Toilet Training

[Golden Retriever]

Guys, it's official toilet training day here. I simply have had enough of having 2 kids in diapers and my son's diapers have just become an absolute pain to change. This week I've had more diapers that have leaked. Just yesterday he woke up from his nap literally from neck to butt in poop. Spilled right out the top of his diaper. I've got him in pull-ups today and I am using the reward system. If anyone has great tips, I am all ears (or eyes!). My wife feels he's not ready. I think he is when he knows what he's producing in his diaper and can tell you when he's had a #2. I'll keep you all posted. My brother is coming over tomorrow to give us a hand with this. He's the expert. Wish me luck......

[mjknapp]

Good luck, this is a big step in your kids life, From my experience once they figure it out, then they will do very good for a while, then have like a lapse when it doesnt become new to use the potty anymore. Consistent praise is the key. Every time they do it, reward them, and keep the rewards coming. When I thought it was normal for my daughter to go, I gave up on the rewards, big mistake, as she had a lapse and had a few accidents in her pants over a two day period.

[mjknapp]

GR, this is a thread we had going for a while that has alot of good tips in it.
http://dadstayshome.com/dadforum/viewtopic.php?t=8

Alot of good ideas in here, and if you figure out any new ones yourself, let us all know, as I still have one more to potty train in a couple yrs.

[Remington]

Good luck. Hope it works out for you. Persistence and don't give up! :wink:

[Canuck]

Were getting close to starting too here. I hear you on the diaper blowouts. You start to lose your patience cleaning up leaking diapers, clothes, etc. I think when they start to know what's going on "down there" then its definitely time to initiate training. Good luck and please let us know what works for your guy.

[floridamcmarion1]

My son, who is 3 1/2, is mostly potty trained for pee, but for some reason refuses to use the toilet to poop. Just last night he got off the toilet from peeing only to fill his pants 5 minutes later. We have tried everything we can think of, but nothing seems to work. Any ideas guys :?: I would really like to get him completely potty trained before our new arrival comes in August.

[Golden Retriever]

floridamcmarion1,

This is no doubt frustrating at 3 1/2. Don't give up! Do you have him in pullups? Is he fairly regular with his pooping schedule? At the first sign that he's getting ready to have a movement, get him immediately on the toilet. I think the reward system is the best idea. Really praise him when he's performed on the toilet.

[floridamcmarion1]

We get him on the toilet immediately when there is any sign of poop. He usually sits there for a long time saying he can't go. After we give up on the waiting game he hides somewhere and fills his pants. We have tried not letting him out of our sight when he has refused on the toilet. He then waits until we forget he has to stay in the room with us and then hides and fills his pants. He doesnt tend to be regular. It varies day to day. We do use a reward system (a small piece of candy works best for him) but he just seems to have a refusal to poop in the toilet. He is in pullups only part of the day. He wears them for naps or if we are going out for quite a while. Otherwise he wears underwear and does pretty well staying dry. One possible contributing factor is that he is a foster child (hopefully to be adopted by the end of the year) who was exposed to cocaine and possibly other drugs in the womb. He is a pretty bright kid, but he does show signs of extreme high energy which is often caused by drug exposure. However, he can also sit very quietly through a full-length movie if it is on his age level and plays with his favorite toys for long periods of time.

[mjknapp]

Ok, now xome of you might not agree with this, but this is how I did it, and it only took two times for her to learn. Keep trying with putting him on the potty when you think he might have to go, if he doesnt go, praise him for trying, and if he goes off and hides and does it, let him sit in it for a little while, for like 10 or so minutes, just dont clean him up right away. You said he is 3 and a half, so he will not be to happy or comfortable with it in his pants. Then explain to him that if he did it on the potty he wouldnt feel that way. I did this two times, and she has never pooped her pants again.

[floridamcmarion1]

I like the idea, but it wouldn't work for us. Since he is a foster child at this point he gets monthly visits from a caseworker. If he, or one of our other children, mentioned this to her we would get charged with neglect for leaving him in a dirty diaper and they would take our foster license. Our top priority to to cover our behinds, so we can't do anything that might be deemed neglect or abuse on any level. It reaches a point of being ridiculous, but we can't take any chances of getting the Department of Children and Familes involved.

[mjknapp]

I can understand where you are coming from, I wouldnt take any chances either.