Monday, August 17, 2009

Please give me your potty training advice!!

So we are working on potty training and oh man what a pain! We let Hunter run "free range" right now, so no diaper or pants. He likes to sit on his potty, and he usually gets a poo on there, but the pee.... oh gosh the pee... This is like owning a puppy! I am finding puddles everywhere.

So please tell me how you potty trained your kids! I need some advice, pronto!

18 comments:

Corrienne said...

learning how to Poo on the potty is the easy part of potty training, the peeing is much harder from what i understand.. Damon totally knows when he is peeing and tells me it sometimes... it takes a while for the peeing part... lots of patience, and small reminders.. Maybe try big boy undies so when he is all wet... he might catch on

Anonymous said...

My son skipped the potty bit when it came to peeing. He got to follow my Dad to the bathroom one time and was so impressed with the standing up version of peeing that he stretched himself up over the edge of the bowl. He missed a few times - but at least it was in the room designed for the purpose...

dogsled_stacie said...

hahahaha!! Puddles all over the place, too funny. I have no idea, but maybe try putting newspapers down?? LOL

Anonymous said...

I've yet to see a fourteen year old that doesn't know how to use a toilet. Personally I think we spend too much time fretting about things that will happen in their own time. It isn't, after all, a race.

Morena said...

I'm not there yet but I watched a Dr. Phil not long ago that boasted a one day remedy. It's a little hokey but the mom's that tried swear it works. You start by getting a doll that 'wets'. You ask your kid to help you 'teach' the doll to go and when it goes in the potty you cheer and have a party. Hats, noisemakers-the whole bit. In the meantime you've been putting liquid to your son so he may have to go too. After the celebration you ask him if he wants to go on the potty. If not, move on. You basically do this over and over- 9 times is the magic number apparently- and eventually your son will so want the party for himself that he'll give it a try. When he does, have a party. I'm sure he has a more detailed breakdown on his website. I don't know if it works but it sounds like alot of fun anyway. If you try it, let me know if it works. I've been curious and won't get to try it for almost a year yet.

Matt, Kara, Hunter and Cavan said...

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

Stacie- you crack me up!!

And Clare, I know, no rush... but now that we have been "free ranging" him, he pulls off his pants and diaper whenever we do have it on him and goes on the floor!! Maybe Stacie is right...

Morena- I friend just told me about that idea too! I am going to look it up. We are going to WH this week, so I can pick some stuff up if I want to try it.

Trish said...

my sister Sandra was 'free ranged' but I think girls learn faster cause it can't be fun have pee run down your legs. Closest thing I can think of is running around with a pair of tighty whites on so he can feel when he wets.

OOOO I heard put a cheerio in the toilet and have 'target practice sessions' He'll be writing his name in the snow in no time ;-)

Anonymous said...

Bribery, with stickers, smarties, and other treats...
At first 1 smartie for sitting on the potty, then when there is action, give him a few...like 2 for a pee, 3 for a poo or something...

Anonymous said...

Hey kara, I have some target thingies that you put in the toilet to aim at. Basically the same as cheerios. If you want them, email me and let me know!!

Freya

Anonymous said...

We did the same with Sloan Kara and let him just go he got the poo down but not the pee, so while he was home with Mom she got him Scooby Doo undies and told him he could not make a mess on Scooby and he never did. That might work with Hunter what is in love with right now let me knwo and I will pick him up some and mail them too you. I did the same with Ethan and works like a charm might help. Talk soon love you guys
Lynne

Anonymous said...

i would just let him go until he's ready. my son was three when one day he said "take off the diaper. i don't need it anymore" and that was that. he never had even one accident. usually when a child is talking well he or she will naturally want to be toilet-trained.

Megan said...

Michael trained himself in a day. No, seriously. We got those cloth training pants that get really wet, almost like a towel.

Now, by that time he had already decided that diapers were disgusting and he wasn't going to wear one that had any pee OR poop in it. (He would pee in his diaper, take it off, and run off, yelling "ICK! ICK!")

We talked about the potty, and told him about the big-boy underwear. He was so proud to wear them, and so horrified by the wet pee, that it really was fast and painless.

Pat K said...

Kara, Michael learned over a weekend. The biggest thing is asking the little tyke over and over and over again if he has to go potty. We had a toilet book that could only be read in the bathroom and raisins worked as the bribe. The cloth underwear, kind of thick ones get very wet and cold, and usually one wee in that and they are a bit more open to the toilet. So far I haven't seen kids going to kindergarten in diapers, so I guess we all get there some day! We also used the 'only babies wet themselves and big boys pee in the toilet like Mom & Dad' thankfully Cavin won't remember being 'used as the bad role model'. Michael was alot easier to train than Kristin. Good luck, Pat K

Tigger said...

My advice....? Time. We had a potty book for Peekaboo, called "My big girl potty" There is a "big boy" version. You could also try setting the timer on the stove to go off every hour-that is "potty time". When he pees in the potty, celebrate!
Also, sounds hinky but, let him watch Matt every time he goes-imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!!
Don't worry, he will get the hang of it!!

Tina said...

Two words... FRUIT LOOPS. We went through a WHOLE box but it works. They make great target practice. Great for learning colors at the same time. :)

Aida said...

that potty doll dont work! i've had a bunch of "real moms" who says its a waste of money, their kids are more interested in how the doll works and cant grasp the idea they should be mimicking the doll.

make him cloth training pants, esp good if he hates to be wet. also you might want to have him sit on the potty every 20 minutes or so. he probably wont do anything but at least if he HAS to pee, you will see less puddle.

i am still getting puddles, more like 1 tbsp on the floor kind with Ben, i think its more a boy thing? cause i find that he has to sprinkle a bit, then tells me he needs to potty and continues to pee once i put him on the toilet. i dont let him run "free range" though, i made a few boxers for him and that works for him.

good luck!

Anonymous said...

Fruit loops and observing hubby combined with a reward system. Tell him you will put a star on the wall above the pottie every time he uses it....3 stars (or whatever) and a treat is forthcoming. Make the treat a REALLY good one for the first week...and slightly less good every few days after that.

Molly said...

Bribery. We awarded 1 M&M for a successful pee in the potty, 2 M&Ms for a successful poop. (I guess this works better if candy isn't something a kid takes for granted).