Seeking Help in Potty Training 2 Yr Old

Hi G., well I'm not sure you will like some of the things I have to say but here goes! I'm almost 46 years old and all 4 of my older children were all potty trained by 15 months, all but 1 was by 12 months! Now let me give you some different suggestions please, with her already being 2 it will be abit harder because when they are not 1 yet then what you are doing is potty training yourself to know when to take them.... mine were so young that I would sit them on the toilet backwards so they didn't fall in and they felt alot my secure, not scared and it really didn't take a long time but I had to pay alot of attention to them and time and take them when I knew they needed to go. my only problem was my oldest, son, only had one problem and that was poopy, he was completely trained by 11 months and did great, except he would wait til he was outside playing to poopy in his pants, so I would put him on the potty and try to get him to go before he went outside and after about 2 weeks we had no more problems. now my 2nd child and 1st daughter took til she was 15 months old and I finally had to make her wear the wet underwear, training pants, all day until she went to the potty and then she got a clean pair. she was just really bull headed and that is why it took her longer. now since she laughs at you at times when she goes in her underwear then leave her in them. she is doing it on purpose and I'm not trying to be mean but she is pushing you to see just how far she can push you. don't give in, set the rules and the bounderaries and dont' go back on them....when she wakes up put her on the potty, put her backwards on the big potty and make her sit there until she goes!! turn on the water, do little things that keeps you near the bathroom but don't just seat there and try to talk her into going. she will just keep holding it in until you sorta leave her alone on the potty and then she will have no choice!!! watch her during the day and never let her go outside until after she goes potty and tell her that is the way it is....she is a very smart little girl and she understands what you are saying to her so stick to your guns mama and put your foot down. tell her this is the way it is going to be or she will wear the wet underwear until she decides to go potty like a big girl and she can't go play or have that treat or whatever until she goes on the potty and not in her underwear!! I have a 6 year old, 7 in May, and I did him the same way and he was trained, completely before he was 2, poopy and all, I worked outside the home with him where I didn't with my other children so it took me longer to get him completely trained but it does work as long as you don't give in to her. get a towel for her to sit on if she insist on wetting her undies and won't go potty so if she needs to sit down then that way nothing else but her gets wet!!! I hope this helps you some. I know it is not easy but it is worth it when they finally decide to give in and start going to the bathroom like big girls and boys. Good Luck and Please let me know how things go. Thanks D.

Hi,

I'm a grandma of three and I use to babysit several kids. I've potty trained over 25 kids, so I can only tell you what worked for me.

I made a big deal out of being a big girl, or big boy now and I would take them to their potty chair, every hour and sit them on the potty and then I'd run the faucett. If thay had to pee, it would usually work. Then I'd clap and make a big deal out of how grown up they were and how proud their mom and dad was going to be.

My son was potty trained at 18 months. He didn't have time to stop playing to go to the potty, so I got a coke bottle, yes a glass coke bottle, and he would pee in the bottle. I'd kid him about, "fill it up", and we'd laugh. Then we would mark the bottle with a marker and see it he could fill it up more the next time. He loved it! He would poop in his little potty and I had no problem training him. My daughter was two when I trained her and she would go to the potty every hour and she was really easy also.

One little girl, I use to babysit for, would pee in the potty and poop in her pants. I know this is going to sound cruel to some, but I got so tired of washing out her panties with poop in them that the last time I held her hand and made her wash them out. She cried and I wanted to, but she never pooped in her panties again. Now, I'd say that was a little cruel, but it did work.

Patience is a must. They are all so precious.

I found a potty chair that played "how dry I am" when my grandbaby was two. I found a doll that pee'd in her panties when you gave her a bottle and she had a little potty chair (I got the idea from Dr. Phil). We had a "Pottie Party" and let the doll have cake and balloons, and drink from her bottle. Then the doll peed in the potty and we all clapped. Jade couldn't wait to use her "big potty" after the doll used her potty. She was trained in one day. We tried the same thing with our second grandbaby and it didn't work as good. She thinks when she has on panties she can use the potty, but when she has on diapers, she will not use the potty chair.

Don't use the pull up pants or you will never get them trained.....my opinion of course.

Hope this helps.

G.,

I understand what you are going through, but remember a one thing.....
Each child is different, and successfully reaches milestones at different times within the developmental stage.
It sounds like you are the only one interested in her potty training, which is going to make the task very difficult for the both of you. I noticed with my first child that I pushed her way too early, and it took 18 months to potty train her (18 months of wet carpet, hand washing poopy panties, etc). When she truely decided that she was ready, she completed the training in less that 2 weeks. I suggest that you wait until your daughter is ready and shows signs of interest.
Also, remember that pushing too hard can lead to a power struggle (one that you cannot win). She is the only one that has control over this aspect of her life.... and she knows it. I would suggest that if she was in control over more of her environment (making simple choices, etc), she might let her control over this go a bit, and open the door to training.
Remember... there is no hurry. When she's ready, she'll do it, and she'll want to. Just sit back and relax. You'll know when she is truely ready.

I hope this helps.

Hey,
I hear you about strong willed; my son is the same way! He was so against going in the potty! Finally I decided that enough was enough, and I resolved to have him started by the end of Thanksgiving vacation (I'm a teacher so I had 5 days!). I made him a chart with sets of numbers 1-10 with a picture of a "prize" (first of the Chick-fil-a restaurant-every time we reached the picture we took a trip there-and then a picture of the "Monster House" movie-we bought it after about 5 times of getting to the picture). It did take a while to get to the gratification but every time he went I put a circle on the next number, made with a Bingo marker. He was very excited to get the "circle", so it worked. I also stressed being a "big boy". But really, I think he had just decided that it was time, or maybe he was tired of me always trying to get him to go! I started when he was 2, but he was almost 3 1/2 at Thanksgiving time. Yeah, I gave up for a while-I'm not that patient! Well, I hope this message gave you some ideas!!
-M.

Mostly my response is "I can feel your pain". I have twins and they just turned 2. I tried to train them at 16 months and they loved it! Then, it got difficult (and cold) so we decided to wait...now, they don't want to have anything to do with it. They tell me when they are going or have gone too! You are doing better than I am with her going on the potty once or twice! Recently (last night), my son put my daughter's little doll on the potty (small potty that we caved and bought but doesn't work either)...and they both want to emulate the doll. So, both have gotten on the potty when the doll is sitting on the one next to them. It's an idea, don't know how good, but it's a start! I am going bonkers with wanting them to be potty trained!

S.