Potty help?

Question

My daughter is 2 1/2, I know its still pretty early and I shouldn't be too worried about her potty training, but she shows absolutely NO interest. If anything, she's regressed, she went three days in a row on the big potty when she was 16 months and ever since then she acts like the potty isn't even there. She won't even wear pull ups. Everyone is giving me "she'll know when she's ready" Well she doesn't seem to be warming up to the idea at ALL! Any ideas?

We do have a little potty, too. It takes alot of coaxing to get her to sit on it, though.

Answer 1

Oh my godness I know what you are going through I just went though that, First of all pull-ups feel like diapers so they do not work, Use them if you must only at night, If you are not ready for constant cleaning then don't push this issue, you have to be ready too.
Start by taking her to the store and letting her pick underwear, for like a week let her wear her diaper under her underwear, then start taking away the diapers, for a couple hours a day, get potty books and a tray so she can color while sitting. Ask her if she needs to go potty every thirty minutes, every two hours have her sit in the potty for at least five minutes.
Make a chart and add stickers or stamps everytime she goes. once she gets to a certain amount give her a little present like a movie toy or dress, but once she does it frequently add to the chart. (in my case it was this,..... she went five times her chart was filled and we spent the day at the park, then she had to go ten times, I took her to rent a movie, then it was fifteen I bought her a movie and then once we got to thirty she forgot about the chart) adding to the chart makes it feel less like a bribe and more like studing cause we counted how many stickers she had, it was math. All the rewards were small and not costly.

Remind her always that accidents are normal and that it can be cleaned, change her underwear and continue with the process, but once remind her that if she gets a feeling run to the bathroom even if it's a false alarm its a learning process. I read tons of articles and their potty times become a bit of a pattern so try to figure it out. (I did not believe that but its true).

remember its a milestone and it's ok to celebrate. so make up a potty dance and song (mine was like "we went pi pi in the potty, pi pi in the potty we went pi pi in the potty yeah yeah yeah" ) and when ever she sits there even if she doesn't go celebrate. Mine has been potty trained for like six months and she walks out singin that song. It's funny.

Oh and remember washing hands is important too so a song for that and even if she doesn't go have her wash her hands for thirty seconds. (the alphabet song is thirty seconds another learning experience)

sorry this is so long but I hope it works, Good luck.

Answer 2

Both of my boys were potty trained at 18 months. I am not a potty training guru or anything or a over zealous mom. All it was, was they were ready. I hate to echo those who have said it before, but she will tell you when she's ready. Until then however, you can make it seem like a big girl thing to do! Stickers on a chart with a small reward helps. Even taking her into the bathroom with you helps too and letting her know, "this is how Mommy does it..." I think that was the biggest thing for my boys, was that they were always in the bathroom with me (see, I couldn't even pee alone! LOL.) Good luck and don't sweat it, you won't be changing diapers still at her highschool graduation! :)

Answer 3

Actually its not too early at all. I had the same problem with my daughter. We started out okay and then she lost all interest. I began taking her into the bathroom with me everytime I went and had her sit on her little potty across from me. We talked about how big girls go on the potty and all the things that big girls get to do when they don't pee or poopie in their pants. After a couple of days I got her into some pullups. We did the pullup thing for a few months until she got the basic idea of what the potty was for. She turned three in December so I bought her some big girl panties with her favorite caracters on them. She wanted to wear them so bad. I told her that if she wanted to wear big girl panties she had to go potty on the big girl potty. I put some of her older sisters old panties on her and let her run around the house that way for a couple of days. We just reminded her to go in every 15-20 minutes to try to potty. She is completely potty trained now and accident free since December 28. I hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 4

Well don't get discouraged. Potty training is the first actual real hands on interaction/conditioning for our children. I am potty training my 21 mo old, and it's coming along okay. Earlier this week she kept on taking her diaper off, so I felt that she must be ready for it. That is one of the signs when they take their diaper off as well. And I sat her potty in the bathroom with me of course, and when I go to the bathroom I take her with me and let her sit on hers so she can get comfortable, and that she knows that it is something that mommy does too, and kids love copying at that age. I saw an episode on Dr. Phil talking about that, and what they did is they had a baby doll and put the doll like it was going to the bathroom... and of course there is children's books on getting ready to potty. They don't perfect this until age 3, so don't give up. And the only way she'll know when she's ready is when she's comfortable, so you do have to initiate it because she has an idea, but not like she needs to go. You have to put her on the pot everyday even if it's one day. Definetly put her on the morning, because everyone has to pee in the morning, from a nap, the bath, and before bed. This is a non-negotiable thing because they're not internally knowledgeable of potty training, but with dilligence and patience, you'll get there. As long as she sits on it and is getting the feel of it, she will eventually use it. Some kids get scared of the big toilet, so if you don't have a potty for her, get one, or get one of those seats that fit in the big toilet. I swear her dad bought her potty thurs night, fri morning she peed, so whenever she goes I clap and now she's getting the hang to go so she I can be her potty cheerleader! Lol. Good luck.

Answer 5

I potty trained my sister a month after her birthday. The trick to it is a STRICT routine. Every hour and a half to two hours; take her to the bathroom. Make her sit on the potty for 5 minutes. Doesn't matter if she goes or not, just as her pants are down and she is sitting on it. Do it for a few weeks for a routine to get going on. Ask her if she needs to potty every once in a while.

After a while; she will learn to tell when she needs to go and also what to say when she needs to go.

Don't stop with the routine unless you are certain she can potty by herself.

Also make it a PRIORITY that she goes. If she says she has to go; drop everything and go. This way she knows that it is important to go and to tell you. I've ruined many naps this way but at least she can go.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Well for my step daughter we have a star chart. Everytime that she goes to the bathroom we will let her put a star on her chart. While we are home we put underware on her. She will understand that she will not like the feeling of boo-boo or pee on her. If she doesn't like the potty try the seat that you attach to the regular toilet. Also we bought the flusable wipes, it is less harsh on their skin. It's going to take a while but she will eventually be diaper free and potty trained!

Answer 7

Take her potty in the bathroom with you when you go ask her if she would like to go potty with mom? Tell her that if she goes that when you have a chance you will take her to the play place at McDonalds to play for a while. She needs to think that it is fun and not something scarry. My grandson is 9months old and I have been putting him on the potty for about a month. When he starts to grunt I sit him on it and he goes. It's a lot easier to wipe his buns than to clean a mess off his rolly pollies. She knows when she has to go and she probably will squat to go so if you see her squatting sit her on her potty and you go too so she doesn't feel alone.

Answer 8

try special panties, let her pick them out. If she pees in them she will most likely go crazy! lol Forget about the pullups. They are just diapers and the kids don't understand the difference. Start taking her to the potty when you go. She can sit on hers and talk to you or what not. That gets her used to it. Then take her to the potty about every 30 min or so, just to see if you can catch her when she needs to go. After a couple of times of her going in the potty she will not want to go back to the yucky panties or diapers.

Answer 9

Well you kind of need to look at her "bathroom routine". Can she go through the night without getting wet? Does she know when she needs to go? Do you know when she is going #2?

I think that if her bladder is ready to go through the night, then it will be up to you to ask her every 30 minutes if she needs to go potty. If you ever catch her going #2, rush her to the toilet (even if she's done her business). Maybe get a sticker chart... one sticker for a pee two stickers for a poo.

I might wait a bit longer if she shows no interest... you might be wasting your time. Try again a month later.

Answer 10

Use some kind of reward, like a cookie or something for everytime she uses the potty.