them out. He did it twice, saw I meant business, and never did it again. Also with the fancy undershorts, and a very serious 'You don't tinkle on Batman' worked wonders. Best of luck to you.

[Doughboy]

Step right up! Step right up! Come to the poop and peeathalon 2005! God..somebody come help me potty train my girls...this is killing me....

:cry:

[Parkbandit]

My first kid had issues with potty training. As first time parents, we went out and bought all the books, read all the articles, did everything everyone told us to do and STILL she wouldn't go. We begged, pleaded, rewarded, etc.. anything to get it done. Months of this, catering to her every whim.. every need... making sure we did the 'right' thing.

One Saturday morning, I positioned her potty in front of the TV tuned to her favorite show with her favorite books all around her and her favorite blankie by her side. She woke up and I brought her to her precious throne. She started to cry and carry on that it wasn't to her liking and I was like:

"HELL FUCKING NO. YOU ARE GOING TO SIT ON THIS DAMN TOILET UNTIL YOU PEE AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO SIT ON HERE ALL DAY, YOU ARE NOT MOVING UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED. DO NOT MESS WITH ME, BECAUSE I AM SERIOUS"

She peed on the potty and we never had an issue after that. No accidents, no more diapers, no nothing. It was freaky.

[Tromp]

Originally posted by Parkbandit
My first kid had issues with potty training. As first time parents, we went out and bought all the books, read all the articles, did everything everyone told us to do and STILL she wouldn't go. We begged, pleaded, rewarded, etc.. anything to get it done. Months of this, catering to her every whim.. every need... making sure we did the 'right' thing.

One Saturday morning, I positioned her potty in front of the TV tuned to her favorite show with her favorite books all around her and her favorite blankie by her side. She woke up and I brought her to her precious throne. She started to cry and carry on that it wasn't to her liking and I was like:

"HELL FUCKING NO. YOU ARE GOING TO SIT ON THIS DAMN TOILET UNTIL YOU PEE AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO SIT ON HERE ALL DAY, YOU ARE NOT MOVING UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED. DO NOT MESS WITH ME, BECAUSE I AM SERIOUS"

She peed on the potty and we never had an issue after that. No accidents, no more diapers, no nothing. It was freaky.

PB should patent that! Hysterical. I actually want a potty in front of the TV.

[Jennaen]

It's normal for boys to potty train more slowly. It's also normal for them to urinate in the toilet, but not defecate. That's their last form of control over their bodies, and they're used to being able to perform that function in whatever position is comfortable, with a warm ass... not doing so in a fairly specified position on a toilet with a cold ass. Don't worry, he'll get it. Try not to berate him for it... so he doesn't feel the need to hide it from you.

I know it frustrates you, but, it's frustrating for him, too. He's simply not ready, and now he's got the poop police after him... let him do it in his own time, continue to be positive when he sinks the cheerios, and encourage him to sit on the pot some, too, but don't try to force it. It'll all be good, really. He'll just start one day, just to bewilder ya.

[Tromp]

Update:

Yesterday a spark of light occurred when he went to the bathroom without being asked and did #1. Just got up and walked into the bathroom then out of the blue I hear the toilet flush. WOO HOO!

<---- doesn't want to be known as the Poop Police :help:

[Chastittee]

Tromp-

I taught preschool to two year olds for three years, have 8 nieces and nephews, and two kids of my own. Every kid is different. Lots of the best advice has already been given here.

Boys are almost always slower than girls at picking up potty training. I had issues with my daughter til I tried the underwear trick. I put her in training panties at night with the plastic over them. She peed in them once, the plastic held it all in, and she freaked. Never had an accident again.

My son...he'd just get up and change himself and go back to bed. He could care less. Piss, shit..it didn't matter. He'd throw the dirty ones in the laundry room and put clean ones on. I tried rewarding him with stickers, toys, candy, etc. He didn't care. I tried throwing away a toy everytime he had an accident. He didn't care. I tried praising him. He didn't care. I bought him any underwear he wanted and gave him the whole "don't pee on <batman, superman, ninja turtles, etc> speech. He didn't care. I tried the "only babies pee in their pants" routine. He didn't care. I tried the "You can't go to big boy school til you're potty trained" speech. He didn't care. I finally (at about age 4 1/2) lost all patience and started hauling off with spankings. It worked. Very well in fact. Daytime, nighttime...all at once.

My sister in law's oldest son...he was just the same way. She also tried the throwing him in the tub and making him clean up himself. He didn't care. He'd just shit himself and go take a bath.

I guess my point is...every kid is different and boys tend to be extremely difficult to train. Find something that makes him care.

For those of you who haven't noticed, I become a big bitch when my kids disobey repeatedly, even over stuff like potty training. I'm absolutely a firm believer in spankings. I think half the reason we have so many spoiled brats these days is b/c parents don't spank enough. That's a different topic entirely though.

So, good luck to those of you who are still potty training your kids. I've had success with every single idea mentioned so far in this thread. It just all depends on the child.


-Chas

[Jolena]

:yeahthat:

[Edited on 11-18-2005 by Jolena]

[Gan]

Update:

It seems that bribery with toys and candy is starting to work. Now the kid wont get off the damn potty. And forget keeping toilett paper on the roll next to where he's sitting.

I think I've created a monster.

:spaz:

[AnticorRifling]

Last year when I was potty trained the sports section seemed to work really well as a reward for solid seat time.

[Brattt8525]

Remember PB this will be the speech she gives you when she visits you in the nursing home.........

"HELL FUCKING NO. YOU ARE GOING TO SIT ON THIS DAMN TOILET UNTIL YOU PEE AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO SIT ON HERE ALL DAY, YOU ARE NOT MOVING UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED. DO NOT MESS WITH ME, BECAUSE I AM SERIOUS"


<~~~~~running for cover.

[Gan]

I'd rather cozy up with a new weekly edition of The Economist rather than the sport section. Guess that makes me a nerd. :(

I did play sports all through HS and intramurel in college though. I'd rather play than watch though, unless its baseball, that sport I like watching live almost as much as playing it.

[AnticorRifling]

Watching baseball is about as fun as getting punched in the neck.

[ElanthianSiren]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
Watching [any sport except hockey or soccer] is about as fun as getting punched in the neck.

-M