Does anyone have potty training tips?

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   JamiJayposted 10 years ago

   Does anyone have potty training tips?
   
   I have a two year old that is pretty stubborn about potty training. She loves imitating me, and sits on her potty, even pretends to wipe, but when I go to pull her pants down she freaks out and screams "no, no, no mama". Are there any tips or tricks anyone has to offer on this subject? Do I force it, or just allow her to come to terms with it on her own time? FYI she hates to be naked.

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2. 83

   vandyneglposted 10 years ago

   Oh my!  I feel for you!  Never force it, even if you have older family folks saying "my son/daughter was potty trained at 18 months!"  (like you're an inadequate parent!).
   Each child is so different.  So what may work for my children (and others) may not work for yours.  If she is imitating and pretending to wipe, that is great!  She's just two as well, so this is where she has to start.
   I would make her potty seat special and add "special toys and books" that belong ONLY to potty time.
   She can sit on the potty (with her diaper on) and pretend to go, read a book or two, and become more comfortable with the experience.
   Rewarding for this is a MUST.  I created a sticker chart for my children.  I rewarded for just sitting on the potty for a few minutes at first.  Then, as they got used to it, I rewarded for sitting without the diaper.  After, I rewarded for actually going. 
   My sticker chart had so many stickers, then a small toy at the end.  For example, for every 3-5 stickers, they got a small dollar toy.  I increased the days as they got more used to using the potty.  For example, when they went potty 10 times, they got a dollar store toy.
   My oldest was easy (I took him every 1/2 an hour and made it like a big party), but he still holds in his poop TO THIS DAY (and he is almost 6!).  My youngest was fully trained at 2 1/2....it took him about 4-5 months to really "get it." (He still wears a pull up at night!)
   It's all a blast!
   Good luck!

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      JamiJayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This is a fabulous suggestion! I will start making a potty chart soon! Thank you so much!

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      Insightful Tigerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The sticker chart is a great idea! We did that for a while and I agree, it helps!

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   shanmarieposted 10 years ago

   I have three children and each one was different. When they are ready, they will use it.  My eldest had a setback when the kiddie potty pinched him.  It was nearly until his sister (20 months younger) was ready to potty train that he wanted to use the potty, only he would sit on the "big potty" instead of the kiddie one.  And she started training slightly early because she was watching him and others.  My youngest was extremely hard to train because he just didn't want to.  I would say not to force it and when she does use it, be sure to make a big deal of it with lots of praise and enthusiasm.  Before long, you will me wishing she was completely trained to go on her own without summoning you every 15 minutes or so.

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      JamiJayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your input that is a good suggestion/tip. I appreciate it!

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4. 39

   ChristinSposted 10 years ago

   I understand your frustrations, but the more you "push" the issue, the more she will push back.  Let it be her idea and keep encouraging the things she is doing that are positive. 
   
   You may want to take the incentives a bit further.  Perhaps let her pick a sticker to put on a calendar or poster every time she does go potty and that may give her some incentive to want to do it. 
   
   Don't worry if she doesn't do it right away, eventually they do I promise
   
   My youngest son was SO slow to potty train and I was at my wits end, but when I stopped making it an issue, it ceased to be an issue and he just made up his mind one day and away he went (at 3 and 1/2 lol) My first little guy was almost 3 when he finally decided he wanted to go. It was also after I just stopped pushing the issue.

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      JamiJayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I have stopped pushing the issue and now she is imitating me again, and beginning to do it on her own, we high five after she pretends to go. Thanks for the comment!

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5. 72

   shrutiwritesposted 10 years ago

   Hey Jamie,
   
   Don't ever force her or you'll scar her mind for life. Let her be for a while and then try to make it fun. I had created a fun way for my little boy. The moment I'd see him straining, I'd smile at him, utter "aai, aai, aai, aai" ("aai" is Hindi for "it's coming") in a naughty manner and rush him to the pot. It became a sort of game, and he soon learned (though there were many false alarms when he just wanted to be carried and rushed for fun). You can see how he enjoyed his potty time at my Hub on potty training. (Yes, that happy baby sitting on the pot is him )
   
   Happy training!

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      JamiJayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      haha, that is a fun way to potty train. I am going to check out your hub for sure. Thanks for your input I really appreciate it!

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   Insightful Tigerposted 10 years ago

   My son was pretty easy and his older sister was not. I think the biggest thing that helped my son was watching the potty training videos on youtube. Elmo has a video about it and you can watch some of it on youtube or get it on Amazon. Try doing a search on potty training videos and making a playlist for her. Try seeing if any of them trigger her desire to train. We also bought the "Froggy Potty" and made sure to introduce it to him as "Seth's new potty chair!" (get them all excited about it).
   
   It's different for everyone. Just don't let anyone make you or her feel bad about it because every kid is different. She will get it eventually!
   
   Good luck, sista!.

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      Laura Schneiderposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree totally with Insightful Tiger--get them excited about it! But, it's different for everyone. Just don't wait too long to start potty training and never blame for mistakes/accidents. Good luck everyone!

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   livinggoodposted 10 years ago

   I wrote a hub on potty training you can check out. It can be done in as little as 3 days. But forcing it can be a mistake. Patience is just one of the keys to success.

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      Laura Schneiderposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Three days sounds right--you want to create enthusiasm for them to potty train (let them choose their training potty in the toy/children's store), hype it up, don't force it, and never blame or show annoyance at accidents. Patience is a virtue. Luck!

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8. 85

   Laura Schneiderposted 10 years ago

   See my answer to "Potty training tips for toddler who goes every 2 minutes?".
   
   Don't force it, create enthusiasm for it. See my answer to "What are your tips for getting a stubborn toddler to potty train?"
   
   Regarding being naked--perhaps she needs privacy! Consider either leaving the room and closing the door "Like big kids do", talking through it to her with encouragement, and/or giving her a "drape" to put over her lap when she has to pull down her pants to actually use the potty, like they do at the doctor's office. A pretty crib liner (washable), receiving blanket, or just a bath towel might be just the trick. Letting her know that bathrooms (at home, not public) are one area where it's okay to be totally naked and that nobody can see her and that everybody does it will help. Even an 18-month-old is old enough to start learning these concepts.
   
   Very good luck!

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