Has anyone ever heard of giving vinegar to a 2 year old as a form of discipline when potty training?

Question

What is the best method to get a 2 year old to use the toilet and not the diaper? I heard using vinegar makes them not do it but I have never heard of this before and want to know if anyone else has done it and does it work and is it safe to give children spoons of vinegar?

Answer 1

I've never heard of that before and personally I wouldn't suggest doing it. It may give them a stomach ache. I would try to sit them on the potty, if only for a few seconds to start and then slowly get them to sit on it longer each time until they finally go. It can be a long process but it works. Even if the child sits on the potty for a few seconds at a time they will know that they have to sit on the potty. If they have an accident you just tell them they need to tell you when they need to go potty, eventually they will learn to tell you. Like I said it can be a long process but I find that works.Also look for signs when they need to go potty like them holding themselves down below and ask them if they need to go potty and even if they say no and you think they should go I would take them. I would praise them when they do go to the potty and not use discipline, it may discourage them or make them feel really bad and ashamed, like it's their fault and that's not what you want.It will take time. maybe also the child may not be ready yet and it's ok if they aren't. they have lots of time yet.

Answer 2

Discipline and punishment can be very confusing. A general rule of thumb is that discipline motivates and guides. Punishment controls and averts. Phobias can originate from aversions.

It becomes obvious that toddlers who have been punished during potty training can actually develop an aversion to using the toilet. Rather than facilitate the learning process, punishment will slow it down. Read about potty training and take cues from your child as to what does and does not work. Each child is very different when it comes to potty training. Patience, practice, and time are the basic necessities to train your child.

As for the vinegar, please do not punish with that! Some children have lost their breath from the vapors alone. It can also irritate the lining of the stomach, not to mention that it would curdle in the stomach of a toddler when mixed with milk.

Answer 3

You never, ever, ever punish a child you are trying to teach a new skill. Using the toilet is a skill. This tiny child doesn't know how to do this skill yet and needs your patience, kindness, encouragement, praise, understanding, and help. Do not use anything to discipline your 2-year-old while he or she is learning to use the potty, you will only make the situation much worse for both the child and yourself.

Someone mean and ignorant came up with the vinegar idea. You need to get factual information from experts about potty training:

Here's one:
http://babyparenting.about.com/od/pottytraining/a/pottydonts.htm
"Potty training can be a trying experience at times. It's important to make sure your toddler feels supported and that you uphold a positive attitude to ensure success. Make sure that your child is ready to use the potty, is able to communicate his needs and can handle the physical requirements involved before starting. Always offer encouragement and support."

Here's more advice from a family doctor:
"Praise your child when he or she goes to the bathroom in the potty chair, but do not express disappointment if your child does not ... Be patient with your child.
http://familydoctor.org/179.xml

Answer 4

NO! That is stupid! Potty training a child is different for every parent and every child. Some will be ready right away, some take months of "practicing" before they are ready to go without a diaper. But you should NEVER punish a child at ANY TIME during potty training. That would be like punishing a child for not running a marathon. Their brain has to develop and their body has to be ready before they can do it, whether they want to please you or not! You should get a parenting book because just the fact that you would consider forcing your kid to drink vinegar is really messed up.

Answer 5

It sounds abusive to me, although some children might like the taste of vinegar, I think a lot don't. I don't think it would work. My suggestion is to devote a day to potty training. Stay with your child. To begin with, give him plenty to drink. Put him on the potty every hour or so. Make a noise like him going. If he goes, reward him with some juice or some other wholesome liquid he likes. Generally speaking, many toddlers will learn potty training in one day this way. I got this from the book Toilet Training in Less than a Day, and they said use salty snacks and let a child drink as much as he wants. I think using salty snacks could be dangerous, which is why I recommend juice. I used this method on some of our kids, and it worked well for me. One other thing: we had one child who wet the bed at night consistently. I discovered by accident that she was reacting to the city water. When we put her on bottled water, the problem abruptly stopped. Some children (such as those with Down Syndrome) don't have the sensory nerves in the area necessary to train easily. In that case, consult someone who is an expert on these conditions for help with training methods.

Answer 6

Seriously?

Why would you discipline your child while potty training? You praise them when they DO go on the toilet.

I trained my son early and we had great success, he was completely trained by the time he was two years old. When we first started out, I would sit him on the toilet for a few minutes, read a book and if he did something we did the happy dance and he would get a smartie. It didn't take long for him to figure out where to do it and the bribery didn't last long, maybe two weeks or so, it came to the point where he wasn't even looking for the treat, more the reaction from me, singing and dancing :)

For the record, he never had a relapse or wet the bed and he's now eight.

Answer 7

Wow that's weird, never heard of it. But I have the same problem with my girls, they will be 2 in August and neither of them want to use their potty. They will scream and cry and throw a fit, but they will go in their diaper and then immediately run and get a new diaper, wipes and baby powder so I can change them. Well I guess I'll be watching for answers! Good luck!

Answer 8

Listen, treats work! Yes, it is bribing, but when they do go on the toilet, show them you care! Talk in a happy voice and tell them that they get a treat for going on the toilet! Also, if you ask them, "Do you have to go potty?" and then show them how to get up by themselves, they might get better! But, from experience, meaning my mom has done daycare at our house since I was 2 yrs. old, potty training takes a LOT of patience!

Answer 9

You should never punish a child for anything related to potty training. It will only create bigger problems. If your child is two, he.she just may not be ready. There is nothing you can do to make them use the toilet. You can encourage them, offer help, but don't punish them for something they may still be too young to have control over.

Answer 10

I have never heard of anything like that. I would never try something like that on my child and you shouldn't either. Would you sit there and take spoons of vinegar as discipline to yourself? Ask yourself that. And I think that when your child is ready to use the pot they will. You can buy pullups and try to time when your child goes to the pot. Just sit them on the pot every hour and you will figure out how long to sit him or her on the pot and when to do it. Just make a routine and follow it daily.