This time last year, Kenny first became interesting in the potty. So interested, that I thought he’d be potty-trained well before age two, and was ready to gloat about how easy it had been.
Then we moved from Arizona back to Maryland, and it all went out the window.
Since last June, it’s been hit or miss. There are whole stretches of days where he bats a thousand, then whole weeks where the mere mention of “potty” sends him into shrieks and wails. One of my goals for our time here in Florida was to have him completely potty-trained in the three weeks we stayed down here. The reasoning was simple: 1) it was warm enough for him to run around in nothing but “unders,” and 2) we would have less errands to run and reasons to be in the car and could focus on the task at hand.
I would say that at this point, he is capable, but not 100% willing. That is, today he wore “unders” all day and had three accidents… the first was a real accident, the second was a blatant whizz in in the boxer briefs just to tick me off, the the third was a case of almost making it, and just missing by a nano-second. But unless I remind him every half hour (or drag him and make him), he couldn’t be bothered. Arg. Interestingly enough, he’s pooped on the potty the last five days in a row. But he doesn’t seem to mind walking around with wet unders. Or peeing on the carpet if he’s naked. He LOVES peeing in the yard with Dudley. But how to make it all come together?????
I got a letter a few days ago from a reader with a similar problem…
I am struggling to potty train my 3 & 1/2 year old son. He can use the potty
when he wants to, which is rarely. He says he does not want to potty because he
is a “baby”. He does not mind being in a wet or dirty diaper for hours! He
also does not seem to mind if he sits in wet underwear (even if it’s Thomas the
Tank Engine underpants) or pees on the floor. HELP! Any advice out there?
He has a 2 year old sister, who is more eager to use the potty than he is.
So – PLEASE send me (us) your advice on potty-training these stubborn little cowboys! Believe me, I’ve tried the “naked day,” the “you can pee on any tree you want to,” the “target practice,” and rewards of candy, stickers and the lot. Let me here your victory stories!!
Comments
8 responses to “Target Practice”
I was much more touchy-feely figuring Little Bear (3yrs, 2 months) would potty train when he was ready, but J decided one Sunday that enough was enough. He told him there would be no more diapers/pull-ups except when he was sleeping. LB cried at first-he wanted nothing to do with his underwear or the potty. I was quite skeptical. But it worked with hardly an accident. He doesn’t need the Pull-ups at night anymore, but I let him wear them because he likes them. That is until I run out, because I’m not buying any more!
It worked for us, but I never would have thought it would.
I feel your pain. My now 6 yr old took forever to potty train. Well, at least in my mind. I had visions of him going to kindergarten in a pull-up. But at 3yrs and 3 mos to the day, it just suddenly clicked. I had started when he was two. He got the poop in the potty pretty quick. Don’t give up. It will happpen – probably in his time, not yours. Don’t give up. Set a timer for every half hour or hour and take him. It is all about training. Noone said exactly who is being trained. 🙂 But even after he “gets it” , you’ll still have to remind him. And with the baby coming, there will probably be a bit of regression when the wee one arrives. Good luck! Don’t give up. This too shall pass – then on to something new to worry about. That is motherhood.
wait till he is over 3yrs because his little body and brain just are not at the point where they can do it. if you force him it will take a lot longer I think I say it every time I comment but you should get the Carol Joy Seid cds they really work!!! she is not about trying to come up with new stuff all the time she just tells you what works and why she made my life so stress free she tells you all about the way Jesus has made these funny little boys I have two of them a 9 & 7year old. the first boy took the longest but I started early with him the second boy I started at three yrs and 3mos it took three days!!! I really a easy time more importantly he had a strees free time ~ Julie Cortez
Oh yes I forgot to write I used pull ups at night and naps but ~ Julie C
My little Eiley took 6 months to train, but it helped to use incentives, which I swore I would never do, but my mom convinced me to try and the best advice was from my sis-in -law. I would take her to the potty every half hour and ask ” are you dry?” then she would get a treat (1 yogurt covered raisin or graham bear) for being dry and then one more treat if she went on the potty. That way you are rewarding holding it in ( which is the hardest part I think) Celebrating dry undies seemed to help, and then taking away pullups eventually had to happen because she realized they were disposable and would pee in them, take them off get a new one and come tell me…. Ha I guess she was really ready, drove me a bit nuts but now we are doing grand. and sounds like you are trying all the tricks, so take these thought swith a grain of salt Go easy on yourself and I pray Keny picks it up quick. By the way I am so thrilled about your pregnancy. Many blessings to you!
I was starting to try to potty train Joshua (who is a little over 2yrs old now) a bit before his 2nd birthday then he came down with a cold or something. But the nurse at the dr’s office told me to not even worry about it until he has a dry diaper every morning for about 5 consecutive days. His bladder isn’t mature enough. So I may try again later. I don’t want to push him. He’s got a little brother now that he’s getting adjusted to.
As the mom of 3 boys, 6-4 and 2. Wait till he’s 3. This is our traditional potty training milestone. I do not speak about it, try it, nothing until 3. With my 1st we took away his diapers the day after his bithday and he did great. Our second, is a little more head strong and refused to do anything in the potty. I consulted with one of my friends who has her pHd in early childhood development and she said you should try for 2 days, if not effective put them back in diapers for 30 days. Do not talk of toilets or potty training to them. Do not let others to talk to them about it. At the end of 30 days, try for 2 days again and continue cycle until training is accomlished. She said that 30 days at that age is like a year. If they hear nothing for 30 days it is new and cool again. If you push them past 2 days there is some shame and humiliation asociated with urine and bowel habits which is not good. This is what we did with our second one and it worked. He was 3 and 2 months. 3rd one won’t be 3 until June 😉 Good luck
Both my boys, 6 and 4 did not potty train until they turned 3, about a week after their third birthday’s both boys just got it. All my previous efforts had been fruitless, and in one day they just got it. Now my daughter who is 2 has been potty trained since her 2nd birthday, go figure maybe it is a boy girl thing…