Toilet training tips--post them here

[Lilac]

What a fun age we are at! I know we are all looking forward to training our kids. :spit For those that have done it please post any tips that made your road successful.
:thumbsup

[Lilac]

I think the best way to approach potty training is with a relaxed attitude. Bottom line is this-- Your kids will NOT be trained until THEY are ready. Watch for the signs. Can they pull their pants and underwear up and down on their own? When they pee or poo in their diaper do they know it, and come and tell you while they are doing it, or just after?

Some things that have helped me thru training my four are:

1) letting them watch me go on the potty, both poop and pee...granted, not the most comfortable thing for me....but also not biggie. They see me going, they understand what is happening and they watch the entire process.

2) Encouragjing them to sit on the potty, and even if they don't actually go clapping hands and praising them for trying.

3) When they do actually go on the potty whether it is pee, or poo or whatever, even if it is just a small trickle doing the "happy potty pee pee dance"....yes, you look rediculous singing and clapping and shouting to the heavens that your child just eliminated in the pot....BUT the kids LOVE it! LOL

4) Not only do the happy potty dance, but reward them with a small treat. I used chocolate chips. You may prefer not to reward with food, but perhaps a sticker?

5) This is the most important one....DO NOT GO BACK TO DIAPERS!!!!! Once you decide that this is it...you have to stick with it. Don't just do potty training at home. Take them out to the store in their undies! Yes, you may have to change some wet pants, and yes it is incovenient...but if you are switching back and forth that is sending mixed messages to your child, and they will NOT get it. It confuses them.

6) My personal preference is to NOT use pullups. They are way to much like diapers in terms of absorbancy. You need something that when they have an accident, the kid will FEEL.



Ok, one other thing I want to mention. Not all kids are ready at the same time. Maybe one of your twins are ready, but the other isn't. This happened in my case. I trained Erin when she started giving her ready signs, but Abby was NOT ready. She didn't start giving me signs until about 3 months later. Looking back on it I realize how GOOD that was. It meant I could fully concentrate on Erin, and same when it was Abby's turn.



GOOD LUCK TO THOSE TRAINING!----Stick with it!! It will happen.:pinkygirly

[Supercalafragilistic]

Our biggest thing was consistancy. As Lilac already mentioned...once you take away the diapers, if they are ready.....stay away from the diapers.

[mom_x2]

I don't know if any of ya watch th TLC show Surviving Motherhood or not,But there was one on potty training.They say to set a timer every 30 min.and take them to potty everytime it goes off.They will get there own rythem to this timer and want to go when they hear it.After a few days,more it to an hour and so on...I have been doing it for the past week or so.It has been the only way I have gotten Landon to use the potty.Leea is pretty good allready,but I could not get Landon to do any thing.Now he thinks he is doing something good all by himself,when the timer goes off.Going great!

[Ringlette]

Give them an everlasting sucker, a 72oz soda, and duct tape them to the toilet. It'll eventually click.

[SnowBirdie]

ringlette! :lmao

[Sofa King]

:lmao Ring! That oughta work!

I think the timer idea is great. I was going to say something like that. Take them in regular intervals to the potty, whether they ask to go or not. Even if out in the Mall or Walmart....go to the potty when you get there, and watch the time ....find a potty every half hour or so. If you wait until they SAY they need to while shopping, you can pretty much assume you won't get there in time. :pee

As for the treats.....we found the treats to be distracting and they would be more concerned with the treats than the whole potty experience. We found praise and stickers or brand new underpants with princesses etc. to be better rewards for us.

OH and I recommend that if you use a potty chair, keep it IN the bathroom, and always maintain the routine of flushing and washing hands no matter what. My Mallory STILL has flushing issues from the autoflushers. I have drilled the handwashing thing into them so badly that I must carry wipes in my purse in case of a porta potty emergency.

My best bit of advice is to echo Lilac's rule number 1....Relax and don't stress about it. They will be potty trained. Stress and nervousness or even anger about any of it, will only hinder your successs and never help. Peer pressure is a wonderful thing too. Especially with twins. All the praise in the world toward the successful one will work wonders at getting the other one 'ready'. :teehee

[katsmeow1981]

i have a question, did any of you buy them each there own pottys or just let them share the big one?

[Moodyzblu]

i have a question, did any of you buy them each there own pottys or just let them share the big one?

I have one potty .. they take turns sitting on it. Now if I could just get them to actually pee !!

[Gabe+2more]

When u say that you don't use pullups or don't go back to diapers...does that mean u go to underwear for naps and overnights immediately?

I've started training my son, but we were planning on using the remaining diapers we have for nap times and overnights.

thanks,

[Lilac]

I would continue with a diaper or pull up at nap times and night time until you notice them waking up dry more often then not.

[cc]

We have one little toddler potty, and one seat that goes on the real potty. I am finding that I prefer the big potty to the toddler potty. I thought it would be great for them both to go at the same time-since of course this concept has made things easier their whole lives :) but the problem is the one on the toddler potty gets up and down 80 billion times rather than focusing ont he job. The one on the big potty can't get down as easy so tends to stay put better. So i am thinking of doing away with the toddler potty all together. I just wish someone could tell me how to do this in a day! It took soooo long for my first one I can't imagine how long it will take with two boys!

[zak frost]

Do you have more than one bathroom?

We only have one bathroom. We kept the potty chair out and called it an "emergency potty". When someone was using the big one, they could use the little one if they couldn't wait.

[cc]

Do you have more than one bathroom?

We only have one bathroom. We kept the potty chair out and called it an "emergency potty". When someone was using the big one, they could use the little one if they couldn't wait.

HI, I am new to posting so I wasn't sure you were asking me..we do have 2 bathrooms, but I only use one bathroom for the kids and we have a cute little alcove that fits the little potty right in front of the big potty. but that is a good idea I hadn't thought of to keep that baby potty for emergencies, thanks for that idea!

[zak frost]

No problem...

[cc]

When does the night time bedwetting switch from age appropriate to a problem?

[Iggy]

Free potty-training DVD from Pull-Ups:
http://www.pull-ups.com/na/potty_training_DVD.aspx

I just ordered it, I'll let y'all know what it's like.

[Jennifur]

We got that just recently. I thought it was a video for the boys to watch but it seems to be geared towards the parents unless i'm missing something :lol Oops.

Though I think you can play it on your computer and it has stuff for the kids, I've yet to try that out yet :lol