That's right, I think Micaiah may be ready to use a potty. He's been showing several of the classic signs of readiness (although Elliott is having a hard time-doesn't want his little guy to grow up). We have checked out a few little potties, and I think we settled on one (they are so expensive here!) We are planing to get the potty this week and give him a little while to get used to it before we actually start the training. I am reading about just how to start the whole process and have talked with a good friend about what worked and didn't work for her little girl.
So, here's my question: pull-ups or straight to training underwear? Which did you use for your little ones? Did it work well, or would you do it differently if you could do it over? I've heard some moms say that pull-ups just confused their child and normal underwear worked better. Anyone else have this experience? Or the opposite? Any other advice or "wish I would have known that before" information is most welcome.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Potty Training Here We Come
Posted by Dena at 9:00 AM
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12 comments:
I can understand Elliott's difficulty. It's always so hard when a son starts to develop skills that surpass his father.
Elliot dosn't want to stop changing diapers? That's weird. I don't have any experience on toilet training kids, so I'll just sit back and watch with amusement.
I found Pull-Ups really didn't help to accomplish anything...a little confusing, and almost just as messy sometimes. (But, Micaiah is a lot younger than my kids were when training, so it might be hard to compare).
Mostly, potty training is a combination of Kid's readiness + Parent's diligence. the worst thing you can do is start and then stop. So, just be SURE you're ready to commit to watching him like a hawk, and assisting him to the potty immediately approx. 25 times per day. If you think you can handle that, then dive right in. Your consistency is a huge key.
P.S.... potty training a toddler with an infant in the house is very difficult, but entirely possible.
Oh....have fun! It's a frustrating and rewarding experience, both for the child and for you :)
And I'm sure I'm one of the moms you're referring to who say pull-ups confuse :) In Gabe's case they certainly did. I would say start him on pull-ups first, you know, just so he gets the hang of pulling them down/going on the toilet kinda thing. Then alternate cotton underware with the pull-ups perhaps, and see if you notice a difference. With Gabe we kept him in pull-ups once he started emitting some of the classic potty training signs. Then it got to the point where if he was wearing cotton underware he would tell us he had to use the bathroom, go on his own, or just...USE them, and if he had pull-ups on he would almost always use them. It was an exception that he would go. It just took Gabe getting off the pull-ups to learn a little bit. Now, he is exclusively in cotton underware and for the first time ever slept all the way through the night in them as well! He even got up in the middle of the night and peed (with some assistance of course). He does still sometimes have accidents during the day...dribbling with an occassional full blown pee (sorry for MY play-by-play!!) but over all I am pleased with where he is. You will find that your little guy will take to it all with his own style and time :) Don't get discouraged if your little tyke doesn't seem to be progressing as far as others are...I really had trouble with that. And as always you'll do great :) The two of you...er...three of you once Elliot gets on board :) will find a nitche that works for all of you! Oh...and Justin had trouble letting his little baby go too...I totally understand!
I've also heard of people putting cheerios or fruit loops in the toilet for little boys to pee on. Apparently this is super fun for little boys. I've never tried it. If you do let me know how it goes :)
And I totally agree with Elizabeth :)
Oh my goodness...it's been a back and forth nightmare with Jadon. When he was two, I begged his doc for help, and he said that for boys, two is "way to young, and totally inappropriate at this age to try to toilet train." We found out he was right, and let it go for another year. When he started waking up from naps AND overnight still dry (in his diapers), we knew he was ready. Regarding the pull up or underwear? Jadon had a REAL problem with pull-ups. He'd use them like a toilet. We'd only put them on him when we would be out running errands for a long time, but even then, we only started that after we noticed him picking up on the potty training really well. We went straight to underwear...at home, with no pants/shorts on...we kept checking him and asking him if he was dry and if he needed to go potty. He caught on really quick. He HATED peeing in his brand new Thomas underwear. We couldn't even use the thick, "padded" training underwear with him, though...NOW we only use those at night in case he has a dribble or something, but he's doing great now!
The best thing I can tell you, from what we learned with Jadon, though is this: if he shows ANY signs of reluctance, then put the potty away for a month (at LEAST), and forget about it...then try again later when he may be showing interest or signs of readiness again. It's a looooong process with boys, so patience is the key. And ONE BAD EXPERIENCE? It will turn him off for MONTHS! Jadon was doing great, and he had to go potty at the doc's office, and they have those automatic-sensor flushing toilets? It flushed while he was still on it, and we STILL can't get him to go potty except in someone's personal home and bathroom. He wouldn't even do THAT for alomst 2 weeks after the incident. We have like 6 different potty training books, and no ONE book worked for Jadon...we had to kinda pull what would work from all of them and use them together...that and a lot of begging and pleading for help and tips from friends worked pretty well:)
Oh yeah, and the cheeio or fruit loop thing? Wait until he's like 18 and has aim:) Jadon would try to pee on everything/everyONE if we even thought about letting him do that:) We're just waiting until he REALLY has this potty thing down...I mean REALLY! :)
Oh yeah....the book "Everyone Poops" is HILARIOUS!
I found pull-ups completely useless while trying to potty train. They feel just like diapers for them. Instead I used training pants (not sure if you can get them there or not...we can't in canada...I got mine in the states) They are just like cotton underwear but have a thicker padding in the crotch area. So they feel like undies,can be worn as undies, but are much easier on the clean up end of accidents. Some of them have a plastic exterior (I think the older styles). I found those really helpful during the training part.
I do find pull-ups useful AFTER the training is over. We keep a pack on hand for road trips (in case she falls asleep in the car..) and nap time. But now that she's totally potty trained she tells us and still goes on the potty if she's wearing one -they are good as a back up though...
I found the potty seats that you put on top of the regular potty much easier, more convenient, and much less messy than the little potties that you buy! (they are the ring like little seats you just set on top of the regular toilet) In fact Mya only used them for a few weeks and now prefers to just go on the big potty (with a step stool) without them. So it made the transition sooooo nice.
Good luck!!! I've already decided I'm farming out the next child to someone else to do when it's time :)
And I echo Elizabeth - Everyone Poops is an awesome book...we read it and "Bye Bye Diapers" lots here!!! And still do....
Good Luck. :) Don't get frustrated if it doesn't happen. I tried and tried with Micah when I thought he was ready, but with no success. When he was ready, it took a week, with very little effort on my part, and he was fully trained, night time and everything. Have fun, it's nice when it finally happens. :)
not sure about pull ups, but I will say if he's not wanting to sit on the potty bare it might be worth it to put a towel or something under him at first (so his bum isn't hanging in a hole) - it helped Hana a LOT!
Personally, I don't think any age is too young to start pottying (we started Hana when she was about 5 months and could sit on the potty herself) - so long as you're able to communicate to each other. Once Hana learned that if she pottied she didn't have to sit in it she caught on quick. On good days she only wets 3 diapers (one at night and one during naps, and even then she can stay dry during naps if we catch her quick enough when she wakes up),
Have fun, don't get frustrated! He will learn at some point!
we have just started this challenge ourselves, but I think we are in a little over our heads. Gabby is already showing signs of jealousy with the baby, and the baby is not even here yet. I am worried that we will get her trained and then baby will come, and she will want to use diapers again... I find pull-up useless! I found them useless with my God-daughter when I helped train her too.... Gabby has been in cloth diapers most of the time since we moved to PEI... so we are using cloth training pants as well.... If you decide to use cloth, I will make you some and send them! I just need to know what size diapers he has been in. :)
So it looks like not many people like pull-ups for the training part.
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