Friday, May 9, 2008

Potty Training Woes--Part I


This is all Z will do with his potty :) Potty training is not going very well. He knows all the signs around going to the potty (potty, more, all done, wash, poop and good job) and even has most of those words. He is pretty good at letting you know when he is going potty and Z is a pro at sitting on the potty (pants on) while S or I are using the bathroom.....but that is where it stops. Whenever I take his pants off and have him sit on the potty, he begins to cry and crawls up into my lap. I suggest we read a book while he sits on the potty and he wants to read it in my lap! I even put his portable sea on the big potty and he squirmed off and cried. If I could figure out a way for him to go pee while sitting on my lap I would....but that is just gross :)

Now most of you are thinking....well he clearly isn't ready and I guess I would have to agree. The problem is that we are part of a Baby Signs (R) Potty Training Study and it is designed for children under 2. I would also like him trained to cut down on the cost and the waste that diapers produce. I just bought him a new Elmo potty movie (he destroyed our Baby Signs (R) video) and we have a few books that he enjoys. Now that the weather is getting warmer I am thinking of having him walk around without any pants on and maybe move the potty out of the bathroom.

If anyone has any advice for us....please offer it up. I wasn't anticipating this fear of sitting naked when he loves to sit on it with pants :)

3 comments:

Karen S. said...

I would try potty training rewards. THis worked great for our son. He loved pushing the button hearing he is a Big Boy. He was peeing and pooping in his potty within a week. I Know every chiild is different, but have a look and see if this would work for you. www.pottytrainingrewards.com

Unknown said...

Ok, don't laugh....fill it with a little bit of water....toss in some cheerios and have target practice. Forget about sitting. It's scary. You can cross that bridge when he has to poop in it. He needs to learn to pee in it first and target practice is fun! You can also use a step-stool and use the big potty. All 3 of my boys pee trained using the "target" practice method.

I also wasn't beneath bribing either. I went to Party City and loaded up on small goodies. I put them in a bag and they weren't allowed to see inside it. Every time we had a successful stay on the potty they got to reach in and grab a small treat. Some were small bags of M&M's, sometimes it was a 99 cent matchbox car, a small pack of crayons etc. It works.

I also let them decorate the potty chair with a sticker that they earned every time they sat for more than a minute.

With Faith....she wouldn't use it in the bathroom. She used it in any other room but the bathroom.

PS...be careful of that portable seat! This is funny.....Trevor put one over his head one day when I had my back turned and we literally had to figure out how to get him in the car to go to the fire dept. to have it cut off. We got lucky because as we were trying to figure out how to buckle him in his seat, he was crying and then sweating profusely...he was so wet with sweat that he managed to twist it and get it off. Funny...but oh so scary at that given moment!

Whatever you do I wish you luck.

PSS: I have a bag of clothes for you.
Michelle

Anonymous said...

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. If Z is anything like you were...you were well into the "terrible twos" when you finally were trained. I tried everything - stickers, toys, games, I also wasn't above bribing.
I started with you at about the same age as you did with Z. However, you were stubborn. Sound familiar?
It probably had something to do with your sister arriving when you were 23 months. Dr. D warned me that you would probably revert when the baby came. You did!
Target practice sounds like fun. Didn't get a chance to do that with 3 girls.
Good luck and I can assure you that Z will not go to school in a diaper!

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