Anyone want to offer some potty training advice to a clueless mom of 3 year old twin boys?
Laurie and Suzanne, I'm particularly interested in hearing from ya'll, of course! But, anyone is free to give their two cents. :)
Do I leave diapers on them? Pull ups worth it? Let 'em go naked? Sit in the bathroom all day? Only train one at a time given only one of them seems really interested in it anyway? The other is nearly refusing to go on the potty? What about naptime and bedtime? They still wet their diapers at nap and bedtimes. Stay home all day until they get it? What to do when we have to go out? And, anything else you might think I need to know about.
Thanks for your input!
8 comments:
Thanks for your email. I will have to answer later.
As to potty training....I wait until they are past their third bday...for boys. I hope girls are different. Then, we do it in three days and it is super easy. I started at two with the first and it took MONTHS. I waited until the next two were REALLY READY (3 plus a few months) and they "got it" in two days - 24/7. Saved A LOT of frustration. I did a modified version of what is suggested in Toilet Training in a Day, or some such title.
God be with you, however you approach this!
Wow! I feel like I am out of that season, finally. I won't mislead you...it wasn't easy.
We started with the boys right after their 3rd birthday. I put them in padded underware and hoped for the best. After two days of many accidents, I was ready to give up. Instead we moved on to pull-ups during the day. They were going on the potty maybe 2 times out of 5 at that point. (not pooping - that's another story).
To make a long story short, one day (in April) it just clicked. They started peeing in the potty and didn't turn back. Of course we had the occassional accident, etc. At this point I moved them to underware, but I kept them in pull-ups when we went out.
The same thing happened with them pooping in the potty - it just clicked (in June).
I told my husband yesterday that looking back on it, I would have waited another 3-4 months before I started because they weren't ready. In my opinion, if they don't get it right away, pack away the underware and head out for some diapers for a couple more months. It will happen! My expectations were WAY too high....
My boys still wear diapers overnight and are usually wet every morning.
My experience has also been waiting til after birthday number 3, and still gauging their readiness individually. For Seth, the ONLY thing that got him excited about potty training was when I finally gave in and let him stand to do (something I was really trying to avoid so as to make less cleaning for me - obviously). But, admittedly, it was the clincher. The novelty of it I guess. But I've definitely learned to take my cues from them as to when they're ready and not push it too hard before then, b/c it only results in tears and frustration...and I'm talking about me!! :)
First, i cut back on liquids. Not entirely, of course, but no extra for a while. Definately none for at least an hour before bedtime. Then we went to padded underwear. For boys, get the cheerios & drop a few in the toilet. Aim. From what I hear, boys LOVE this. Have them try to go potty every hour, whether they feel like it or not. Doing this consistantly for a week will get them used to it. Praise them (over the top kind of praise!) when they go potty. Use a reward system & revamp it along the way. A day of no accidents: a bonus cookie/treat. Then go to a week of no accidents: a trip to McDonalds - you get the idea. Once they are "trained" they will sorta expect to be rewarded so you'll have to pull back.
I never went back to pullups. At night they used them for a few months until they consistently woke up dry. One thing I learned is that they need to get on the potty the minute they wake up. If you don't do this for them they'll almost always wet their pullup/underwear.
Let the boys pick out their own underwear. They'll feel connected & want to wear them. Let them see Daddy in his underwear so they get the idea that this is what is expected of them.
Good Luck!
Put boys on the potty backwards. Works everytime. If you buy pullups they will only get used to still going in them like a diaper. Thick underwear works much, much better. They need to feel it when they go in them. They will do great and you will have a MUCH easier time with Bella!
I think my comment just vanished. Oh well, you'll either get 2 from me, or a short version.
1. I waited till boys were 3 years. Three years 3 mos was when they seemed more ready.
2. No Pull-ups. Waste of money. Used diapers for bed and public during early stages.
3. If they can get their little thingy over the edge of the big potty, let them start there if they want. "Just like Daddy," has always been the motto. But if they can't manage it, "just like Mommy also" works. Praise the desire, not just the results.
4. 25 minutes after a meal they sit for five on the toilet, no matter what. No ifs, ands, just BUTS!
5. Cheerio-shooting was such a hit, the boys bemoaned running out of ammo before the Cheerio had sunk. They felt sorry for Sarah. No good weapon.
6. Make a big deal about big boy pants. Some like tighty whities, some like character undies, but go with their preference and get six pairs. Don't promise them Spiderman and then change your mind when you see the price tag. Keep your promise. Maybe 3 of Spidey, 3 of whitey!
Just butts, I meant to say.
Actually, we did use pull ups with Joel for a little while. I don't think they were all that worth it though. Especially for him because I think it was when he felt wet that it bothered him. As long as it still felt like a diaper he didn't mind going in it so it didn't help us make progress with him. In Pull-ups defense, though, they were good for vacation...
and that's the extent of advice (and I don't even want to call it that!) you'll get out of this not-a-mom. :)
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