Potty Trained... How old and what technique?

I have a 2 1/2 year old, he started potty training at about 27 months, and is now completely potty trained, for the most part. We still put a diaper on him at night time, but he hasn't awoken wet in a month or so. My son wanted to do it, i wasn't ready, because I had a 2 month old at the time, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity either. So we went for it. He had a friend over who was peeing in the potty, and he thought it was just the coolest thing, and wanted to try, and has been pretty positive about potty training since. (not putting his b.m.'s in though, we had to be creative with that one!) I read a book called "Potty Wise" it has alot of different techniques to use, and is great. I started applying the principles, and noticed a major change in him. You can pick it up at barne's and Noble I think. Also, I had him wear underwear, he hated the feeling of the pee running down his legs, and eventually decided he'd rather go in the potty than be uncomfortable, also, I made him help clean up. Some kids are compliant by nature, and want to please you, and you won't have much of a problem, other kids, will fight you on everything, So it really just depends on the kind of child you have. I would try to get him to think it's HIS idea to potty train, maybe plan an activity 3 months down the road, but that's only for potty trained children, (there's a gym here that will take your kids for a couple of hours, and teach them gymnastics, but they'll only take kids whom are potty trained) this may encourage him to want to potty train. If he's already four and not wanting to go, it's most likely because you want him to so bad. Us mothers have a way of putting pressure on our little ones, no matter how hard we try. SO just drop it for a month or so, if nothing else works, and then pick it up again. Good luck. I know it can be very frustrating!

I have a 5 yr old boy and a 3 yr old girl. My son was potty trained at 2 1/2 yrs old and my daughter at almost 3 yrs old. My daughter was harder than my son which is opposite from what i have always heard. LOL With both of my kids, I just stayed home for at least a week and set the timer for 15 min and every 15 min we went and sat on the potty. We sang and read stories and then when we did go in the potty, we celebrated with the potty dance. LOL My daughter turned 3 in March and she is totally potty trained except at night...I still put pull ups on her at night because she still pees in her pants at night most of the time. It took my son only about a week to get totally potty trained. My daughter took me a good 6 months! LOL And, like I said...she's still peeing at night.

Hello Speedy,I am not here to push anyone in this,I have been a babysitter for over 40 years now,and most of my charges are potty trained at around 21/2. First off,I do not allow any disposables after the first year,at this time,they are starting to understand the sensations of being wet and messy. I put them in cloth diapers and plastic pants up to the time they start showing interest in wanting to train. there are a number of tell tale signs for this. do not worry about night time training,there is no such thing.As they show interest,I will let them run around naked for a couple of hours each day,this gets them to know what is happening when they get "that" feeling. I will then start setting the kitchen timer for every hour and let them know,they must at least try to go potty when it goes off,then have them reset it(you can adjust it when they are out of site). this way,it is their idea and not mom nagging them to go potty all the time. I use m&m's for a reward if they go,1 for pee 2 for poop. as they get better,I take them shopping for their favorite charactor underpants,and let them know,when they start using the potty they can wear them. Once you stop using the diapers,tell them they are for night time only if needed.do not go back to them,pooping in a diaper can be a very hard habit to break. I hope this helps most for now,if you wish any other insite,please let me know. Blessed Be.

I had 5 kids and they were all pretty easy to potty train after they got off the bottle. And was trained around 2 years old but now my grand daughter is different sometimes she say she needs to go other times not! She will pee in potty but wont poop in in it she goes and hides and if you get close to her she tells you to go away. Then she dont want to get changed when she is done. We have even told her she could start wearing cute little panties when she learned to go to the bathroom but that hasnt worked either . maybe if you put him back in a diaper he might get the idea that is not what he wants. I do that when she dosent tell me and i really hasnt worked to well but it saves money on the pullups for they coast alot more

First of all, boys are harder to potty train than girls. I did not have my son (who is now 25 years old) completely potty trained until he was 5 or 6 years old, he wet the bed every night, no matter how many times he went during the day or how much I restricted him from liquids before he went to bed. You just need to keep working with your son and if he wets the bed at night put some pull ups on him. I have a 3 year granddaughter that I am currently working on potty training and I find it very difficult, especially since she will go at her own home but at mine she wets her pants. I have tried everything, but I don't think embarrashment is the way to go, I think that would only hinder things for them. Positive reinforcement always works better.

I really feel for you, I can sense that you are really embaressed about this issue, and I think I would be too, if I had to change my 4 1/2 year old son in public. I have two sons at 13 months and 4 1/2 years. My oldest son was potty trained at about two years old, and it was rather easy, but he still wears a pull up at night, so I would not say that he is fully potty trained. I have also been concerned about this, but my mother, who has been the leader of a daycare for about 30 years kept telling me to stop worrying as well, and I know how aggrevating that answer can feel. I have decided to follow her advice though, and it seems that my son does get better and better without me pushing him. Does he pee or poop without a diaper at all. If not I would say to pick a nice day, or wait until the weather gets a little warmer. Find the potty, put it in the backyard, and let him run around without a diaper on. I did this with my son, but inside as we did not have a garden. I took away rugs etc., that I did not feel should be peed on, and I did this for a few days. It took a lot of dirty laundry, and a lot of cleaning but it worked. I sure hope, and I am absolutely positive that this issue will work itself out, but I completely understand your concern, as all parents want the best for our children, and we do not want them to be embarressed either.

My son started potty training at 17 months but I didn't push him he did it on his own accord I had my daughter when he was 19 months and was told that he will probably stop and go back to nappies which he did for a few months but he was toilet trained by 2 1/2 years, but still with the accassional accident... Now my daughter who is currently 2 1/2 and she is only just started to toilet train she has beeen alot slower when usually it is the other way around... I don't really have a technique I just ask them or should say her alot if she needs to go... Remind her... I can see your embarressment to have your daughter who is younger to be toilet train before your older son, but he just may need a little more time. Don't push because it can have a negative response. I'm sure he will be fine and all the best with it....

On the potty training site I help co-host,we have a 3 strikes method for those over 3 that are just being stubburn,He would get only 3 pair of regular underpants a day and have at least a 1/2 dozon pair of plastic pants in his drawer,he will then be told,that if he wet or messed his 3 pair of cloth pants,he would have nothing else but the plastic pants to wear till the laundry was done the next day,we have found,they seldum last more than a week before they try stopping after the second pair gets wet,then you cut back untill he is using the toilet all the time,you must be consitant and not flinch in this. He will find,wearing only plastic pants for a day,not very pleasant. I hope this helps,it is a last ditch plan. Blessed Be.

My neice at 2 years old was potty trained already. What's amazing is she doesn't pee on her bed during her sleep too. Is that normal? My nephew was at 3 yrs. old. I think their mom just stopped using diapers unless they go out. So it takes a lot of cleaning, you know just like when you have puppies insjide the house but they learned fast.

having four kids, i started training them when they were 2 years old. i dont let them use any diapers just underwears and i see what time she will urinate.... then what time is the next. if i see that the difference of the first from the second urinating is 15 minutes then i always bring her at the bathroom to urinate every 15 minutes. well for poop its quite hard but as soon as she already knows that going to the bathroom is for urinating she learned that to poop also is going to the bathroom too. its a hard work and you really have to be patient. hope my advice works for you and your little one. God bless

Four seems a bit old to me. My daughter is four and I can't imagine her not being potty trained, but shes a girl and we all know that girls potty train earlier. Now my son is two and he's not trained yet. We need to get on it because our neighbors son who is four months younger, has been using the potty. What we will end up doing, as soon as we get the "gumption" to do it, is just put underware on him work with him. After a while, he going to get tired of the uncomfortable feeling of having acccidents all the time and he will WANT to use the potty. There's really no other way to do it in my opinion.

My youngest son was the same way...well, he started trying to train at about 2 and one of my grandson's told him that boys do not sit on the toilet....what a disaster...at 4 he was still wearing pull-ups and seemed content to do just that...I was concerned and took him to his doctor...who gave me the same advice as your doctor. Let him do it at his own pace and he will do it...I stopped asking him about it....just changed him when he said he needed it and let him tell me when he was ready to wear "big boy's pants". Within about 4 months, he had broken himself...he has only had one accident at night and never in the car...he always tells me. I look back now and think that part of my delimea was embarrassment at having a child that old with a pull up on in public.... I am glad that I took his pediatrician's advice and it worked out so well......I am wishing you the best of luck with this situation....I know it works on your nerves...but maybe that is part of the problem...maybe your son is picking up on your "emotions" concerning this situation and it is causing him anxiety as well. Again, good luck!

I trained the potty to my sister