Potty training advice

The boys are 35 months and we have been seriously PT'ing for about three weeks now. I put the potty chairs in the living room, and have rewarded them with stickers and treats. We let them run around either naked or in underwear or cloth training pants, but put pull-ups on for outings and night time. Originally we were just going to train Truman, who seemed more ready, but Spencer was showing interest so we decided to train both at once.

The first couple weeks went okay, partially because I let them watch videos on the potty initially to keep them on there for awhile! (We also read and sing songs.) Truman started to use the potty on his own and has had many successes. Spencer has had successes, but has yet to actually sit down and go on his own, he always has to be prompted and then entertained for as long as it takes to go. Both continue to have accidents. This past week though Spencer has regressed and hasn't used the potty hardly at all. I'm not sure he is ready-should we back off and put him in pull-ups for awhile and maybe he will follow his brother's lead? Also, is it supposed to take this long?

 

I did a different approach with my DD where we went right to underwear and just dealt with a lot of accidents the 1st week. By the 2nd week, accidents were happening just once a day or less. So it didn't take that long for her to "get it" initially, but the past four months have been interspersed with a few accidents in one day and then weeks of no accidents at all. I do think, generally, when training at a younger age (like before 3.5), it does tend to take a little longer for everything to fully click and for them to be consistent with using the potty.

Now, I haven't even started with DS. But I do plan to do the same thing with going straight to underwear. I'll give him a week and if he doesn't seem motivated to use the potty rather than pee in his undies after that time, then I'll drop it and try again in a few months.

From my experience with training DD at 2.5, I'd say back off with Spencer and give him a few more months of diapers before trying again. They're both pretty young for PT in the grand scheme of things.

 

Personally, I've had success with going straight to padded training underwear. I don't use diapers or pull-ups for outings. I put plastic pants over the underwear. Feeling the wetness from their accidents has been huge for my girls. They don't like it all! I just prepare myself if I have to run out. I've actually found they don't wet when we run out. I only use diapers for nighttime and they know it. I do know a lot of people have success with pull-ups and that's awesome for them but I'm not a fan. If toddlers are ready physically to be toilet trained, they need to feel those first few drops in their underwear to get them to stop playing and get to the potty. At least that's how my girls are. I hope this helps.

 

I would agree with Suzanne. We just got DD trained. We went straight to undies. It took 3 days...by the 3rd day she was accident free. A friend of mine told me to put them in undies and give it a week. She said they will hate being wet and will start to go on the potty when they get tired of the wetness. I didn't even use pull ups when we left the house. I put a potty chair in the back of the car and took a change of clothes (just in case). We are still using diapers at night. However, she has woken up dry the last 4 nights. I figure if she can stay dry for a week or so then we will probably cut out diapers all together. Right now, I just tell her "we are going to put a diaper on for nighttime just in case, but we need to try and keep it dry, OK?"

I would give it a shot w/ going straight to undies. You will figure out real soon if they are ready or not. DS made it through the first morning and he threw a stickin' fit to be put back in a diapers. Guess he wasn't ready yet!?! I will try him again in a month or so.

Best of luck!

 

Thanks everyone! I know I need to ditch the pull-ups, but I am scared of accidents. I also hate to do that to the preschool teachers. But I know they will continue to pee in the pull-ups because they feel just like diapers to them. I guess I just need to bite the bullet and do it! I like the idea of the plastic covers, I hope that will help make less of a mess.