So...how do you actually teach them to GO?

Mine love to sit on the toilet, and regularly tell me they need to go pee-pee on the potty, but they never produce anything. They sit there for about 30 seconds, then pull a few squares of TP off the roll, toss it into the bowl, and announce, "All done!" Seems like they often ask right after they pee, though, so I figure their bladders are empty. Yesterday morning Rita woke up with a bone dry diaper and asked to go pee-pee on the potty so I figured we might actually get somewhere, but nope, even though her belly was all round and full from her full bladder, she still didn't produce.

I am one of those "We'll do potty training when they show interest" kind of moms and am pretty relaxed about the whole thing, so I pretty much assume this is perfectly normal and they'll figure it out eventually, but is there something I could be doing to help them put 2+2 together? (Or should I say put #1 + #2 together? )

 

I do not know if you can teach them. I think it just has to click. The best trick I have heard is to spend a day giving them lots to drink and put them on the potty frequently so hopefully they will be on the potty at the right time. Good luck!

 

Mine learned by seeing themselves go pee in the bathtub and on the floor a few dozen times and when it became clear they were starting to go intentionally, I bought potties. Have you tried letting them run around naked for a while? It's messy but I'm told it works to associate the feeling of needing to go with actually going. Our potty training started this way, although it wasn't by choice... they just like to take off their clothes.

 

My oldest started after he peed in the tub and could stop the stream, then make the stream go, stop go stop go. He didn't "get it" until he saw it.

 

My girls have never (AFAIK) peed in the tub and only once had any kind of accident...many, many months ago Natalie once peed on the bathroom rug as we were putting them in the tub, but that was way before they had any kind of clue about this sort of thing. Letting them run around naked and have accidents is just not my bag, especially because I don't feel any particular need to rush the process, so I guess I will just be patient and keep letting them sit on the potty for 30 seconds at a time until it clicks at some point. I am really not in any kind of hurry!

 

I just went through this with my 28 month old. I wanted to train her, but I knew she didn't know what it mean to go potty because she never had before. She had sat plenty of times, but never went. I finally just bit the bullet and put her in underpants. She had three days of just wetting her underpants. On the third day, I thought if she doesn't go on the potty by the end of today we will put this on hold for a few weeks. Finally, on the evening of the third day she went (a tiny bit). We made a huge deal out of it and put her back on a minute later ( I knew she would still need to go more). She went more and we made anothe big deal out of it. After that we just kept at it and finally it just clicked and she got it.

 

Hi - this post may be a little late since you began posting subject on 10/12 but I just thought I would add my 2 cents! If you can place your child on the potty after each meal and nap, the key is to hopefully get them to go in the pot, then it will begin to click in their minds but before an "accidental success" lots of toddlers are pretty clueless. Don't leave them on the chair very long, be matter of fact and when the "accident" finally happens make a very big deal! Most kids, when ready will train quickly (within about a week). If you are just not having success and getting frustrated it's time to put the diaper back on for a month or two. Good Luck!

 

I sometimes turn a little water on in the sink and say "now YOU put YOUR water in the toilet" and also, I have been known to use a medicine cup and give them drinks of water from the sink (they love the novelty of drinking out of the little cup) and after they've had a few, they are sorta FULL so they let go of the older stuff!!

I'm with you!! We are really relaxed about it!

 

I resorted to bribery...pure and simple. When he made tinkle noises in the potty, he got an M&M. Once we got to poop he got a ring pop (he only went only once per day and never finished the ring pop cause he had to sit still at the table with it.) Took 2 weeks.

 

I would give mine lots to drink and I also would pour lukewarm, water over their "area" and that seemed to get the sensation to kick-in and they would go. Once they started going they understand what the sensation is supossed to be and they then do it on their own.

 

Any progress Bettie?

 

We did try the warm water trick with Lily. My mom had success with me when I was potty training, but not Lily.

Fill up a cup with warm water and poor it on her between her legs. It gives pretty much the same sensation. Also you could try the hand in warm water trick too.

Good Luck.

 

QUOTE(marieber @ Nov 28 2007, 09:51 PM) [snapback]513183[/snapback]
Any progress Bettie?

Nah, they haven't been asking to sit on the potty lately, so with Thanksgiving travel and whatnot I haven't really thought about it much. Definitely still no action! I figure they'll be out of diapers by the time they leave for college.

The warm water seems like a good trick for getting them to understand more what's going on. I may try that if there's no progress in the next couple of months.