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potty training driving me insane

cowabungachris
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 Joined: 2008-03-11
 Dad Points: 75

alright, i need help. i am attempting to potty train my 2 1/2 year old daughter.  here's where she is right now.

1. she is constantly pulling off her diaper while in her crib, and then puts her shorts back on.  often i have to wash her sheets because she's peed the bed because of this.  apparently she doesn't like wearing her diaper anylonger.  sometimes, she's also do it when we're in the living room.

2.  she can point to her potty and say "poo poo".  she loves to sit on her potty, but just won't go in it.  she even pulls her shorts and diaper off to sit down.  sometimes she tries to scoot around on the potty, like is some kind of riding toy. 

 

i really think she is ready for the potty training, but i am unsure of what is the best way to go about it.  i would love to some insight into how some of you guy handled it.  my wife is so busy with work and isn't home much at all lately to help out with this, so i'm on my own with this. 

thanks,

chris


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Submitted by cowabungachris on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 8:34am.

andyf
Posts: 3
 Joined: 2009-06-30
 Dad Points: 32
Potty Training

Hi Chris,

My daughter is 19 months and I'm not looking forward to potty training. Not sure if this is going to help but I envisaged sitting in the bathroom with her, floors covered in towels so she doesn't slip and letting her go 'commando' until we figure it out. The other technique is to sit her on the potty with a table in front of her with boks and her fave toys...until something happens and I give her big applause. Thankfully, she has not become tired of her diaper like your little one. My suggestion on that would be to put towels in her crip on top of her mattress - easier clean up? Also try putting two pairs of pants on her, over her diaper - to make it tough for her to get her diaper off in the first place.

On a seperate note:

I've recently begun a group for Stay at home Dads in the Charlotte area. Thought it would be good to have a forum for guys in this situation to connect, chat and shoot the breeze. Is it just me or are Stay at home Dads becoming more of a phenomenon now? I see more and more guys at mom & kids events during the week. I'm not complaining!

Anyhow...if you are interested, please come on over and check out the group on meetup. I'm sure we have lots to talk about! A meetup is being arranged for Sunday July 26th (venue to be decided).

Here's the link:

http://www.meetup.com/Stay-At-Home-Dads-Charlotte-NC/

Best,

Andy


Tue, 06/30/2009 - 8:53am

New No.2
New No.2's picture
Posts: 636
 Joined: 2007-11-12
 Dad Points: 892
Potty Power

 

Hi Chris,

Should it give you any perspective, my daughter was not fully potty trained until she was 3.4. The impetus was going to school. She wanted to use the potty so she was more motivated. But, I sent her to school a few times in a diaper which was a step backward. The school was great about it and they changed her clothes after an accident and we worked on the issue together.

In the end it was up to my daughter, it’s only going to happen when she is ready for it. The DVD “Potty Power, or “Elmo’s Potty Time,” are useful ways to propagandize you kids about the wonders and maturity of using the john. After we had “Elmo’s Potty Time’ my daughter seemed more comfortable about the whole thing.

The advice in “Toddler 411” is also very good should you want to leaf through it in the library or bookstore. As for staying dry through the night – that is a function of hormones. We can’t stay dry until out brains produces a certain drug in our brain it can happen fast (my daughter is 4 and stays dry though the night) or slow like Sara Silverman who didn’t develop it until she was a teenager. (Ouch!)

Hang in there it will happen.

Be Seeing You.


Tue, 06/30/2009 - 10:06am

Hogan
Posts: 178
 Joined: 2008-04-21
 Dad Points: 264
Don't rush the potty training.

Giving up diapers is a difficult transition for some children.  And some take longer than others to go from diapers to underwear.

Have your daughter drink less liquids before bedtime. 

Have you tried reading her The Potty Book - forgot the title?  I didn't use the book but I heard that some dads have had success with it.

Have you asked your daughter if she is ready to become a big girl?  She may not be ready.

The story of my youngest, Matt, is similar to John's daughter.  Matt wore diapers until he went to Kindergarten.  He was pressured by his mom, grandmothers, grandfathers to stop wearing diapers.  It was nuts.  He and I were bombarded with comments like "He's going to be wearing diapers until high school if you don't make him do it now."  It seemed like the adults were more embarrassed about him wearing diapers than he was.   I told them to lighten up and that Matt will tell us when he is ready.  I also sent Matt to school with diapers on.  After a couple days peer pressure from fellow Kindergarten classmates persuaded him to give up the diapers.  He's now 16 and not wearing diapers. 

Don't pressure or force a kid to grow up so fast.  Enjoy the time because it goes by fast.

 


Tue, 06/30/2009 - 3:49pm

omahahomedad
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Posts: 101
 Joined: 2008-08-18
 Dad Points: 152
Be glad you don't have a boy

First off, check out www.mookimoo.com. They sell jammies that zip up the back so your kid can't get them off. Worked pretty well for my 2.5 yr old son.

Second, daughters are easier. Both my girls were trained by about 2.5 years. First, have her try going potty before a bath and right when she gets up in the morning and right before bed when you are changing her diaper anyway. This is great practice and helps her get used to the potty. Second, go to the store and have her pick out her own underwear. Third, give her lots to drink and keep taking her every 1/2 hour or so. Fourth, get ready for lots of clean-up. Acceptance of this is VERY IMPORTANT. When she has an accident, say, "Darn it! You got Cinderella all dirty. Make sure you go in the potty next time." Fifth, don't give up too soon. It will take 3-5 days to get peeing in the potty and maybe a couple of weeks before she poops. It is hellish during the process, but when it's over, your life will get a lot easier!

Of course, this plan has not worked for my son, so remember that when taking my advice...

Al

14th Annual At Home Dad Convention www.athomedadconvention.com


Wed, 07/01/2009 - 1:00pm

mbieweng
Posts: 460
 Joined: 2006-10-31
 Dad Points: 1618
Mookimoo

I will second the recommendation for mookimoo.   Also, for what it's worth, the owner/founder/inventor is an at-home dad, former coast guard, and a good guy.


Thu, 07/02/2009 - 10:26am

Mr. Dad
Posts: 200
 Joined: 2008-03-07
 Dad Points: 285
To: Cowabungachris

She is ready!  Our first girls was like 2 1/2 and we trained her in a day.  Our second one just turned 2 and we trained her in a day.  Maybe we were lucky and probably so.  Here is what we did.  Locked them in the kitchen area with lots of changes of clothes and the potty chair.  Fed them their favorite juice/drink.  After one or two accidents, they figured it out.  We pointed out how they don't want to get their "new" underwear dirty/wet.  We had bought them underwear they chose.  They were both so afraid to get it dirty, they would go in the potty chair.  Like I said...  maybe we were lucky, but it is worth a try.


Mon, 07/13/2009 - 12:43am

EverettDad
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Posts: 1
 Joined: 2009-10-19
 Dad Points: 1
Potty training

Let me say that this might not work for you but it worked for me and my son and daughter: bribes, bribes and more bribes! Ok maybe not that many, but the point is to get them excited and then as they get used to doing what you want slowly wind down the bribes. My wife thought that pats on the back and smiles would get the to use the potty and I tried her method for a little while with my son but then I had to try something new. So with my son after 6 months of sitting in the bathroom hoping for some stinky stuff  I started to use sweets as incentive. I used chocolate chips..3-4 for going poop and 1-2 for going pee-pee. Then as the days went on I slowed it down due to me distracting them after washing their hands or them forgetting. They are not candy junkies as my wife adamantly stated they would be....they love candy but what kid doesnt. I held back on giving them much of any other candy during this time so that the chocolate chips would seem that much better. Good Luck!!


Mon, 10/19/2009 - 7:01pm

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