[CherryWaves]

Hello everyone! I need help. I have a 2 year old daughter who I've been trying very hard to potty train. She won't go in her potty. She goes everywhere else except the potty. I've tried the whole take her to the bathroom every 5 minutes but that only lasts during the weekends. I work during the day and her dad forgets to take her every 5 minutes. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[kris9999]

There is a forum in here specifically for parenting. They should be able to give you more advice on that! I tried to start potty training my daughter when she turned 1 and it worked well but when we moved we threw out the old potty and haven't bought a new one. The only advice I know to give is first, don't try to force it, it could cause her to not want to use the potty. Second, reward her when she does. Do the whole "Yay" with a big smile and hug her and maybe give her a little piece of candy like a gummy bear or something

[VickiesPath]

Kris is exactly right. Do not force it. Make provisions for however long it takes. Children will decide when they are grown up enough that it's time they were "big" and should be doing it. Create a very special reward for #1 and a separate, extra special reward for #2. Don't give those rewards for anything else. They must really appeal to her.

I was told there are three things you can never, ever force a child to do.

1) stop crying
2) go to sleep
3) use the potty

You can create an environment to encourage these things but you can't control them. To do so damages the psyche of the child and your relationship.

Just my 2 cents.

[AAAAA]

Kids do things at their own pace and if she's not ready, she's not ready. The reward system works.

Personnaly I think she is not ready I would say to her 'you know what honey ? I am gonna put you back in nappies/diapers for a while and you let me know when you want to have another go with the toilet, ok ? '

They understand more than you think.

[ECHOES]

Dad needs to get on board, be a Dad. Would Dad not feed her if she was hungry?

She will learn eventually. She may not be ready yet.

One trick that helped my child was a rewarding going to the bathroom and sitting on the potty-- did not have to "produce".... I kept an airtight jar in the bathroom, very visible, which had a small treat (bite-sized tootsie roll, etc) and each time my child used the bathroom, a treat was given. I was not one to allow junk food or candy so this was a real treat. Whatever is a real treat for your child could work. I made going to the bathroom matter of fact, casual, no pressue.
Being taken to the bathroom regularly every hour is very very helpful.

[montal]

I lived up on this mountain in a cabin for a couple summers which had no running water, electricity or any other modern thingys..(best 2 summers i've ever had) anyhow the wife & I had also a 200 lb wolf/malamute male friend that "house broke" our 1 1/2 yr old son. the dog would pee on the rear tire of this old case tractor to "mark his spot" i guess, and then Ehren,(our son) would go and try to pee higher every morning and evening. Since then, Smokey(ourpet And friend) passed on, so has Suzie(my wife) and Ehren is 23 yrs old now, married, and has his own business in Montana with no noticable affects of what some might think as a "traumatic" experience.

[Elysium]

Originally Posted by montal

I lived up on this mountain in a cabin for a couple summers which had no running water, electricity or any other modern thingys..(best 2 summers i've ever had) anyhow the wife & I had also a 200 lb wolf/malamute male friend that "house broke" our 1 1/2 yr old son. the dog would pee on the rear tire of this old case tractor to "mark his spot" i guess, and then Ehren,(our son) would go and try to pee higher every morning and evening. Since then, Smokey(ourpet And friend) passed on, so has Suzie(my wife) and Ehren is 23 yrs old now, married, and has his own business in Montana with no noticable affects of what some might think as a "traumatic" experience.

CHERRYWAVES ~

I agree with everyone so far. You can't rush these things. Your toddler will let you know when she's ready, but keep taking her to the bathroom throughout the day and asking her if she needs to use the big girl potty....just don't force or get upset if she's not ready.

MONTAL ~

You say your son now runs his own business? By any chance is he the guy that created these decal stickers? LOL!!



That was an awesome story!!

[CherryWaves]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the suggestions. I think I maybe working my poor baby a little bit much. I'll back off of her and figure out what kinda treats to give her. She likes anything SpongeBob SquarePants. I'll look for the parenting forum next time

[Maven]

Well, I'm no parent, but I can suggest something I saw on Dr. Phil once: Get a doll or a teddy bear or some cute stuffed toy like that, and tell your child it's the Potty Bear or make up some cute name, and Potty Bear is growing up and has to learn how to use the potty. Put the bear on the potty for a little while, maybe even put some water or something in when the child isn't looking (or even just pretend), and when you check and the bear has peed, then you say, "Potty Bear gets to do the Potty Dance!" and you make the bear dance with some cutesy rhyme, like, "Potty Bear went to the potty! Potty bear went to the potty! Now Potty Bear does the Potty Dance 'cuz he didn't go potty in his pants!" (I don't know, make up something, LOL!)

[Yoda]

You can do everything right but the child will not go until he/she is ready. When my son was two y/o he would go #1 in the potty but he was nearly five years old until he would do #2. The day care got nasty about it and said he "should" be as advanced as the other kids his age and his pediatrician said there was nothing wrong with him; he was just a late bloomer.

[VickiesPath]

Originally Posted by Elysium3006

CHERRYWAVES ~

I agree with everyone so far. You can't rush these things. Your toddler will let you know when she's ready, but keep taking her to the bathroom throughout the day and asking her if she needs to use the big girl potty....just don't force or get upset if she's not ready.

MONTAL ~

You say your son now runs his own business? By any chance is he the guy that created these decal stickers? LOL!!



That was an awesome story!!

ROFLMAO

[ECHOES]

Yoda my son also had a time span between #1 and #2. I wonder if it is because it is so different for boys that it is like 2 separate processes---one is standing up and one is sitting. I think it makes sense that they might need to learn one, then the other. I didn't rush mine either. My mother had fits, but I calmly told her I didn't see him at 35 wearing diapers.

[(JD)]

Some children are afraid of the toilet in that it flushes a part of them away, out of sight. Did you say she'll use a potty chair everywhere but the bathroom?

I agree with the others about not stressing over it. She'll pick up on the "need" for her to comply and that might tighten up those little muscles and truly prevent her from going.

Maybe there's a library book out you can read together (you know, a children's book on the subject?) Peer pressure does wonders too... one day at a friend's day care or home with other children might just do the trick for her.

[Elysium]

Originally Posted by _Sky

Some children are afraid of the toilet in that it flushes a part of them away, out of sight. Did you say she'll use a potty chair everywhere but the bathroom?

I agree with the others about not stressing over it. She'll pick up on the "need" for her to comply and that might tighten up those little muscles and truly prevent her from going.

Maybe there's a library book out you can read together (you know, a children's book on the subject?) Peer pressure does wonders too... one day at a friend's day care or home with other children might just do the trick for her.

Maybe I just read this wrong...but WTF?

She's two!!!!!! The only thing she needs to "comply" with is being two!!

[bipolardisordermom]

I have a 3 yr old who still isn't potty trained.