Give me all you got, all you experienced people out there.

I got me a cute little 3yo boy who is beginning to do the deed. This has been my technique so far, since it worked so well on my daughter, but as you know, the boys are a totally different animal. (He's in there now watching an episode of Spiderman for the third time. I don't understand how that captures his attention?! My daughter would never sit still for that?!!!!) Anyhow, my technique so far is not to push him. When he's ready, he'll do it. So he turned 3 in Feb and started to worry a little. My daughter was fully independent at this age. But he goes for hours with no wet diaper and I even changed a dry one first thing in the morning one day and said, okay it's time. I started really encouraging the potty seat. He'd sit for a 1/2 hour watching TV and get a ring on his butt and not pee. Then one day, Yay! We had a dadgum party when he tinkled in that potty!

So during the day he'll intentionally tinkle in the potty. One day he even said "I need to go potty" and sat down and went! But, no poopie so far. Tonight I told him "put the black in the potty" and his eyes got wide and he said "no" in a very worried way. (I don't know where this "black" comes from, but he calls the poop "black"?)

Toss out some ideas for me folks. I could use any and all ideas!

Here's some inspiration. Awwwww!!!

Oh, he is sooo cute! I am the mother of two boys. They are now 22 and 20. I HATED POTTY TRAINING THEM! Sorry, don't have any words of wisdom. Just keeping being consistant and it will happen.

Good luck....

I have a no bullsh*t method of toilet training that worked for my boys. I waited till their third birthdays, they were well and truly ready. I could have done it earlier but from all I've ever seen that only means more work.

So on their third birthday, I just took away the nappies (diapers). No pull ups, no training pants, just regular undies. It took about a week both times. The first two or three days were difficult, we had to stay at home but they got the hang of it really quickly.

So I took the same approach with Eliza who just turned three a few weeks ago, only I did start at about 2 years 10 months with her. Same deal and it was going great but now she's inexplicably taken a backwards slide. She started getting lazy and having accidents and when they started happening at our daycarer's house I did as she asked and sent her in pullups. She was only having wee accidents though, she always got the poo in the toilet. Since we started using pullups, she's gone right back to totally not using the toilet. I've been getting very frustrated. Yesterday I decided that despite what our daycarer wants, NO MORE PULLUPS and yep, she's using the toilet again. I've found a girl who knows her own mind much more difficult to train than a couple of boys, lol.

So in summary, I reckon you decide its time and then you just do it. We also have never used a potty, why bother when its just another transition you have to make? Also what do you do when you're out etc. If they can use the toilet at a shopping centre or friends house, then they can use it at home.

Get you hubbys help on this one. Get cheerios and put some in the potty. Have him show your son how to sink them. Give your son a star for every sunk cheerio and a lot of praise. When he gets a couple of dry days, give him a big reward. My guys got a ride on the big city bus. After all you have to be a grown up to do that. For poo, show him how toothpaste gets squeezed out of the tube or some other tube product. I would let him do this with a couple of tubes. Its worth the money. Then let him know that that is the way his pooper works and if he can get to controll this stuff maybe a zoo trip would be fun. Whatever it is that he wants to do, make it a lot of fun. It it becomes a power struggle, it is a loosing battle. If accidents happen, dont use shame or anything negative..Just say oops!! try again!. It willl be easier that you think. Have Fun!

Kathy,

This is getting really scarey. The same task has just been accomplished over here.

Philip has been in "big boy underpants" for a full 7 (maybe 8 now) days.

He was 3 in December.

He hasnt wet at night (in his diaper) for months now - Super Nanny says thats your first sign that they are ready.

Last Sunday I started priming him up - telling him that he was going to start tee-teeing in the BIG potty, like Daddy and Bubba come tomorrow.

So, Monday morning (during the rat race of getting kids off to school) we were loading into the van and I coaxed him into teeing in the grass, next to the driveway... Reminding him that TODAY was the big day to start this new way to potty.

That was the beginning.

When I dressed him for the day, I put "big boy underpants" on him - and asked him about every 30 minutes if he needed to go potty.

That afternoon we went to Walmart and let him pick out new underware - he thought that was neat.

That afternoon, he had 2 accidents.

He is into monster trucks, atv's, anything with big wheels. So that was another way we bribed him (Hotwheel monster trucks $ 2.97 at Walmart). Since we had a bit of a problem with the #2 - weve had to buy about 3 new toys.....

But its been a success.

At this point, he goes to the bathroom by himself. No accident since Wednesday.

Oh, but this DID happened...

Saturday night we brought the kids to play PuttPutt. While we were playing, I noticed this lady on another coarse looking in our direction with a STRANGE expression on her face.

My God! Philip had his pants down to his knees, peeing right there in the grass. (this is NOT a practice in our home)

ok, that wasnt bad enough.

We were nearly to the last coarse and Philip became missing. Mike spotted him off in a distance... once again with the pants dropped to the knees. This time it was #2.

I didnt know if I needed to laugh or cry.

Just pump him up on being like Dad - and wearing BIG underware like the rest of the family.

Good luck... and I say a prayer for you and him. ((my boys were waaaay easier then my girl))

Paula, we were at the pool a few weeks ago and a little boy of about 3 dropped his swimming trunks and peed right into the toddler pool, lol. You should have seen the mass exodus! Everyone was horrified.

I didnt get what all the fuss was about to be honest. I mean surely the toddler/baby pool is full of pee anyway right?

Hi Paula,

My little guy just turned 4 and although he hadnt worn a diaper during the day since he was 3, we still kept him in a pull up at night time out of sheer laziness until a month ago. My older son who is now 11 was potty trained by the time he was a year in and a half old. HE was SO ready at a young age that we let him since he showed interest as soon as he was walking. We kept a porta potty in the hallway of our condo and this worked very well since he didnt like to use the big people potty.

My boys hate touching their own poop or pooping in a toilet other than their own at home. I had this problem with both of them. I had to wipe my oldest's butt til he was 6 years old and he still wont poop in any toilet but the one we have at home even if it means getting constipated.

What really worked for me on the potting training was having some candy (I know) above the toilet and rewarding them everytime they went there on their own. If you are opposed to the candy, try some kind of treat like fruit Snacks and ration them, giving one or two everytime he goes. Its a reward system that is easy and is immediate.

If your are at home full time, then you could you the "other approach" which is sink or swim and leave them in undies only till they get the hang of it at home. AAAAH, I remember the days of running to the potty in department stores, shopping malls , grocery stores..........LOL

Babs in TX

334/180/190

-154

Sounds like you are doing the perfect job. Good start! I love the sinking of Cherrios thing...Make sure, at least during the day, that you keep the big-boy underwear on him. That way, he is uncomfortable with the wetness/mess.

Good luck...Shawn

I am in the middle of potty training our son as well. We are taking the same appraoch as we did with our daughter. Since I stay at home, these next few days will be spent completely without wearing any underwear or pants. when he puts pants on, or even just underwear, he has accidents. my daughter was like that too. In my opinion, pull ups are a waste of money. They are just like a diaper, and they treat them just like that. Yesterday he started, and ran to the toilet every time he had to go. He doesn't stand, he sits on the toilet and leans forward so it doesn't spray anywhere. He also refuses to use the little potty we got him, he wants to sit on the adult potty. This is great cause he will go even when we are somewhere else, like a grocery store or the mall. My daughter was not like this. but we got through it all. :eek: the important thing to remember as you are wiping up an accident is that eventually, they get the hang of it and can go on their own. my daughter is 4 and doesn't even want me in the stall with her when we are out in public. lol

It takes quite a bit a patience - go slow it will come..

Not to hijack the thread but I will be steam cleaning the carpet tonight (tried a little this morning) in the bedroom because my 4yr old must have woke up and decided it was to dark to go all the way to the bathroom that he tinkled on the carpet (the smell) anyway good luck.

Hey Kathy!

Hows the deed going with the cutie pie???

When I look at his picture up there, he makes me giggle. He is so cute! Makes me want to suck his cheeks in a big wet kiss!!

My girl is the same way! She has about a 93% success rate with urine, but has yet to poo in the potty.

I am at home and we have nakie-days so messes are easily cleaned and we don't struggle with clothing ons & offs. Yesterday she sat on the potty to go, then jumped up, ran around and pooed on the floor! Just too much sensation I guess.

Most of the time before a BM, she whines and grabs herself. She is VERY cooperative with diapering at this time. She usually fights the diaper.

If you find anything that works, PLEASE let me in on the secret.

We use high-fives and stickers as reward. The potty has a place of honor in the living room. When she pees in the potty, SHE gets to take it into the toilet and flush! My little girl likes the system so much she was rationing urine today. On one cup of milk and a half cup of juice she managed to squeeze out twelve 1/8c - 1/4c potties about 15 minutes apart. The stickers are going like hotcakes.

brenda one of the reasons we put the potty in the bathroom with emily is because she did the same thing with running around. the bathroom gave her limited space and with the door closed there was just no choice. she had to sit there and go until she was finished, then she would get her reward.

giving her the stickers is good, but when she starts rationing like that it is not good. you need to make the fact that she is "all done" the reward. this is exactly what emily did too. plus my dr. said that it could give her a UTI. ot sure how, but since she has had them and it is unpleasant we didn't take the chance.

andy has gotten to the point where after he has peed and pooed on the potty he shouts out "there's nuthin left in me tummy!!", wipes, jumps down off the potty, and runs around like a nekkid superman. lol

okay, this is what i did with the Spudboy. I put him in underoos brand underpants. I don't know if they still have this brand, but I have to imagine that they do.

You don't want to potty on Micky Mouse do you? NOOOOO! don't wanna potty on Micky Mouse!

Or his favorite cartoon character. Don't wanna potty on Barney, or spongebob.... you get the idea.

We let our son go on the trees.... we live in an acreage community. We finally had to put a stop to it when he did it at his daycare.. Oops! Anyway, make it fun for him. I certainly helps to have daddy do the same thing and let him watch! Good Luck