I finally decided that I have had it up to my ears with diapers! So, I brought out the big girl & big boy underwear and we attacked potty training! Grace had started to get interested in it about 6 months ago, but then just decided that she did not want to use the potty. That was until Jake got interested in the potty and God forbid that Jake excels at something before Grace! So with that, I thought it would be a fantastic time to get this train a movin'!
Jake is great about telling us when he has to go potty...about 5% of the time. So, he put the undies on and away we went. Well, no kidding. Within 1 hour, he had blown through 11 pairs of underwear! In fact, we had to stop because I didn't have any undies left to put on him. Every time I would ask him if he had to go potty, which was about every 5 minutes, he would say yes. But only to find out that he had already gone in his undies.
And Grace, well she only had 2 accidents in that time frame. 2 times in fact, she just pulled down her panties and went potty! I was soo proud of her!
And Sweet Caroline, every time she saw one of them go on the potty, she would lift her shirt and point to the seat that she wanted her turn. So as soon as they got up, she sat down. I swear I will have her potty trained before them! No joke!
Jake & Grace are almost 3 1/2 and I would have sworn that they would have been potty trained already. I am way behind the curve on this one.
So I am the Dummy that needs help potty training my kids! What am I doing wrong?? Comments strongly appreciated!!
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3 comments:
It sounds like you are doing everything right. It may just take continued persistence. *If* it's not making a mess in the house, I would let him sit in his wet undies for a bit, so he realizes it is an uncomfortable feeling. Maybe keep a package of pull ups on hand so if you run out of undies you don't have to resort back to diapers. But I do recommend undies over pull ups for the most part - because they don't mind being wet as much, it is too much like a diaper. My "system" is to make a potty chart (for the child care provider too) that shows ever hour on the hour (which seems to be easiest for everyone to remember to "try") and I write if she goes or not. Pee or poop. If they try in between on their own, fine, but unless I'm leaving the house I only do it on the hour. If they do pee in the potty, make a HUGE deal. We have potty stickers charts that are nothing more than a piece of scrap book paper from the dollar store and sticker they pick out themselves. We make a big production of getting the stickers. And I don't put them on in an organized fashion, just stick it where ever they like. Some people do gummy bears for going in the potty. We did a big reward for the first dry day. I never did candy as a reward, but know some moms have a lot of success with that. Though if you do that you can never ever ever give in if they only try or you will spend the next 24 hours in the potty with gummy bear sucking machines who are just "trying" to get the gummy! :)
I don't know how old Caroline is but it isn't too soon to let her try right along with each hour. The more who are doing it, the more that the others will want to follow suit.
Longest comment I've ever left...but those are my potty training thoughts.
My sis in law has twins, boy and a girl. They also potty trained a little later than the curve. But once they got on board they both went for it. Now they are about to turn 4 and are both potty trained. My older daughter was potty trained at 2, but still wore a pull up for naps and bedtime until 4. You will make yourself crazy forcing it if they aren't ready, but it sounds like they are...so go for it. Be very specific with your day care lady too, telling her you need her help and this is exactly what you want her to do, give her the charts and ask her to help you by filling them out for progress...
Hope one nugget of this is helpful. Potty training is NOT for wimps!!! It is HARD work!
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for all the great advice! I appreciate it!
I hear you on the candy as the reward. We started doing m&m's until my daughter saw a bag of Hershy kisses my sweet husband bought for me and insisted that when she went potty, that is what she should get. Needless to say, she was trying to go potty every 2 minutes. So we stopped that!!
It's the hardest work ever!
hi jen-
best trick is to let them run around naked from the waist down. keep them in a place where wipe ups are easy (kitchen, outside...). then name it (oh, you went tinkle) and then place it (we tinkle in the potty or outside). over and over and then soon they will run to the potty or outside when they feel the urge.
do this everyday for whatever time you feel like devoting to it and then otherwise just do your regular system (pull-ups or whatever).
i have potty trained my 4 this way and it is painless, no bribes, no struggle. just matter of fact teaching.
good luck!
-maria
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