Any EXPERIENCED PARENT have tips for potty training?

Question

My son is a few weeks from being 20 weeks old ( 1 1/2) and he's shown extreme interest in potty training.He's actually gone a few times in the potty.He's game for sitting on it and sitting there for as long as needed.But i just want a few tips on how often I should put him on and how long i should have him sit? He knows how to respond to "did you poop or pee?" He's actually given me signs before he's gone.So If anyone has any serious tips I'd greatly appreciate it! p.s. he also gets "visual" help from dad.

Answer 1

This sounds so barbaric, but it worked for our kids! (I have 4 of them, so I'm pretty experienced in this dept.)

This is pretty much only and option if you stay at home with your child. Let them run around w/o a diaper for about a week or two. When they have to go potty, they just run into the bathroom, jump on the toilet and go!!

Seriously, after those two weeks, my kids were ready for pull-ups and to do the rest on their own. We also have one of those potty seats so that they won't slip into the toilet, so I highly recommend that as well.

Boys are known to take a longer time getting used to potty training than girls, but I didn't find this to be true. Either way, good luck!!

Answer 2

Everyone has given such great advice! Only thing I'd add is to make the switch to cloth training pants and avoid the Pull-Ups fiasco. Trainers help them realize when they've gone...other than visual cues if they are naked (which works really well by the way unless you're not a stay at home mom). Also I wouldn't use punishments or rewards....both are confusing. Let the big boy accomplishment of going on the potty be the reward....Become his potty cheerleader.... (this is corny but i actually got out my old pom poms when training lol)....hope this helps

Answer 3

Allow him to do it at his pace, if he is interested encourage him.
Seeing you are recognising signs before he has gone encourage him to take the next step of it is time to go to the toilet, by placing him on there before he does anything, & when he does praise him & reward hi.
A reward chart helps some people, they allow the children to choose the reward & remind them everytime they go the are closer to that achieving that reward.
Try placing training pants on him or undies during the day to help him recognise when it is too late.
Place it on a timer system ie 15-20 minutes after a drink put on toilet or evry hour & buid it up over time ie 1hours becomes 2 & so on.
Play games, sing songs showing that the toilet is fun & ok & not frightening.
Toilet train over summer that way less clothes to wash & worry about.
The same thing happens overnighting as well, you build it up starting with at a certain time take them to the toilet if they wake for a drink put them on the toilet first then give a drink & firts thing of a morning when they first wake up put them on the toilet.
There are so many ways.
This is my exoerience
My son didn't become toilet trained until 3-3/12 and that was more due to the fact of pere pressure from the same age group, rather than him actually wanting it,or me trying to get him toilet trained and this happened over winter. my daughter on the other hand was toilet training from the moment she could walk. and finally happened when she was 11/2 She went straight into undies, because she hated the training pants, so it was within a week from that point that she was toilet trained even overnighting in undies.
But the main thing to remember is to let your child toilet train his way, some ways won't work & others will. and it takes time to be fully trained approxiamtely 3-6 months (that is when there are no little accidents on a regular basis)
Good luck, don't get frustrated at yourself ofr your child (easier said than done I know), praise & encourage your child & do the best you can.

Answer 4

Reward! Reward! Reward!
You cannot reward them enough, I would give my kids something they really wanted if they went potty. My son loved to sink cheerios, have a small bowl next to the potty, he would get to throw a couple in before he had to go. It was a fun game and helped his aim. Although I found they lose the aim as they get older, and have to be reminded to pay attention to what they are doin. I left his diaper off one weekend and just let him run around (keeping a close eye on him, of course) he quickly learned what the feeling before you have to go is. He only had one accident on the floor, and it was because my roommate at the time was hogging the bathroom. Hope this helps, Good Luck-

Answer 5

Hi,
I have 5 (3 girls & two boys) & I have never put any pressure on them, just like took them to the bathroom with me (My husband never would at all.) I never had any trouble potty training them, we just started having conversations & generally making them "aware" of such things (I heard an ad for a diaper that gets a cold spot in it when wet...I think that'd be good to help them in awareness.)

Then, I'd let them try sitting on it...making sure there was lots of praise & we were always laughing & having a good time. My last son was 3 when he potty trained himself, basically. lol, It was on his third birthday & we were going on about how he was such a BIG boy now & then we were in the bathroom & he said that since he was a big boy now, he was going to start going to the bathroom in the potty! I was soooo proud of him!!! & he did it! I think he only may have had one accident since then, but that's how he did it. I have an aquaintance that spanks & punishes her children (she also has 5) & her son was like 8 & he'd still poop in his pants & she got to where she'd make him wear them for hours...it got to be a real struggle between them (& I can see how this can easily happen), so as I watched her, I determined that I would *never* be that way! Which is why I do it so positively & why I believe I've had such success.

Oh, one more thing - - when they DO go in their pants, I treat it like they hate it, too. I say things like "Oh, I'm SO sorry! Here, let mama help you get cleaned up! & then ~lol~ I go on & on about "Ewww...My! I know you don't like this all over you like this!" They just begin to agree, & then before you know it, they're thinking like that, too...that they don't like it on them. Ha! Just where you want them! *smile* Also, I don't try too early, b/c you're setting yourself & the child up for failure.

Answer 6

let him run around w/out the diaper,when he has to go put fruit loops in the potty water and tell him to sink them.That way he'll have something to aim for! Offer LOTS of praise for doing good.

Answer 7

I found this ebay guide on Potty Training very interesting.

Answer 8

i also let my son run around naked when potty training. it helped with accidents causse he wasnt wasting time with pulling pants up and down. most kids wait till the last min before they really have to go then pee them selves cause they tryin to mess around with pull ups and pants. it was summer when i trained my son but really if he loses interest do not force him to go cause kids will go when they r ready .

Answer 9

If you're in the UK go to the Huggies website and fill in your details - they'll send you a free potty-training dvd. Here's the link to the page:

http://www.huggiesclub.com/uk/active-baby/shops-and-offers/

Answer 10

Give her her favorite candy when she is sitting, and tell her every time she is gong to get one when she tells you? works all the time, kids will do anything for candy...