Thursday, June 11, 2009

Pottying is the poops

Can I just scream please?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

We have attempted the potty training many-a-times and yet here we are in the land of diapers. Things were going swell a while back April and then all of a sudden she had no interest and asked to be put back in diapers. Talk about frustrating! Occasionally Maddie will go in the bathroom on her own and sit on the potty, but really that's once in a blue moon.

We were recently offered a spot in the Preschool at our church this fall but of course pottying is a requirement. Ugh. We have rented movies, read books, you name it we have done. Heck I have even let her join me in the bathroom frequently and that's asking a lot of me!

Everything seems to be a no go. She has been watching the Elmo Potty Time movie over and over and over again - at her request yet she still is in diapers with no desire to even enter the bathroom. We have offered a trip to the zoo and school as a reward for using the potty and she seems so excited until she realizes she has to use the potty. All she says is "Nope. Not yet mommy."

I know I know I know. I need to just let her do it at her own pace and in her own time but really is getting to me. She is almost 3 and I am feeling the pressure.

Do you have any wonderful pottying advice to offer up?

6 comments:

Georgine said...

I read the book "Potty Free Before 3" and started when B was about 16 months. I should say, I put the potty out when she started to walk (about 10 1/2 months). I started early because my daughter is stubborn and I wanted to establish a routine before she got defiant. We started with sitting on the potty before and after her bath, then after she woke up in the morning and after naps. I took her out of diapers around a little before 21 months. That was the middle of June. I bought lots of dresses and thick training underwear, a portable potty to take every where. (At that age, bladder capacity is small.) IT sounds early, but knew she was ready because she woke up dry.

All that said, if Maddie doesn't want to do it, you may have to respect that. Everyone says, no kid goes to kindergarten in a diaper. You could just say no more diapers, stick her in the training underwear, and just keep dry clothes around. B wasn't perfect, we had LOTS of accidents. Especially if she was playing and couldn't be bothered. One word of advice is only ask if she has to potty before you leave to go somewhere, otherwise at home, leave it up to her. And don't get mad, (that is hard btw) just say we pee in the potty. Also, try changing her in the bathroom by her potty and have her sit on it after you take her diaper off. (that's what they do at B's Montessori).

And, let her see you use the bathroom. I think that was key with B. Since she is so attached, she was always in the bathroom with me. MOdel the behavior you want the kid to emulate. I am sure this hasn't helped. It is hard convincing a child to give up what they know. Good Luck. I feel for you.

Georgine said...

After that book I wrote, I forgot to add, BRIBES. Yes, we used a stickers, jelly beans, m&Ms, thomas trains. They all worked! Oh, and lolli's. If she kept dry at an event (birthday party, school, whatever,) she got a dum dum.

-Tee- said...

I am in the same boat!! I have a little one who is signed up for Preschool. She will be 3 in November and all of a sudden has no interest in the potty. It's soo frustrating! I told my husband that I'm tempted to tell the school forget it, but he thinks we just need a little time.

My mom tells me that I need to put "big girl" pants on her and let the pee run down her legs... gross!! I don't know what to do. My 4yr old took almost 18 mons to train... I swear, I have the most stubborn kids ever!I got the book "My I wanna go potty" and I'm still frustrated. Good luck!!

Michelle said...

Emily is younger but it is the same thing here! Does she stay dry at night or after naps. Emily doesn't so I don't think that she has control over it yet. We also have the Elmo Potty Video...I got so tired of the songs I hid it where she couldn't find it anymore. If you figure out anything that works well definitely let me know!!

Heather LaFrance said...

first, love your blog and just realized we both live in the same state! Go figure... My oldest trained himself. Woke up one day and that was it at 2 1/2. Of course, that means that #2 is horrific. I have him signed up for the fall presxchool to and don;t think he's going to make it. I am going to focus this weekend and keep him in big boy undies. He is just stubborn! Hopefully it will work. So, I guess my advoce is to try to spend several days at home where she can stay in training undies or no bottoms at all and go from there. If my son has no bottoms on, he always goes to the bathroom. It is when he has diapers and pullups on that he goes in his pants.

The DeAndas said...

Okay so I know you love crafts (which I steal from you all the time lol :D) sooo what I did for my daughter when she started sliding backwards on the potty deal- I made a potty chart with one of those big project posters (let her pick the color) then I painted her name on it with "It's Potty Time" written under it. For every time she went peepee or poopoo on the potty she got one sticker (oh and I used those star tinsel stickers that come in a pack of like 500 so they lasted) then if she went all by herself without being told she got an extra sticker. By the end of the day if she went without one accident she got a "BIG STICKER!" which in my case was the disney stickers. Let me know if you would like to see a picture of her poster.. It was a definite hit and now VIOLA! she is potty trained with little to no accidents each day. HAHA then I have another child :D back to diaperville I go!