Mom to Mom

[karil]

My son is 4, and only at about 3.5 did he get interested in using his little potty. He didn't like it being in the actual bathroom, so for a couple weeks, we had a potty chair in our formal entry way. I think he didn't like being "away". I moved the potty towards the BR, and now it's fine.

[Annabellethecat66]

My grandson is almost two years old. I watched him the other day. He keeps taking off his diaper (that's a sure sign he's ready). He has an 8 1/2 year old brother he worships.

I don't think my daughter will have much trouble with him. They will all go to the potty when they are ready. It is the adults who have a problem with it.

I remember that I used to go crazy when one of my daughter's wouldn't use the toilet. She didn't want to wear a diaper but we'd be out somewhere and she'd say in her tiny little voice, I can still hear her....."Oh! Oh!". The pe(e) would be still running down her leg into her little lace socks and her wonderful white shoes! We'd be out somewhere. I'd pick her up, go into the bathroom and with her standing up change everything.

I had the largest 'diaper bag' you've ever seen (always spare shoes, socks, underwear, pants, etc).

That was a trying time. I'd go back there in a minute. I often say to these young mothers who are going crazy, "You don't know it. You think I'm crazy right now. But this is the best time of your life".

The difference is that I was lucky enough that I realized it when I was a young Mother. I loved being a Mother. I still do and I love being a Grandmother. My daughter just called and said the 'girls' (ages 11 and 12) are free if I want to 'do' lunch and go to Pier One for redoing the 12 year old's bedroom for her birthday (my idea).

Good grief! Enjoy every phase of the children's lives, it goes so quickly. I know the Grandma (OP) knows that. We grandma's are pretty smart. Ha!

[ECBG]

DH and I reared two boys. Girls are easier to train than boys. Anything that happens, girls just sit. A boy on the other hand, has to learn to control the spincter muscles for solid. That growth is usually between two and a half and the third birthday. Sometimes you hear young parents gush that their child was trained at an unusually young age when muscle growth can't have possibly happened. That's when the parents, not the child is trained!

[ccassaday]

My sister's two kids one a boy and one a girl were both completely out of diapers by 2 and a half. Thy both started saying they had to go potty and showing interest before there 2nd bday. My sister would just put them on and they might of gone or might not of. So by the time they were and two and a half they were out of diapers even at night. Now my other sister's son just potty trained about a month ago and he will three at the end of the month

[RedTop]

Potty training my brothers and nephew was not a big deal. Once they were walking, they spent a lot of the warmer months outside, without a diaper, and were given the freedom to whiz in the great outdoors. Little boys take to whiz zing in the great outdoors like ducks take to water, so once they got comfortable with letting go of number 1, they quickly mastered number 2 with the potty. No potty was in the picture until they were ready to train for number 2; our boys learned to whiz standing up outside, which made for easy transition to inside---they were never made to sit to pee. All 3 of them were taught the same way, and all were quick learners, and trained long before they turned 3. We live very rural, so we never had to worry about our surroundings as far as neighbors and traffic when the boys whizzed off the front porch or watered the trees and shrubs.

[goodstuff]

Psychologist/parenting expert Dr. John Rosemond is my favorite common sense voice when it comes to child-rearing questions. He thinks parents make too much of potty training, tend to wait too late, and are unnecessarily worried about "traumatizing" their offspring.

Here are a couple of Dr. Rosemond's articles on the subject. Hope you'll give them some consideration:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-health-late-potty-training-story.html

http://www.kidspot.com.au/toddler-development-the-traditional-potty-training-technique+3590+26+artic...

[MsLomo]

I used to read John Rosemond's column when my son was very young. Some advice I agreed with, and some I didn't. Our pediatricians were rather shocked at some of his advice (but not all of it). His toilet-training advice you might want to take with a grain of salt, although if it works for you, great. I do think boys are slower than girls, and I advise, as so many others have here, that your daughter not worry about it. It will happen in the fullness of time. The pediatrician gave my son a nose spray for #1 accidents, and it worked. Apparently, it's a missing chemical (developmental). It really helped because he was worrying about wetting the bed before he went to sleep at night. It didn't take long at all before the accidents stopped, and I was very thankful for that nose spray. We never used a "potty" chair -- just the regular toilet. Regarding your grandson, I think "almost 3" isn't that old and anything that causes him to cry can't be good. I'd tell your daughter to ease up on the little guy and let him handle when he's ready.

[trixie]

DD was easy she was done by age 2. She didn't like diapers. DS was closer to three and a challenge. We were shopping at Target and DS grabbed diapers, diaper creAm and wipes. DS told me these are the brands he likes, not what I normally buy. He was ready he just didn't wasn't to stop playing to take care of business. Best advice I got, Rubber under pants. Big boy underwear first then rubber under pants. Pulls doesn't let them feel being wet. A couple of days of rubber pants and we were done potty training.

[luvdoodles]

I think boys are more difficult to potty train. Both my grandsons didn't catch on until around they were going on 4. My daughter was super easy around 2 1/2. I just saw a segment on tv yesterday where you can hire a woman who will potty train your child in two day for $1700. She said it well worth it if you are at work all day and don't have a consistent routine. I know I would not pay for potty training.

[BichonEmma]

If he is crying about sitting on it take a break. The biggest reason why kids are potty training so late is diapers and pull-ups are so absorbent that kids don't know when they are going. That is step 1. It's summer so some bottomless time in the yard or try putting on the thick cloth training pants. Once he understands what it feels like when he has to go then it's time to start changing the place he goes to the toilet. I will say that from my experience boys have more trouble staying dry at night so don't be discouraged if he still needs a diaper at night