Comments on: I interrupt this blog to bring you a potty training question

By: tb

tb — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:04:00 +0000

One last comment from me (the first poster), don’t be afraid to give it a try for 2 days. You won’t know if he’s ready unless you give it a shot. A lot of times the kids *become* ready when they think they don’t have an option. Be positive with him and with yourself (and get the plastic pants to put over the thick cloth underwear). If it doesn’t work, you’re not out anything. You can do it!

By: Bekah

Bekah — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:21:00 +0000

I’ve had various degrees of succes with my, now four, potty-trained children. For the first three, I used the bare-bottom, let ‘em run around and whisk ‘em to the potty when they go, method. They usually got the idea pretty quickly. The problem with #3 was stubborness once he got the point. He still doesn’t always choose to go to the toilet, and he’s five. The fourth has just learned. He was the easiest of them all by far, but mostly because he is so eager to emulate the older ones. I did not let him run around nude, because my daughter is old enough that I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable (though she is familiar with male anatomy and helps with baths and diaper changes). I didn’t think it appropriate, and he also hated not having any pants. He would devolve to tears. We used the M&M bribery method.

The less ready the child is, the longer it will take. I don’t think it’s impossible, if the child is not quite willing at the start, but it’s so much less stressful if they are willing. I would do everything I could to avoid three in diapers, personally, too. It might be worth it just to let him (your oldest is a him, right?) run around nude for a few days and see what happens. You can always drop it and wait, if it’s not going well.

By: Milehimama

Milehimama — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 15:37:00 +0000

We've never used cloth diapers (although, had I known we'd have 7 kids, I might have made the investment... except dh has put his foot down and said NO! LOL)

If you fold some toilet paper and put it in the diaper, or use a rag (we cut up towels into washcloth size squares, then fold) they will feel "wet" in a disposable. We actually used the diaper rags for a little bit of absorbency boost for our super pee-ers at night.

Of course, then you have diaper laundry, which may be exactly what you are trying to avoid with the disposables!

Mama Says

By: kim

kim — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:54:00 +0000

Back in the day, my kids are in their 30's, I couldn't afford disposable diapers. I used cloth diapers(any of you young kids ever heard of them?). The disposable diapers today are super absorbant- they don't feel wet even when they are. They are convenient for mom and dad, but not good for potty training.

I never had a problem with potty traing. Cloth diapers are uncomfortable. My son, the oldest, was potty trained at 2 yrs. with little effort. He pretty much did it on his own because he didn't like being wet. The second is always easier. They tend to mimic their older sibling. My daughter was trained at 18 mos. but she wanted to stand and pee like her brother! (Don't worry, she's got it right now.)

Take some advice from an old grandma. Get rid of the disposable diapers. Find some thick traing pants and some rubber pants to put over them so they don't ruin the carpet and the furniture. Believe or not you can still find rubber pants at Target.

My son and his wife had trouble with their 3 yr. old until they finally listened to me and got rid of the disposable diapers. She was trained within 1 week.

God Bless!

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 13:46:00 +0000

I like the “hit the cheerios” method (at least for the peeing part). You toss a handful of cheerios in the toilet and let him “shoot at them”

By: alicia

alicia — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 03:50:00 +0000

I used the “Toilet training in less than a day” method – very similar to what Dr. Phil describes. I used it for all 6 kids. My mom had 4 bedwetters of 6 kids, so did my mother in law. I had none. Zero. Zip. Nada. Once we started the process, all the kids were out of diapers totally within a week. I was floored.
HOWEVER – I don’t recommend learning the method from the brief Dr. Phil page. Get the book. The key is that your child MUST be physically and psychologically ready – and the book has a great screening tool for readiness. Age at potty training for my kids ranged from 20 months (my OCD eldest child) to 36 months (her equally stubborn but in a different way brother).
One of the things I learned is to use underwear, not diapers, not pull-ups. Cloth. It was easier for me to toilet train because I used cloth diapers, too, I think

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:19:00 +0000

I have a 28 mos. old boy who is potty-training right now. In fact this morning he took off his underpants, used the pot, and came and told me "I pee!" all by himself! (Yay, victory!).

Just before his second birthday we had a window of time iun which he was reall interested in the toilet and pot and would sit on it when I asked him too and pee a couple times a day. Then I decided a couple of months ago to speed up the process by letting him run around naked and really focussing on the process for a couple of days. It backfired - he hated making a 'mess' and cried for his diapers, and the stress of all that attention kept him from being able to 'let go' on the pot.

So I let it go for a while, and just a few days ago restarted (with a new, more comfortable potty). Now it seems to be going much better for both of us.

I read a lot whenever I am doing something new, and my favorite for potty training is "No Cry Toilet Training" (or something like that) by Elizabeth Pantley. It is very common sense, addresses physiological and social readiness very well, and talks about different methods that work with different children. I found a lot of reassurance and good ideas in the book.

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:11:00 +0000

That regression thing was why we waited with Big Girl.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:51:00 +0000

i would hate to see you put in all that effort to train the older one just to have him regress when the baby comes and you can’t devote all day brainpower to poop.

whimsy

p.s. magellamom, 3 in diapers for only a month!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 22:38:00 +0000

i think being potty trained is over-rated. diapers are really convenient when you’re at wal-mart and the 2 y.o. says “i gotta go” you don’t have to worry about dragging everyone into a filthy bathroom. my oldest loved checking out every restroom of every public place we ever went to.