I know this has probably already been covered a million times. But I guess if your not going through at the time you kind of forget whats been said. LOL!

My dd is almost 2.5. I have tried to get her to take some interest in potty training before but not consistenly. She did a couple of times before she was two but then was in the hosptial for a UT infection and that went out the window. With my schedule I have not really pushed the issue because she has not shown any intiative. In fact one time she got furious with me for insisting she wear a pull up. She got her diaper and waved it around in the air like a lunatic. It was quite a spectical.

Anyway I really feel like we should be at least trying this. But how do you know if they are just not ready? She gets mad and cries everytime I make her sit on the potty. Today I tried the big girl panty approach but she wet in 2 pairs. She doesn't ever go on the potty and goes shortly after being on.

I guess I am feeling like we should do this for several reasons. One the cost of diapers! Two I may go back to work during the day soon and most places seem to expect 2 year olds to have at least started. Third My dd is pretty smart for her age and I am pretty sure she knows what this is about. Its more of a power struggle for her then something she can't do. She can be very stubborn. The biggest thing is she has excema and she gets rashes under the diapers sometimes and its not easy to clear up. Sometimes she will scratch her butt raw. The demertologist said this will probably not clear up completely until she stops wearing diapers.

I am sorry to post long about a subject covered so frequently I am just looking for any suggestions. My ds really trained at preschool. I just had to follow through at home. So I feel novice at this even though its my second.

By Amyl on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 10:36 pm:

Hi there,

My dd did this herself right before her second birthday, but you really have to follow through with it. I read her a book called My new Potty, and we read this EVERY night, then when seh looked at me and said Mom, I have to go potty I made a HUGE deal about it, then we started every thirty minutes or so I would put her on the potty. She got the hang of it, and we were out of diapers in no time. Good luck!!!

By Feona on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 08:43 am:

I am not sure this is a good idea or not.

I am having trouble getting ds to sit on the potty.

So this morning, I said "No TV untill you sit on the potty." I guess this is mild negative reinforcement. After his sucess he got a sticker too and praise. He just seems to need lots of motivation around this potty training.

It worked fine. I don't think I would do this every hour but I think it might be good for first thing in the morning.

By Bellajoe on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 10:18 am:

With my daughter i went to the library and got differet potty books that i read to her. I rented potty videos with kids going potty. She really likes the "Bear in the Big Blue House" potty video. We have this book called "Everyone Poops" it sounds gross, but there are ppictures of animals poop and kids poop, some poop on the potty, others poop in their diaper etc...it is by Tori Gomi. Like i said, it sounds gross, but the kids like too look at it while they are sitting on the potty. I made a sticker chart for my daughter, every time she went on the potty we sang a little "pee pee on the potty " song and she got a sticker to put on the chart, and one to wear on her shirt. It helped that she liked stickers.

I am still working on training my son. He doesn't care about getting stickers, so that isn't working for him. He will go on the potty, but doesn't tell me when he HAS to go. I just guess. It's hit or miss with him.

By Beth on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 01:14 pm:

Well after a week of fighting her to even sit on the potty and her not going on it one time. I am going to wait awhile longer. I guess she really is not ready. Everyone I talk to says wait until they are. I will try to get her some books or something though. Maybe that will stimulater her! Any suggestions on the rash? Her butt looks awful today. I try to air it out as much as possible. I guess I wouldn't even call it a real rash though. The diapers probably from the heat break her out and she makes it worse by scratching. Thanks!

By Nancy on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 09:27 pm:

My dd was 3 yrs and 2 mos when she finally trained. We had a cross country move when she was 2 1/2 so we waited. It wasn't until she wanted to go to preschool like her friend that she finally was willing to go on the potty. I explained she needed to go on the potty to go to school. With in a week she was trained and with very few accidents. I really believed in waiting for her cue to move through the milestones. As a result we really had little problems.....so far.