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beyond frustrated with potty training!

Coolpeasmommy

May. 9, 2008 at 7:10 PM by Coolpeasmommy
posted to Advice for Moms

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ok...here is the deal. I have a little girl who will be 3 in June. She is going to start preschool in the fall. I have been trying to pottytrain her for a LONG time now. She has been on her little potty, a big potty and she has been given treats and everything but she still doesn't care. If she does go and I show her how happy and excited I am she just looks at me, gets off the potty and goes back to playing in her room. I have tried putting her off diapers and only in big girl underware and she just pees in them and half the time won't even say anything. I put her on the potty every 15 minutes when she is in underware and she still never goes on the potty. She will sit there for 30 minutes, get down and 3 minutes later pee in a different room while playing. If she goes poopy she waits until she is done then comes and tells me...as if that does me any good. I have tried to talk to her about it and I tell her that she needs to tell me before she goes but it doesn't seem to matter to her. I have even tried taking the poopies and having her help me say "Bye-bye" to them by droping them into the toilet and flushing. She isn't bothered by the flushing so I know that isn't it either. I have tried everything and she just doesn't care. She likes to sit on the potty, so that isn't a problem, I just can't get her to go potty on it. I have tried offering her favorite candy (she isn't allowed to have candy unless it is a holiday or really special occasion so this is a big deal...) and it doesn't seem to help. She just gets mad because she wants it wether or not she goes potty. I have a 9 month old son and I am 5 months pregnant. I am beyond frustrated and I don't know what to do! about 7 months ago her doctor told me to take a few months off and try again when we got closer to her third birthday. I picked it back up about 3 weeks ago and I am at my wits end!!!! Anyone have any suggestions??? Please help!


Additional info.....She loves sitting on the potty, we read books, do her favorite flash cards, sing songs, what ever she wants...I just can't get her to potty on the potty!
Written by Coolpeasmommy on May. 9, 2008 at 7:10 PM Send Coolpeasmommy a message

Replies:


dbutterfly058

by dbutterfly058 on May. 9, 2008 at 7:25 PM

first of all, do not get frustrated at her as to this will totally turn her away. i dont have a girl, so things might be a little different. i tryed so hard with my son, from praise, to peeing on cherios in the toilet. my son's nanny came to me and told me to try 2 things.

1) make a sticker chart
every time she goes, she gets a star. kids seem to love charts. i used to let him put his star on it when he went. if he pooped, he got 2 stars.
then you can come up with a reward for her after so many stars. we started that he needed at use potty at least 2 days to get a reward. little toys at the dollar store work wonders and are cheap!

2) i used a large teddy bear and a cup of water. sat the bear on the toilet after meals with the cup behind teddy so my son couldnt see. i would call him into the bathroom and tell him that teddy wanted to show him that he could pee in the toilet like a big bear. once teddy would pee, then it was made a game that my son had to show teddy that he could be a big boy and go potty too.

try to make it fun for her to keep her intest.  just dont let her see your frustration!
good luck!!!!!
Jennifer1117

by Jennifer1117 on May. 9, 2008 at 8:15 PM

Yeees, I worked in a daycare and have seen all kinds with this issue.
If you will be patient and not obsess over it it will happen. She loves all the attention but may not be mentally and/or physically ready. The head and the body haveto be ready at the same time. I had one girl who's Mom wanted her to sit on the potty every 30 minutes and to call her with every accident. Talk about obsessive behavior! The child was difficult because the Mom was so demanding. It was tooo much preasure and I think she wet herself because she was terrified of letting her Mom down, and attention.
Focus on the positives and if she has an accident ,"oh well that happens sometime." Give her a sticker chart and give her a sticker for everytime she sits successfully, and everytime she tinkles, everytime she remembers to go, everytime she poops, and then its a game and then when she fills it she gets to go somewhere, or a treasure or something special. You set the rules with her and make the chart clearly visible in the bathroom.

Pullups should be used in public situations or bedtime, but the day she needs to be able to feel the "sensation." Pullups are like diapers and she'll keep going in them as long as she has a safety net.

I know you're frustrated and pregnant and worried and cleaning her accidents. I had one girl clean up her accidents on the floor after I reminded her to go and she didn't. When she is with other children on a daily basis watching them go potty maybe she will get it. We all learn differently and not all of us have the physical ability when we or others have. She may have issues about holding it too long, or she may be so distracted that she needs to be reminded to go. Get her into a routine to go. "Let's try to sit on the potty and go!" Maybe she's stubborn and doesn't like to go. Who knows, but everyone in her care has to be on the same page.
 
Food reward has long term affects in adulthood as well as something she expects everytime. What if you're out and you don't have candy? Maybe candy is a treat when she fills up her sticker chart. Make the chart for 7-14 days.
When she goes successfully praise, praise, praise. Brag to everyone who knows her. Call Grandma, Auntie, Daddy, and let them praise her too!

YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Every parent goes through it. Look on the internet and research potty training. With a baby on  the way there is alot of pressure on all of you. Summer is a great time to train because its warm and you can have her in panties alot, go outside, swimming, have children for her to play with and emmulate. 
I would hold my urine until I got a bladder infections, because I didn't want to take away from playtime. I had one boy who would hold his pooping until he couldn't stand it. Everyone is different. She will go sooner or later.

Make sure you get her on a routine. Whats your ruotine?
When you wake up?  Before you go outside? Before you eat? After you eat?
Before bedtime? Every 2 hours? Every 3? Whatever you think is reasonable.

Hope I can help.
Jennifer

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