Tuesday, May 12, 2009

TWO SENSE TUESDAYS #10...Potty Training

Being a new mother I seem to get a lot of advice, which can be helpful, but is also very frustrating when it's from people who are insistent that their way is the BEST way. I also get advice (because I'm an adoptive mother) from those who think that my son is just a stand-in until I get "the real thing."

Each week I will post a new question. I'd love it if you'd play along and offer us new mothers your pearls of wisdom.

HERE IS THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

WHEN DID YOU POTTY TRAIN YOUR CHILD?

4 comments:

My Blessings From Above said...

Justin was almost four when he potty trained. I had tried previously and he just was not ready. When he did train it was pretty much overnight for both day and night time.

Kaden was four in March. I had tried potty training him about 3 months ago with no sucess. We started a week ago Monday and he has been day time potty trained ever since. He is doing beautifully. He is not night time trained yet and I suspect it will be a while before he is. I did get flack from friends and family about their ages, but honestly when I had tried previously they were just not ready. I refused to make it into a battle or control issue and truly knew that they were not ready the first time I tried. Each child is different and you will know when they are ready.

Melba said...

In my most recent child development class, we learned that the surest sign of readiness is a dry diaper in the morning, and after naps. My professor also pointed out that kids almost always reach a point where they almost do it on their own because they're totally ready.

She said there's a tendency toward over-reaction in this country if kids aren't trained by age two-and-a-half, but that it's pretty pointless because this is not something you can force a child to do. She also pointed out that boys are usually ready quite a bit later than girls, sometimes as late as age three-and-a-half.

I don't know for sure what we'll do with Charlie, but I guess we'll just let him tell us! :)

Melba

Becky said...

I started with my son about age 2...2 and 1/2. Bought the little potty, started reading the stories, and sitting him on it before he would get in the bathtub. He trained for pee fairly soon but not the other! That took longer and took some rewarding. Also,when he got good and ready..not anyone else! He was dry from night one after he trained. I could put a pull up on him for 2 or 3 nights, until it got too bunchy! I did that for awhile, not wanting to change sheets should he not make it through the night......but, he was always dry.

Now, with my daughter.....same steps and process at same age. The actually was harder and took longer!! And, this is not what I was ever told!! Always told girls were easier! Just so depends on their nature! Also, to this day at 4,she wears a pull up to bed and is wet every morning! Don't know when that will stop!??? And, she is my one that will occasionally have day 'accidents'. Just a little wet b/c she will NOT stop what she is doing to go potty and holds it too long!

They all have to go at their own rate. Mel is right, it's such a pressure thing and really shouldn't be I don't guess. Course my m-i-l swears my husband was potty trained at 1 yr. old! Whatever!! ("Only b/c you must have held him over the potty every 30 minutes!!" hee!!)

Christy said...

We just got Dman trained and he will be 3 next month. He was showing plenty of signs of readiness last fall and did great for a couple weeks, even staying dry at night, then he decided he didn't want to do it anymore. I didn't push, just let him do his thing and encouraged. He would still go sometimes for me so I encouraged it. Then this spring he decided he was ready and that's all there was so it. He's daytime and nighttime trained, #1 & #2, and has very few accidents. I hear he's the exception, though for boys at how early he trained.