Non potty trainers...

[beansprouts]

How would you handle a 24 month old who insists he wants to play potty ALL THE TIME! (and at the most inconvenient times...) Last night I found him upstairs with the kids, diaper off and sitting on his little potty watching a show. There was pee on the floor and in the potty. It seems he may go ahead and train himself, even if I do nothing. What I am wondering is whether it just might save my sanity a bit to go with his lead and spent a few days actually training him. In my experience they aren't ready to learn until they both know they have to pee and have the muscle control to hold it long enough to make it to the potty. I don't know if he can do this yet and I am not interested in "parent training". ;)

 

:confused:

[Peri]

Mine will wait for a diaper change and as soon as I get him cleaned up he will get up, squat, and its either #1 or #2 (thank god most of the time its #1). He wants to potty train too and my mom keeps telling me I should go with it since he's interested. I usually like to wait until they're 3 before I attempt for teh same reason you mentioned ... I don't want to "parent train" either.

 

When ds4 was 2, he used to love to strip bare. I mean he took it all off. I asked for advice and I heard some crazy things like ductaping the diaper so that the child couldn't get it open. I did not try this and survived running after him cleaning up ...

[VaKim]

I'd just go with the flow (no pun intended). :)

I wouldn't put a whole lot of effort into it, but I'd probably just show him how to actually hit the potty when he was having his potty fests, and let it go how it goes. He just might be ready, but then again, he might just be wanting to be like older siblings.

[nakitty]

all 4 of mine were potty trained at about that age....with very little work for me.... as frustrating as I sometimes found it... my largest contribution to the potty training process was just to never discourage them in any way. Which often meant we had to visit EVERY bathroom we encountered....:glare:

[TXMomof4]

When you get this all figured out, let me know. DS does the same thing. Sits on the potty for 30 min. so he can go poop behind the couch. In the front window. I'm waiting for the day the mailman catches him in the act.

 

He does clean up after himself though. With my kitchen towels. Then wants to put them back in the drawer. :001_huh:

[Mom to Aly]

Well, he is old enough, and seems interested--maybe some encouragement, and some of the books, or toys (those targets they have for boys?) could do the trick. My biggest mistake potty training was the pullups that change color when they pee--my dd was potty trained until I got those for night time--she thought they were cool, and would pee just to see the color change!

[beansprouts]

Which often meant we had to visit EVERY bathroom we encountered....:glare:

...and stand there while he sits ripping off toilet paper and throwing it in the bowl. When I finally get sick of watching him play and tell it's time to go he gets mad and cries "go pee!" and throws a fit so I can barely get his diaper back on...

 

I dread it nowadays whenever one of the older kids needs to use a public restroom.:banghead:

[nakitty]

...and stand there while he sits ripping off toilet paper and throwing it in the bowl. When I finally get sick of watching him play and tell it's time to go he gets mad and cries "go pee!" and throws a fit so I can barely get his diaper back on...

 

I dread it nowadays whenever one of the older kids needs to use a public restroom.:banghead:

 

Oh no no no....I would not have allowed THAT... they were not allowed to waste tp... and we didn't play on the potty. What I meant was more like never ignoring when they said they had to go....which was often balogne and I knew it....I still took them to the bathroom and let them 'try'.... about 25% of the time...they actually went. But I only give them about 3 minutes and then we are done 'trying'. However, at home, they were allowed to sit on the potty until the cows came home if they wanted....but, without wasting tp or flushing the toilet unnecessarily.

[Jenny in Atl]

Is this a boy thing? They do seem very focus on either doing it a lot or not at all. I just remember from my brothers. Both mine did it on their own, but we were an open door family, so they knew what to do and where. :D

[beansprouts]

Well, he is old enough, and seems interested--maybe some encouragement, and some of the books, or toys (those targets they have for boys?) could do the trick. My biggest mistake potty training was the pullups that change color when they pee--my dd was potty trained until I got those for night time--she thought they were cool, and would pee just to see the color change!

 

My dd was never fooled by pull-ups. She knew it was just a diaper and used it as such.

[beansprouts]

Is this a boy thing? They do seem very focus on either doing it a lot or not at all. I just remember from my brothers. Both mine did it on their own, but we were an open door family, so they knew what to do and where. :D

 

Well, I struggled with my dd until she was 4. I finally backed off completely and put her in diapers. By 4 1/2 she decided to start using the potty on her own.

 

After this experience, I decided *not* to train my older ds. As you said he knew what to do and where, and around his third birthday he did it. No problems.

 

I guess it comes back to every child being different and all that...

[Jennifer in MI]

I didn't read what everyone else said, but I think I'd go with it!! Keep the potty in one place in your house. Put him in underwear and see what happens. He may be ready!

 

My dd last week decided not to wear diapers anymore. She has been dry ever since (she's had about 2 accidents total!). She's even dry at night! My only problem is that she won't use a big potty now. So, I have to take her little potty with us when we go to the store or park and she uses it in the car. So, it can be that easy!!!

[Jenny in Atl]

Well, I struggled with my dd until she was 4. I finally backed off completely and put her in diapers. By 4 1/2 she decided to start using the potty on her own.

 

After this experience, I decided *not* to train my older ds. As you said he knew what to do and where, and around his third birthday he did it. No problems.

 

I guess it comes back to every child being different and all that...

 

Both mine were well into their third year. I did not push it at all. But you are right, all kids are very different. I just remember my brothers not wanting to go on the potty. They did not like the feeling of their "stuff" falling away from their body. :001_huh: Of course they thought it was very funny to spray the flowers in the backyard. :tongue_smilie:

Just wondered if this was a boy thing.

[melissel]

When you get this all figured out, let me know. DS does the same thing. Sits on the potty for 30 min. so he can go poop behind the couch. In the front window. I'm waiting for the day the mailman catches him in the act.

 

He does clean up after himself though. With my kitchen towels. Then wants to put them back in the drawer. :001_huh:

 

Put the potty behind the couch! (But lock up the kitchen towels :lol:)

 

IMO, successful potty learning is part child learning and part parent training, unfortunately. My DD2 trained herself (mostly) at 16-17 months. She could recognize the urge to both tinkle and poop, but could only hold for so long and needed help once she got to the potty, so I'd hurry to help her each time. I was like nakitty--there were so many times I wanted to tell her to just go in her diaper :lol: But I resisted the urge (most of the time, anyway!)

 

We also put the potty in the living room to make it easier to reach, which might not be for everyone, I know! But the kid hasn't pooped in a diaper in almost two years, so I was glad I went with it :lol: We also kept her pants off most of the time when we were at home, though your DS might not be at that point yet. But I found that when she was wearing a diaper, she just didn't recognize the urge as quickly, and sometimes not at all. She potty trained herself completely at 17 months, went a few weeks, and then decided it was too much work to get to the potty all the time and regressed to going in her diaper for a few more months before she trained herself completely. It still involved a little work on my part, though, in terms of helping her, and hustling her to the potty if I knew it was too far from where we were at the moment.

 

Anyway, that's our experience, in case any of it helps ya!

[beansprouts]

:001_huh: Of course they thought it was very funny to spray the flowers in the backyard. :tongue_smilie:

Just wondered if this was a boy thing.

 

Peeing *anywhere* is definitely a boy thing :lol:

[Gretchen in NJ]

...and stand there while he sits ripping off toilet paper and throwing it in the bowl. When I finally get sick of watching him play and tell it's time to go he gets mad and cries "go pee!" and throws a fit so I can barely get his diaper back on...

 

I dread it nowadays whenever one of the older kids needs to use a public restroom.:banghead:

Cindy, It sounds to me like it is time. He sounds so cute from this side of the internet, but it must be driving you crazy.

 

It is also a good time of the year. He wants to. The weather is good.:001_smile:

[lighthouseacademy]

How would you handle a 24 month old who insists he wants to play potty ALL THE TIME! (and at the most inconvenient times...) Last night I found him upstairs with the kids, diaper off and sitting on his little potty watching a show. There was pee on the floor and in the potty. It seems he may go ahead and train himself, even if I do nothing. What I am wondering is whether it just might save my sanity a bit to go with his lead and spent a few days actually training him. In my experience they aren't ready to learn until they both know they have to pee and have the muscle control to hold it long enough to make it to the potty. I don't know if he can do this yet and I am not interested in "parent training". ;)

 

:confused:

 

I have always considered myself a non-trainer. I haven't trained any of my children.

I have a different perspective on "parent training" and the widely held belief that young children don't have the muscle control to hold it long enough to get to the potty. Once upon a time I believed that unless the child could take themselves to the bathroom and pull their pants down and get on the potty etc then the parent would be trained.

 

My youngest HATED diapers. She would cry when she had to potty (at 5 weeks) then she would pause for 30 seconds-1 minute and wait and see if you would do something about it. If you didn't, she would wet or poo and then she would SCREAM. She was angry. So, I started to take her potty. I have never been perfect at always paying attention to when she was telling me she needed to go. There have been times when I just knew she needed to go, but I don't consider that me being trained, I consider that we have a bond that I can feel she needs attention. Furthermore, even at 5 weeks, if I told her I knew she needed to go potty and I was taking her, she would hold it even for 3 or 4 minutes etc until I could find a bathroom. As long as I communicated with her that I knew she had a need, she would hold it. I have spoken to many parents who have experienced the same thing- if you communicate, the child will reciprocate but if you ignore the communication, the child will usually wet right away because it doesn't matter anyway. Also, if you think about it the parent still tunes in for even several years with older children. For example, my 4 1/2 yr old might be doing a potty dance. She knows how to take herself potty, how to pull her clothes off, how to get on the toilet etc. but for whatever reason she is choosing not to. She is communicating, although non-verbally, that she needs to go potty. Should I ignore it and let her pee herself because I don't want to be trained to tell her (or take her if need be) to the potty? If the 2 yr old is communicating with you a desire to go to the potty, I say listen. You will be no more trained than you would be if he were 4. I make it a point not to stress. My youngest has been in panties since 21 months. I don't stress if we have an accident and I don't consider offering the potty parent trained because I am not setting the timer and taking her every 20 minutes etc. Instead I am listening to her. If I ask her if she has to potty and she vehemently tells me no, then I accept that. I consider her potty trained- I was able to leave her for a week with my stepmom and little sister and she didn't have a single accident with them. They were not parent trained ;) BTW I find that some sort of cotton knit pants really helps if there is an accident- it soaks most of it up and the pee goes down their legs reinforcing to them that peeing in their pants isn't any fun.

[Kissy]

With my older son when I thought he was ready I let him pick a pack of underwear out at the store. We went home and I helped him put on his underwear and patted his bottom told him it wasn't like a diaper and he was trained. He was ready. I have heard of people letting their kids pee of the porch to train. I have 2 cousins who did that. But we live in the country. :) I say go with it and see if he is ready. If he is you won't have to change anymore diapers:) and if not that is ok too.

[beansprouts]

Marisa, I used to know a mom who used EC with her babies. I thought it was amazing, though it seemed she did spend a good part of her day holding her baby over the potty. I suppose once that communication is established it becomes much easier, and potty training later on is a non issue. The same principles would apply with my little guy. Watch for his cues and I can help him learn. But life is hectic and there are so many distractions and other little people with needs, I am just not sure I would be very good at this.

 

Still it is encouraging for me to hear from others who have successfully trained babies or young toddlers. Maybe we can give this a shot - or at least "go with the flow" :lol:

[sweetTN]

My dd was using the potty by 18 months. Well, actually her doll, Molly, was. She would take Molly into the bathroom and set her on the small potty chair. So I suggested that as long as she had to wait there for Molly to do her thing, she might as well sit on the big potty while she waited. Worked like a charm. She potty trained herself by potty training her doll. :001_smile: