So, I started potty training because he was interested...
Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: So, I started potty training because he was interested...
...and on the first day, he told me when he needed to potty. So, no accidents.
Yesterday and today, I took him to the potty every 20 minutes and then extended it to a half hour. He had 3 accidents today and didn't mind sitting in his wet shorts at lunch. (We went pee before lunch.)
How do I get him to communicate that "feeling"? Or, should I keep taking him potty every 20 minutes until he understands? How does this work?  I'm not frustrated since it's actually kind of cute to show him his new "Spiderman" underwear, but there is some sort of disconnect there. I wonder if he's really ready? On Monday, I asked him if he wanted to go on the potty and he said "yes" every time, so I ran with the idea.
Not too much advice here as we are just starting this as well, however, I think it's fantastic that he says yes! I take my child who is almost 3-1/2 every 40 mins as every 20 seemed to often for him. I sometimes have to carry him, take his underwear off and place him on the toilet because he is refusing when I know he has to go. He kicks up quite a fuss on the way there but usually stops once I place him on the toilet.
I think you're doing great just keep going. Some days you will think you are there and the next day he might just revert back to accidents all the time, he'll get it eventually.
Is he on the toilet with a seat, a potty or just on the toilet? Mine will only sit on the the toilet seat or stand. One trick I read recently was to have your child sit backwards on the toilet seat they feel more secure and can hold on better. Worked for us.
We were at the park today and had to visit the emergency "nature potty" which he found to be really cool, good thing there were some bushes close by!
Good luck.
If he can tell you when he needs to go potty (which he obviously can since he did it just fine the first day) I would leave it up to him and not take him every 20 minutes. If he is trying every 20 minutes, he really isn't building up much to get that full feeling of needing to go. He must understand it if he was able to do it the first day.
I was never one to take my dd to the potty. My MIL talked to me about training and she told me, if you take her all the time then it is on you if she has success or not. If she has an accident it is your fault for not getting her there. She told me that it needs to be her responsibility and a accident needs to be the result of HER not going, not of me not taking her. Anyway, the way she talked with me about it made perfect sense. LOL So we just went to panties and made a sticker book and that was that. She got a new page daily and got to put a sticker on the page every time she went on the potty and a gold star if she pooped on the potty. Then every night she would show her book to dh.
I won't say I never reminded her to go, but it was on her and I would say within a week it was done and over.
I can't say I took my kids to the potty, every 20 minutes. I never would have been able to keep that up! I made them go, every once in a while and if they had a mess, we just cleaned it up.
I used pull-ups with my kids when we started training. They treated them like underwear, but at least if they had an accident, it was an easy mess to clean up.
I did not taken them every twenty minutes, either - not good for encouraging "iron bladders". I would take them when it made the most sense - first thing in the am - just before we were ready to go out, just before lunch, just before a nap, etc.
However, what worked for us will not work for everyone. Kudos to you for taking the step to be diaper free.
My bad is sooo much lighter without having to carry diapers.
Ane
I guess he's easy to take every 20-30 minutes because he drinks so many fluids anyway.
Vicki, I think you're right in that I have to let him learn the process and tell me. The messes aren't too bad and we're in a rented apartment. (Yet another reason to start now.)
:-) Thanks, ladies.
My boys both trained late, close to 4! But, when we did it, it was quick with little accidents. The first few days, I took them often, and then after that, we had no problems they went on their own.
I would probably take him the first few days, so he gets the idea, and then follow his lead, and let him tell you when he has to go.
Debbie's last line, that's pretty much what we did. I took Natalie every 45min. to 1 hr, keeping what she'd had to drink in mind. That was the first day or so. After that I just reminded or asked her if she had to go based on drinks. We went straight to panties and she stopped peeing her pants after 3 days.
Talking about him drinking a lot of fluids...I gave Natalie EXTRA fluids that first day and it was ridiculous! She peed everywhere that first day, like every 20min. and I was frustrated! Turns out I just shouldn't have upped the fluids. We went back to her regular intake and the accidents dropped drastically. Then after 2 days no more accidents at all. Maybe you could actually decrease his fluids if he's one that normally drinks alot?
I told my kids to go, didn't ask them..lol for the first few days. If they made the initiative I made a HUGE deal about it. I found the more I celebrated, the more they wanted to please me!
I increased fluids for mine, it did mean more accidents, but it also meant more successes, more times for them to figure it all out. After a couple of days I lowered their intake, but by then they had the idea.
Thanks for all of your input, ladies! You're all right...I have to just train him to go at first and then just let him take the reigns.
Today, he didn't have any accidents. Granted, we went at least every hour without him telling me, but he's liking the idea of "big boy underwear".
I also think being in school has helped too. He sees other boys going potty and he feels like a big boy now!
Wow...I can't believe how much I'll be saving in diapers! (By the way, I put a diaper on during our daily afternoon-nap-car ride and he didn't even pee in it!! He saved it all up for when we came home!)
Oh, and I have cut down on his fluids a bit so we can go further between potty sessions. He seems to be fine with it.
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