When did you begin potty training? How did it go? Did it take very long? What tips can you offer a parent embarking on the potty training adventure for the first time?
Cyn

My son was three years old when he potty trained himself actually.

It was the cutest thing because we were outside at my sister's house and he had disappeared for a few minutes. I went to look for him and he was standing there on the side of the house with his pants and diaper down and was peeing on the ground. He saw me, got embarassed and told me to leave. I laughed and left him alone. When we got home I showed him the toilet and told him to go in there and he did with no problems.

I was also very lucky because the first day that he and his sister went in the toilet, they were completely done with diapers.

Even at night time and have never had a bed wetting incident.

Now my daughter, I had no idea how she was trained. My ex took her for a week and when she came back, she was trained.

My wife now and I have a little girl in common and she is 3. She will be 4 in November and she is afraid of the potty so she isn't close to being trained but we are going to work hard this summer to get her trained somehow.

I have always heard that with boys you can put Cheerios in the toilet and have them try to hit them and reward them for their "hits". Give them stickers to put on a chart and when they have so many stickers, reward them with a movie rental or or a toy or something.

Hope this is helpful. Also, it is not uncommon for children to wait until they are five to be potty trained. Above all else, you need patience and it has to be their own accomplishment.

That is how easy it can be if you wait for your child to take the initiative! Thank you for your post amadeus!
Cyn

I had the same experience. This is true not only about toilet training. The more I relax (and books like Aldort's, and UP helped a lot), the less I teach, train, or do anything. My children grow on their on time table and they let me know what they are ready for.

My kids all trained at diff ages. My first 2 (boy and girl 1 year apart) trained together. My daughter took off, but then when she saw her older brother taking longer, she started copying him and held back. All in all, they were almost 4 before they were totally trained.

My 3rd child asked for a potty chair one day when he was 2yo. I brought it home and he jumped up, stripped and then sat on it beaming. Stood up and proceeded to pee all over the floor. LOL We told him that's what he needed to do in the potty next time. So he did. He was trained - both wet and poopy diapers AND nighttime in 3 days. He was my miracle potty child!

My 4th wouldn't go near the potty. When he was 4yo he had his eye on a toy. So we bought it and put it on the fridge where he could see it, but not open it.

Then I put a chart in the bathroom & every time he used the potty he got to put a sticker on the chart. After so many, he earned his toy. AND - he was potty trained except for the occasional accident.

Now, I'm on my last kiddo...still working on him. Bought a story about potty training and I changed the names in it to him and his brothers. Also bought a video of kids using the potty. We'll see....

Donna

Here's another tip I saw on Dr. Phil. It went something like this...

Buy a same sex doll as your child that wets. Have your child help the dolly go potty. Then everyone praise the dolly. Then have your child try sitting on the potty. The first time your child goes...make a HUGE deal out of it...jumping up and down, clapping, etc. Then have your child call their favorite character (Spiderman, SpongeBob) on the phone. Of course you have someone lined up to play the part. Then good 'ole Spiderman praises your child, too.

We didn't think it would work with our youngest so we didn't try it. But, I think Dr. Phil said you could literally potty train your child in a weekend if you did this VIGILANTLY every time they went potty.

Donna

There is a video of kids using the potty? LOL I didn't know that, I think it is kind of funny. My sister has twins that are turning 3. One is almost fully trained and the other could care less. I actually let my last one train himself. I never brought it up, and one day he said "I want to use the potty" and believe it or not, that was it. No fuss no muss. I liked not having to stress over it.

Thanks for all the posts everyone!

Oh yeah Elmo has a potty video and Bear in the Big Blue House has one too.

I rented them at my local video store.

There is also an elmo doll that goes on the potty too. It comes with his own little toilet and everything. There is a little tinkling sound (I believe) but I know that it makes a flushing sound. It is very cute.

LOL that is funny. When my kids were younger, the most we had were books about going on the potty and for the boys, they had flushable bullseyes you put in the toilet for them to aim at.

Cheerios works too as bulls eyes or fruit loops and make a game with the fruit loops. Hit a certain color, win a sticker on a chart. After so many stickers, he gets a reward.

Sorry this is for boys only...um...for obvious reasons. lol.