Okay, so as we all know--Bridger has yet to be convinced that potty training is a good idea. I have tried a few techniques (although admittedly I have tried not to push it too much) but all has failed (the boy has no interest--but I'm pretty sure he knows what to do). How do I know he has no interest? Well, the other day he said: "I just want you to keep wiping the poop off my bumb"
Wow.
--I even tried a little reverse psychology. I told him that I would be giving his (musical and very cool) potty to Kennedy--she would also get all of his Thomas and Transformer underwear. I said that she was a big girl now but that it was okay if he still wanted to wear his diaper and be little. Yeah, that backfired. He said: "That's perfect mom! Okay!"
oh my.
So, I don't want to become a nazi potty training mother--but it would be really great if he was potty trained.... This is where the contest comes in. I need advice and suggestions--I will give each a fair chance (of trial and error) and whoever's advice works will win a prize!!! Yeah, I'm still a little unsure of what the prize should be...maybe dinner or something crafty (like decorate your blog or make you a cute apron or something like that.) I guess it will depend on who wins--but I can guarantee that you'll love it!!!
So, just leave your suggestions--make them as detailed as possible. I'll try them in first-come-first-serve order until we have a winner :) And there's no such thing as a bad suggestion (at least I'm pretty sure there's not...)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
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Since, I have a ton of experience, I will post an idea. You should hild all of the diapers from bridger. Then go buy some diapers that are too small to fit, that won't even tape shut. Then explain to him the he has grown so big that he doesn't fit his diaper anymore. It is becasue he is too strong. Obviously he will have to wear pullups. Get the "feel wet" kind. These do what they say which makes him feel really uncomfortable. Especially becuase bridger doesn't like germs. Use that as incentive. Maybe he will go potty to avoid be uncomfortable. Also, this is weird to me but let him watch others go to the bathroom. I know he knows, but if he sees maybe it will be different.
Well, first let me brag about my wonderful mothering skills for a minute -- my kids were both super easy to potty train :) (Yea, I know, it wasn't me, I just got lucky).
Here's what I'm thinking. At this point it is a battle of wills. He is a totally smart kid and I'm pretty sure, going off what you said, that he knows exactly what to do and how to do it. So, I would just go cold turkey. Have him help you throw away all the diapers and put him in the thick underwear ( I think Gerber makes some at Walmart). You'll have to clean up messes for a little bit (although the thick underwear help with that) but I think once he knows your serious he'll give up and go potty. Plus, if he doesn't like germs and getting dirty he'll figure out pretty quickly how to keep that from happening.
On a side not, I HATE pull-ups. Glorified diapers that cost way to much money. We used them for a year with Jax b/c I bought some to try when he was two. He wasn't anywhere near ready, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings and make him wear baby diapers again. He potty trained a month before his 3rd birthday on his own. No thanks to the pull-ups. I wish I would've skipped that step and gone straight from diapers to underwear.
So with Sunny we skipped pull-ups. She was a little harder than Jax. We had to clean up several accidents. It took her a little longer than Jax put she was potty trained about 3 months before her 3rd birthday.
Hope it helps. The only other thing I can think of is to stick with it. No matter how easy or hard it is, it is always a pain in the butt!!!!
I agree and think it is a battle of will power with Bridger!! I also agree that the Pull Up idea is a bad one! We tried that with Ayden and he thought he still had a diaper on, so I think its best to just do underwear even though you have to clean up the messes!!
We had a treat jar when Ayden started...at first it just had Skittles in it! Every time he even SAT on the potty (even if he didn't go), I gave him a Skittle and praised him like he had gone! He started to love this and would sit more and more! He got to the point where he would just sit on the potty and watch TV and wait til he went!! =) When Skittles weren't working anymore, we tried other treats. We only had to use the treats for a few weeks and then he didn't even ask for them anymore! I also did a lot of asking "do you have to go potty" every 5 minutes literally (how annoying that must have been for him). I even made him sit down and "try" to go every 20 minutes or so! He got to the point where he didn't like the musical potty anymore after he realized how fun it was to go while standing up on the cool mini size potty in the nursery room! So I got a stool and now he loves to stand up! My most recent trick is putting Cheerios in the toilet and asking him to see if he can go potty on it! He loves the challenge and laughs when the Cheerio gets peed on!! =) He also does a LOT of running around all day naked...which makes it interesting when strangers come to the door! I find that he has a TON less accidents when he has nothing on! Anyway, those are just a few things we have done and he is doing pretty good! My only challenge now is stopping the pull ups and just going straight to underwear only so he feels wet and disgusting when he has an accident! Good luck...I'm sure with all the tips you are getting, he will surprise you one of these days!! =)
I like Sarah's idea about the thick white underwear. I would start a new rule that Bridger sit on the potty every morning when he wakes up, and every evening immediately after dinner. Start at 5 minutes and work your way up to 15 or 20 minutes. Reward him after sitting on the potty with some m & ms. During the day, have him wear the white underwear. Talk it all up before hand, and let him know that there will be no more diaper wearing. Finnissimmo. Hopefully you'll only have a week of accidents. Stay close to home during this time. If you have to run errands, call me to look after the kiddies for you. The best of luck! I hope I win the prize!
One thing I forgot.
Keep it low key (which it sounds like you've been doing). Tell him what he needs to do and leave it up to him. Make him think he is in charge of it all (which I guess he really is :)
We also did he skittles in the jar too. It worked great for awhile and then somehow it escalated into bigger and bigger prizes. When we got to the full on Bob the Builder toy set I quit with the rewarding all together.
OK, this is cute! I would like an apron made in fall colors.
Get rid of the musical potty, Bridger is growing into a man, do you want him to remember that he use to sit on a musical potty? Let him use the mans potty, let him stand like a man, like his dad and uncles and grandpa do. Help him rise to the occation. He's a smart guy, he's at a point in life that he's up against a challange. He needs to rise to it! He can do it! He won't do it for real unless HE WANTS TO and YOU MEAN IT.
Tell him that YOU DON'T WANT TO WIPE HIS BUTT ANYMORE, don't tell him that you WON'T wipe his butt anymore, because there will be acciendents, and that will tell him that you don't really mean it. He's smart, remember.
Set a goal -- how about when Addison comes home. Let him set it with you.
No candy, no toys, it becomes more about the candy and toys then the real reward in going to the bathroom, WHICH IS, being dry and not embarrased. Don't be so quick to change his wet or poopy pants. Remember, you don't want to do it anymore. He'll have to just live with the mess he's made untill you want to clean it up. OR, HE COULD CLEAN IT UP HIMSELF.
Some time parents have to be the biggest in order for the children to grow.
Good Luck!
Okay...here's my idea. But before you start, you'll need a big dose of patience and your favorite drink (meaning Diet Coke of course)!
1. Set out three consecutive days that you can stay relatively close to home.
2. Wake up...tell him it's a happy day because he's going to be a big boy today! First, have him "give-away" his diapers to Kennedy. Tell him how nice that is, cause Kennedy is too little to go on the toilet.
3. Let him chose his favorite underwear, then take off his diaper and put on his choice of underwear, but NOT pull-ups.
4. After he gets through that shock, give him water/juice and let him watch a movie or play...whatever. After a 30-40 min. of drinking, proceed to the big toilet.
5. Put him on the big toilet, either facing backward or forward with a step stool under his feet. Just so he doesn't think he'll fall in.
6. Ask what book he would like you to read to him...grab a few books, have a seat on the side of the tub or floor and start reading. Note: He'll probably cry lots at first, but just stay calm, don't get frustrated (heh). You'll probably go through a few books, but stay there for at least 15 min. with him on the toilet. Keep him on the toilet (even though he'll want down). If he doesn't go after a little while, just let him know you can try in a little while and keep the underwear on! Try mabey a half hour after especially if you know he probably is just holding it.
7. He's going to be a little angry and frustrated at first, but just let him know he's doing great! Just watch when he eats/drinks, then 30-40 min. later...take him into the toilet.
8. Make sure to Cheer big time if he even just tinkles a little in the toilet. Let him know it's great!
9. After he goes, just keep repeating the toilet every couple hours for the first 2-3 days, or until he starts telling you.
He'll catch on quick... he's a very smart kid. Just stay consistent with it for a few days...he'll catch on. It will be a battle of wills, but we had to do it with Madi! In fact, when we were potty train her...I questioned if Diet Coke was a strong enough drink!J/K.
K, last resort...bribe my mom!(don't tell her I told you that). I have to say though, she wouldn't even train Madi. Madi was still giving mom the infamous stare!
I dont have any in depth ideas...but just throw a few cheerios in the toilet and let him have "target practice"...it will be fun for him
From Uncle Joel
boy, i feel like a number one bridger potty training fan!! i don't think my advice can add up to what you have already gotten!! each of my kids have been so different! you really have to do what works best for their personality! i like the advice from grandma! and the advice about the thick pants - maybe let him sit in them for a while if he goes because that can not feel good. with sarah i took her to the store to buy a surprise and we came home and wrapped it - i then stuck a potty chart on the wall at her height and everytime she went she put a sticker on it! by the time she filled up the chart she was pretty much potty trained and then got a prize for doing so well! of course there was a ton of positive reinforcement everytime she went! and then we had a POTTY PARTY when she was done with cake and ice cream and the neighbors. maybe that could be some incentive for him! a PARTY!! good luck!! and i love what he told you. those little stinkers..
I HATE PULLUPS! They don't work. Like someone said, they are just glorified diapers that cost more money...so...you should make your own "feel wet" pullups. Let him wear his big boy underwear, but go buy some of those plastic covers -like the swim ones and put them over his underwear and let him wear that all day..and when he gets really uncomfortable, then sit him on the toilet. Also, I know this may sound mean..but you could always make him wipe his own bum..or if he is wearing underwear, you could make him clean them..rinse them off, etc. Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!
and on a nice note, heehee...Praise, Praise, PRAISE him when he does good!
Oh the joys of potty training! Why is it the poo is always the last? My mom always had a "potty parade" for us when we were training. Everyone in the family had pots and pans and wooden spoons, we made as much noise as possible marching through the house with our parade whenever we pottied successfully. It sure seemed to work and the one being trained loved all the attention! Good luck!
When I was potty training Liam we went out and picked out some 'big boy' underwear...of course he picked Cars & Spiderman. We told him that Lighening Mcqueen & Spiderman didn't like to be wet.
We also NEVER asked him if he was wet...we only asked him if he was still dry. If you ask if they are wet then they assume that it's ok to be wet so we didn't even give him that as an option and we praised him a lot if he was still dry and didn't make a huge deal out of it if he wasen't, we just gave him a towel and had him help us clean it up.
Good Luck! Patience is the key!
I say good luck... I don't have any advice, Brady was hard. But definitely the thick underwear was the best... I think that you should try the idea of buying the small diapers... I like that, maybe I'll try that when it comes time for Bryce.
Well there are alot of good ideas on here... don't have lots to add, one thing that worked for Tommy was that he had a chart that he would put stickers on when he went potty and once he got a certain amount of stickers he got to go choose out whatever toy we wanted at the store. As soon as he got one we would up the amount of stickers he needed for the next one till he had it. He also got a treat everytime he went, something small for peeing and bigger for pooping. I also agree that cold turkey is better than pull-ups.
With Jaxon we went to the store and bought some Matchbox cars (we got 10) - we let Jaxon pick out the ones he liked, we also got some candy treats of his choice. So every time he went pee he got a candy and every time that he went poop in the toilet he got to pick one of the matchbox cars and keep it (we kept them in a "SPECIAL" box on top of the fridge so he could see the box to remind him but couldn't reach the cars)For Jax that really did the trick and it really wasn't very expensive to bribe him. After getting all the 10 cars he was used to going in the potty and we had no accidents.
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