Potty Training

Oh, the woes of potty training. Honestly, I'm scared to death of the whole thing! I don't want to even think about it...it stresses me out. Never once since the day my girls were born have I been "scared" of the next phase, something new, etc...but potty training has me freaked...lol!!! I know, I'm nuts!!! I think it's b/c it's so hit or miss and some kids it takes forever and there can be so many setbacks. It's not like introducing a few food, tyring cereal for the first time, switching to whole milk, moving to sippies, etc. AHHHH!!!!

My girls are almost 22 months and Morgan (more often than not) will tell me "Poooo poooo" AFTER she poops. She's never told me before. Reagan doesn't really care one way or the other and really has never said anything - although she loves being naked and peeing on the floor before I can get her upstairs for her bath...hahaha!!!

So, when did you start potty training? What did you do to start them out? How long did it take before they were fully trained?

In my case, I'm almost positive that Morgan will be ready WAY before Reagan...so that makes me dread it even more knowing that I may have to go through the whole process twice in a matter of just a short time span.

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

Girl - I feel your pain. Casey has recently started telling me she needs her diaper changed when she's wet or poopy. She doesn't say pee or poop. Just let's me know it happened. I don't think Mandi is even in the same plane as Casey though. She could walk around all day with poop in her diaper and never tell me. So, I'm starting to wonder if we're getting close to having to go through this with Casey. If so, I'd love to take advantage of it over the summer while the weather is warm and they can run around without pants on.

It terrifies the heck out of me too.

 

I have only potty trained my singleton and that was very trying for me! My only advice is to NOT push it. I wanted oldest to be trained before the twins came so I wouldn't have 3 in diapers (she was 26 months when they arrived). Ha! She showed interest in using the potty starting around 18 months, but would only go here and there. We never forced the issue with her, but would encourage her to use the potty. I worked on her a lot as she got closer to 3, but she was on her own timeline. I think she fully trained around 34 months. Everyone told me it is so much easier to train when they are ready - and that was the truth.
Good luck! I am not looking forward to training the twins, but I figured at least they will have Ellie to follow and try to be like. Maybe that will encourage them!

 

I feel your pain & anxiety! Potty training is tough. With my singleton, we began when the babies were 4 months old- she was 2 years & 4+ mo. She showed signs much earlier around 24-25 months, but I was NOT ready. We picked a weekend, & put a potty in the closest bathroom & one in the den. Then, I set a timer to go off every 20-30 minutes. Every time the timer went off, my dd got on the potty. It seriously only took 2 days of that & she was 100% tinkle trained. Now, poop was a bit slower. It took her about 10 days to always go on the potty. She liked to wait until nap time, poop in her pants, rip them off (making a disgusting mess), try to "clean" herself up, & then call me. Yuck.
Once you do it & it's successful, you won't believe how awesome it is!
Good luck!

 

Ditto the previous post....to a "T". Including the spreading poop around part. We have been training for about 2 months now. They are pretty much pee-trained (except for nap and bedtime), but have been holding poop. Just three days ago, they both started pooping in the potty. I'm just not forcing the issue with them and they seem to be wanting to do it on their own.

Honestly, the first week or so was very tiring. Running in and out of the bathroom every 20min., but it was worth it. It got better after the first week for us.

Crystal

......if only I could get the babies potty-trained

 

We are just in the process of "really" starting... I am scared too!

You can check out some success stories here.

 

I was soooo parannoid of training, I avoided it like it was the worst thing that could ever happen. I wouldn't even click on a TS post that had any potty words on it, it was really quite frightening. The good news is I never had to do it. K&K trained themselves and quite literally overnight. I did not clean up accidents, set timers, remind them to go, give any rewards, buy any potty chairs.........none of the stuff that is traditionally thought of when considering potty training. I made sure they knew what the toilet was for (pretty unavoidable since who ever gets any privacy?) and then just let them let me know. Kayla was 3 and Kyle was 3 and 4 months. One day they were wearing a diaper and the next they were wearing underwear. It was actually one of the most painless parts of parenting I have experienced and sooo ironic since I have never dreaded anything more in my entire life!

Potty training can be painless (wow, that sounds like a good book title doesn't it?)!

 

I agree with Dianne. We tried to train our boys 2 months before their 3rd birthday. They were 80% pee trained, but still did every single BM in their underwear (never used pull-ups). After 2 months, we gave up. Then a few months later, they decided they wanted to train and did it themselves. We've had a few accidents along the way (automatic public toilets are the enemy of little kids). Frankly it's easier to change diapers then always be paranoid that they would have an accident or wondering where the nearest public restroom is.

If you fear potty training, don't do it. Let the kids train themselves when they are ready.

 

It is a lot of work. We started one of my boys when he was about 31 months or more. Real low pressurem when we were home he wore sweats, nothing underneath. He peed on his leg a couple of times, each time I would take him to the "potty" after and tell him this is where he should pee. Also, I would ask him every 20 min at first and then stretch it out. If we went out, he wore a pull up, we would ask him along the way and before we left. And the made a huge deal out of when he went and when he told us. We also did little suckers when he went and then gradually cut back to one if he was dry all day. I say it probably took about two months but he is completly potty trained both day and night. A couple of accidents but at day care. Daycare is what slowed us down some both with him and his brother. We are still working on his brother but we/he started later. The first couple of trips with both of them wanting to go potty in public or even the possibility is/was nerve wracking for me, but we're getting it. This and it is so funny to see the two of them get excited and give positive reinforcement to each other!

Basically try to relax. They might be able to help each other along but there is no way to train them if they do not want to!

 

I feel ya Becky, been there, done that, and am doing it again! I think they are still a little young, unless they are wanting to go on their own I wouldn't push it. My girls were both around 3 months from their 3rd birthday before they went to the potty, and once they stared going that was it, from that moment on there were no more accidents. I firmly believe that girls are easier than boys if that makes you feel any better!

 

Like you I've been thinking about it, but dreading it. They are both very interested in the toilet when I'm on it and let us know after they have poop, and take us to get their diaper changed. Just for fun, I put Brooke on the potty before she got into the tub one night. She had previously peed on the floor before putting her in the tub right after I took her diaper off, so we figured this was maybe the way to start. She FREAKED out when I put her on. So I think I've decided to wait a couple of months, I've read so many posts about waiting until they are ready so I think that's what I'm going to do. Good Luck!

 

Well the one thing that you have going for you is that you have GIRLS. Girls train so much younger than boys. We are the superior species.. you know I read the national average for training girls is 27mons vs. 35months for boys. I can testify to this average...when I look to my own circle of friends and family.

My boys started showing interest in trying out the potty around 2yrs old. We bought them a potty chair and ring and took a very low key approach. Let them try it when they were interested. Ben started showing some major interest not until months later. He pee trained (day and night) within what seemed a day at 34months. But then it took him over 3months!! to be fully poop trained. Luke, on the other hand, is still not trained at 3yrs. The light has still not "clicked" with him on how to fully control his bladder muscles it seems. Its amazing how different siblings can be.

Go with the flow. You'll know when its time to go for it! Good luck!

 

I started training my kids at about 27 months. I had the potties before this, but there was no real preasure. Around this time I talked to my day care so that we'd all be on the same page regarding training. Anyway my daughter took a couple of months, but my son wanted nothing to do with it. Well around 30 months he suddenly became interested and was done in about 2 weeks.

Having said that they still wear night time diapers at 4 years. That's my next hurdle.

Kathy

 

Our experience woz similar to Dianne. We had potties in the bathroom, but they never really showed an interest or seemed ready, then just after they hit 3 years they did it in a matter of days. They never had any accident etc.. just switched to underwear. We're still in night time pullups they're 4 in June, not sure really wot to do with this. Thought I would just wait until they have about a week of dry diapers. At moment just an occassional one.

Also they trained poo and pee at same time



amanda

 

there must be something wrong with my girls cuz they are 3y and 4 months and one is training and the other has no interrest.... hummmm