Could someone please contribute some potty training tips for my 2 1/2 year old?

Question

These are my major dilemas: 1) Does not want to stay dry at home, but willingly uses the potty in public places. 2) He's outgrown size 6 diapers and pull-ups do not absorb as well, but he won't tell me that he's wet, so pull-ups fail (on my couch!) 3) Uses the potty well at home if he's naked, but he's so active I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself if he runs around like that, plus I think it's a little taboo. 4) He seems to "act out" (misbehave, push little brother, whine) when he needs to go, but says he doesn't want to go then has an accident.

Should I be more demanding or let him pee all over my house???? I encourage him when he does right, how should I respond when he doesn't? How do I make sure that he knows it's wrong to pee in the house or at the kitchen table without scolding him?

Answer 1

Well our boy is 2 and a half and he doesnt tell us either. Once in a while he will go potty-mostly when he wants to wear his "Bobs" ( Bob the Builder underwear). But as soon as we put them on he wets them. I am sort of at my wits end too.I will be watching for other peoples answers.

Answer 2

2 & 1/2 is still fairly young for potty training (despite the "expert's opinion," especially boys. I think the worst thing you can do at this point would be to make him associate going potty with any negative feelings.

When my son was around 2 & 1/2 I tried for a few months, it wasn't working so I waited until he was 3 and it worked a lot better.

When you do try again, start out w/ rewards - immediate and long term. Ex: a treat, toy or just lots of praise for going potty as well as a sticker chart. Give a reward (immediate) & a sticker for each time he TELLS you, since this seems to be more of the problem. Have a chart on the fridge and when he gets 10 stickers (or however many) then have an extra special activity (long term). As time passes, it should be more difficult to obtain the rewards.

Again, I think waiting might be the trick but good luck!

Answer 3

get Toilet training In Less Than A day- I can't remember who it's written by, but it's good. I used it almost 30 years ago. I've raised 3 daughters and now have 3 grandkids- 2 boys and a girl. I potty trained the boys. I'm also a nanny and have had a home daycare and have potty trained dozens of kids. The stubborn ones are hard and frustrating. Personally, I use rewards, like M&Ms for successes and for hard case, I also take away priveleges that are reserved for "big kids"- hint hint! If they don't want to use the potty like the big kid they are, then they can't go out to play, or play with their big kid toys or go special places that are for big kids- you get what I mean... If you are consistent and they see that you won't give in and give them big kid priveleges, after a few days- at most- they will usually decide it's more fun to be a big kid even if that meands using the potty. If there is an "accident" that may not really be an accident, go right back to taking away privileges again. I may sound "hard core" but I wouldn't let me child wet or soil everywhere in my house- it's just not happening! A 2 1/2 yr old IS old enough to be "trained" no matter what the "modern" Docs say! As an example, the boy I take care of was soiling himself during naptime- he totally knew what he was doing. After a couple days of this I realised that and he then had to nap on the couch right next to me so he couldn't pull his little tricks. When he realised that I couldn't be fooled he quit all sorts of naughty behaviors and is an almost perfect, polite angel for me... but boy when his parents come home, watch out! They let him get away with murder and he taked full advantage by being an intolerable little boy- very sad. Consistency and firmness- I promise they will still love you!

Answer 4

It sounds like your son knows how and when to use the potty but is choosing not to. So yes I would discipline him when he doesn't go on the potty. One thing that we do in day care is if you ask a child if they have to go potty and they so no and then go in their pants, that is not an accident, but a deliberate act, so therefore they would sit in time-out. Then we talk to them and say since we asked if you had to go potty and you said no, but still went in your pants we will not ask you any more. You will just have to sit on the potty every hour to hour and a half when we tell you. When you start telling us you have to go then we will stop making you sit on the potty. Another thing that we do is a sticker chart, if your son doesn't like stickers find something that he does like, but not food. Every time he goes on the potty give him a sticker, if he is dry all day then he may have a big sticker to either put on his chart or put where he wants. However, if he goes in his pants you take a sticker off each time and let him see you throw it in the trash. If you don't want to give him a sticker at the end of the day you can at that point give him a snack if he is dry all day, but I wouldn't do anything huge, because he needs to learn it is something that he just needs to do without rewards all the time. I've worked the 1 1/2 year olds to 3 year old room for 8 years and all of the children, even some mentally challenged, have all been trained by 3 years using these 2 methods. I don't encourage discipline when they are just starting to go on the potty, but once they have the hang of it and are deliberately going in their pants, then I do encourage time-out. Good luck!

Answer 5

Hello I have raised 2 kids and have one on the way I also run a daycare center . To potty train kids we give them a sippy cup all day long full of water and and have them "try" to go potty every 30-40 min if they go they get a sticker or a treat. I have noticed that using a seat on the toilet works better than the potty chairs because it gets them used to the big toilet. If 30-45 min is working you can increase the time if they are wet already shorten the time. Eventually they will start telling you when they need to go but you have to be persistent with taking them to the bathroom!

Answer 6

Ok, this sounds like my son exactly. I thought he was going to go to his prom wearing a pull up. I kept him in a pull up and then had a little Tupperwear container with Skittles in it. This was the "Potty Candy". He got 1 piece of candy for #1 and 2 pieces for #2. I also kept some Cheerios in another container and dropped a few in the toilet for target practice. He peed on the target and laughed himself silly. This taught good aim and made him want to go potty. We had an agreement also that when he did it on his own (#1 and #2) that we would go for ice cream. He did both and we ended up at the 24 hour ice cream shop at 11 in the evening. It will happen but he was about 3 when we got it together. Be patient and keep that pull up on!!!

Answer 7

You are doing all the right things and you may try the toy bribes and cheerio bombing. The naked kid scenario is one of the best but it doesn't always do the trick when you have company.
I think though you just need to keep at it. He sounds like he is really close to "getting it". Some kids get the poop in the potty thing down quickly, mine did before he was 2. But, it took him till he was 2 3/4 before he was out of pull ups completely. So don't get discouraged, he's almost there!

Answer 8

Take off the diapers and pull ups. That's the first step. If he's wearing them, he feels it's ok to go in them.

Chances are, if he's not staying dry thru the night, if he can't pull his pants up and down on his own, and he's not telling you when he's wet or dirty, and he's not telling you he needs to pee..he's obviously not ready to be doing this. Don't force him.
My son was about 34 months old when we really started pushing the issue. He was dry when he awoke, and could talk well and could do the necessary physical stuff(seating himself on potty or on toilet, and pulling his pants up and down). So we began. We drew up a sticker poster with him on the toilet, and about 100 squares all around. We posted on the back of the bathroom wall, and entitled it "Potty Time!"
Every time my son peed on the toilet, he'd get one sticker. He found this incredibly enjoyable for about a week, and then got tired of it(the sticker bit). We put a gift bag on the counter with kinder eggs, lollipops, cheap new dinkies, etc. Toys and treats he liked. We didn't mind if it was lunch time and he pooped on that toilet, he got his treat.

He had the peeing down within a week, but it was about 2.5 weeks into it before he got the knack of pooping on the toilet. He was a little nervous sitting and pooping. He would run to his room, hide in the closet and poop in his underwear. We didn't get mad or belittle him, just let him know that poop is supposed to go in the toilet, and not in his underwear. I'd dump the poop from his underwear in the toilet and let him flush. Let him know where it was supposed to be.

Eventually, with lots of praise and patience..he's been a week and a half now..(only one pee accident tonight, gulp), trained. It took a total of 3 weeks to get it all down to where we are now. I consider him trained.

Always make a big deal out of the pees and poops. Give lots of praise..and treats if you like :)
He doesn't get the treats now..not because we wont give, but he just says "Mom, I'm a big boy now hey, I poops on the toilet"
and "Mom, I don't need a sticker"

Good luck and wait for his cues. If you try it and he's really holding back, don't try it now.

Don't scold him or down him. If that's what it takes..let him pee all over your house. You have paper towels and lysol wipes for sure. You can easily wipe up the mess and disinfect.

Answer 9

I let my daughter run around in her panties, so when she wet herself she dislike it very much it took 1 day and she was all over the potty when she had to go, that as 2 years ago now I have a son, same age as yours and Im having the same difficulties and I am also scared of him hurting himself. Try the unerwear thing youll just have to keep a close watch so he doesnt stain any bedding or couches Good lluck

Answer 10

you should try rewards like a trip for ice cream lolly pops stickers etc. keep a little basket of cheap but fun for kids toys and whenever he listens and does well say he can have a special treat or a gift from the tooy basket... kids will do anything for toys or candy! hehehe