potty training- asking to pee ALL THE TIME

We decided to try to potty train our boys since they seemed relatively ready and summer potty training involves fewer clothes, and therefor seems easier, in our eyes. They've been doing quite well- we're into day four and have had only a couple accidents in the past couple of days. The thing I'm having the most trouble with is that my one son won't pee much at once, so he is CONSTANTLY asking to use the potty. I think part of this may be to do with the fact that we're offering one Smartie for every time they pee, and he's on to that.. so more pees = more smarties. I DID tell them that a big pee gets them two smarties, but he doesn't seem to care.
It's getting a bit ridiculous- yesterday before bed he peed over 20 times (at least that SEEMS ridiculous- is this normal?), which was more than the preceding days, and then after he was in bed he "needed" to pee about another 5 times (which just seems like a big delay-tactic to me!) and then this morning he was up super early asking to pee again. He'd pee a tiny pee, insist he was done, and then ask to pee again about three minutes after being put back in bed. It seems like each day his number of pees is increasing, and I don't know how to reign this in!
I don't want to discourage him from using the potty, but REALLY, this seems to be a little out of hand. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what did you do?

 

I don't have specific experience with this. I will be potty training my twin girls next week (hopefully). However, do you think you could change your "reward" to a smarty after X number of pees. For instance, maybe after every 5th successful peeing on the potty. Might help to reign it in!

Good luck.

Dessie

Kayla & Emma 4/29/07

Ilana 6/12/05

 

I started setting a timer first for 15 min, then 30 min. I ecouraged them to go potty and "get all of it out" because we couldn't go again until the timer went off. Also, they got a treat (a small piece of candy, a sticker, whatever) if they went potty with dry undies. So that led to if they couldn't go the 15 or 30 min without an accident then they could go potty and get cleaned up but no treat. My thinking was that if they couldn't go half an hour without peeing then they weren't ready to train. But like you said, some kids figure out the more times = more treats thing.

 

Hmmm.. the timer idea sounds like it could work, though I'm not sure how easily he could grasp the concept. it's worth a shot, though. Also, I've started saying "No, you can't go again right now, you just went, you need to wait a few minutes", and so far, no accidents.
He seems to forget his desperate need to pee if I can get him to hold off for a moment!

 

It's the novelty of it right now. Yes, he was delaying bedtime too I am sure. But right now it is new and fun and he is successful at it, and that feels good. So of course he is going to do it often!

I agree with the pp. Instead of using the timer to indicate when they "should" go, use the timer to indicate when they "can" go. So after he pees, set the timer for 20 min. and tell him, when the timer goes off, he can go again. But until then, he has to wait. Trust me, it will be like a game. He'll be into it!

 

We trained ours about the same age hat you are now doing it. I remember with my one DS he wanted to pee all the time too and go just a little. With him, I think he was just a little apprehensive with the whole pottying in a potty thing. It got a lot better after a week or so. And now the only time he asks to pee a lot is before bed. It's his stalling tactic. U think you sound like you have a pretty good handle on the potty training. Good luck- you will be so happy when they can go by themselves.

 

I don't think this is the most common opinion, but I did sometimes tell them they just didn't have to go. Or I would say "You can go if you want to, but you aren't getting another M&M." It was frustrating for awhile, but not a very long-lasting stage. But it's definitely nice when they get competent enough that they can go potty by themselves and you don't have to help!

 

When does that happen?!??! This potty thing is WAAAAAYYYY more work than diapers (for me ).

To the OP: One of my DDs does this too (but not 20 times like your DS). We aren't giving her rewards for potty trips so I know she isn't doing it for the reward, but just because she didn't go all the first time. I posted about this a week ago (or so), and someone suggested trying to get her to sit a little longer and maybe sing a song. So thats what we've been doing- singing the ABCs together and then she can get up. Its helped a little bit, but I also think she is starting to get a handle on when she is really REALLY done. GL with PTing!!!

 

T&T are completely independent now and although they still ask for poop wiping sometimes, they CAN do it themselves. And yeah, it's niiiiiiiiiiice when they do it all on their own.

I did naked training at first with a little potty in their play area and they went pee MANY times for the first couple of weeks (novelty phase) and then they started holding it longer and longer because they wanted to play more than they wanted to hang out on the new potties and we swung the opposite direction having accidents on the way to the toilet because they were so focused on playing that they'd waited too long. And yes, bedtime callbacks were ridiculous for a while. Truly, it wasn't THAT LONG of a phase even if it seemed it at the time.

 

I agree!! Mine are all about the timer...I use it for lots of things (clean your room before the timer goes off, wash your hands before the timer goes off...) they think it is the funnest game!

 

I just wanted to say thanks for all the tips... my son IS going a bit longer between daytime pees (so hopefully the novelty of constantly hopping on the potty is wearing off a bit), plus we used the timer idea and it seems to be working really well! We use it mostly before bed (and in the middle of the night), and set it for 15 minutes, and they either wait till it goes off to ask again, or fall asleep in the interim. It's brilliant!