He's almost there
Will has shown interest in the toilet for a long time. We decided not to do any official potty training. I just figured that Will would let us know when he was ready. I also know that boys are generally slower than girls and that he is only 2 1/2 and therefore, not behind. I have seen lots of kids that showed interest so their parents started potty training and then they decided they didn't want the potty anymore. So we just decided to let him do what he was going to do.
There are a few things we did to encourage his desire to go however. Our friend made Will a potty stool a few months ago. He liked that. We also bought him some underwear to try but we only let him wear them for a little while so he could get used to them. We won this gigantic bucket of candy when we went to Utah so we decided to use that as potty candy and I bought him some stickers. So he basically just wanted to sit on the potty. We told him he could have a sticker any time he sat on the potty but he had to sit for two minutes. He loved getting the timer out and counting with it. Then he just one day started going. So we told him he could get a sticker and some candy.
We just let him do each stage as long as he wanted. In the last two weeks he has been getting better and better. He has had a dry diaper three of the last four days when he wakes up. He used to be really excited about going pooh in the potty but he doesn't really like that now. He will only go occasionally. Yesterday Mike and I only changed his diaper once the whole day because it was completely dry. We have to change the poopy one but that's it. The best thing about it to me is that I haven't had to clean one mess off the ground! No wet underwear or pee on the floor, no poop trails as he walks. The other thing that is awesome is that I will sometimes say, "Do you need to go potty?" He says, "No thank you" and then will run to me a little while later and say, "I need to go potty." It's awesome! I just thought when he started potty training I was going to have to ask every hour or set a timer and sit him on the potty every time it went off. I also thought he would have to have the little potty just for himself. He hasn't needed any of that. I'm really glad we haven't pushed him. He is taking longer than some of his friends but this is working really well for us.
I think now that he can go with a dry diaper for multiple days that we will let him wear underwear. I'm gonna have to wait every morning until he does his daily morning pooh and then put them on him though--I'm not very keen on the idea of cleaning pooh off the floor. I don't know how long it will be until he is actually potty trained and he might have some regression because I hear that is normal but hopefully if I don't pressure him and let him do it at his own time, we won't have those problems. It's working so far. What has worked for you?
There are a few things we did to encourage his desire to go however. Our friend made Will a potty stool a few months ago. He liked that. We also bought him some underwear to try but we only let him wear them for a little while so he could get used to them. We won this gigantic bucket of candy when we went to Utah so we decided to use that as potty candy and I bought him some stickers. So he basically just wanted to sit on the potty. We told him he could have a sticker any time he sat on the potty but he had to sit for two minutes. He loved getting the timer out and counting with it. Then he just one day started going. So we told him he could get a sticker and some candy.
We just let him do each stage as long as he wanted. In the last two weeks he has been getting better and better. He has had a dry diaper three of the last four days when he wakes up. He used to be really excited about going pooh in the potty but he doesn't really like that now. He will only go occasionally. Yesterday Mike and I only changed his diaper once the whole day because it was completely dry. We have to change the poopy one but that's it. The best thing about it to me is that I haven't had to clean one mess off the ground! No wet underwear or pee on the floor, no poop trails as he walks. The other thing that is awesome is that I will sometimes say, "Do you need to go potty?" He says, "No thank you" and then will run to me a little while later and say, "I need to go potty." It's awesome! I just thought when he started potty training I was going to have to ask every hour or set a timer and sit him on the potty every time it went off. I also thought he would have to have the little potty just for himself. He hasn't needed any of that. I'm really glad we haven't pushed him. He is taking longer than some of his friends but this is working really well for us.
I think now that he can go with a dry diaper for multiple days that we will let him wear underwear. I'm gonna have to wait every morning until he does his daily morning pooh and then put them on him though--I'm not very keen on the idea of cleaning pooh off the floor. I don't know how long it will be until he is actually potty trained and he might have some regression because I hear that is normal but hopefully if I don't pressure him and let him do it at his own time, we won't have those problems. It's working so far. What has worked for you?
Comments
Sounds like a true man. Way to go, buddy!
Jess
We were one of those families that pushed too hard with Austin, we just didn't know any better. We bought a potty chair and under wear before he even turned two. It wasn't a big deal, just a lot of frustration for me. But he was potty trained by 2 7/12 years, so we were happy.
Layla we just let her to her own devices. She was potty trained about two months earlier, but with much less stress involved.
Ryan is my baby and will be in the crib for the rest of his life, and will never be potty trained! Just kidding. I think we will do the same thing with him that you are doing with Will.