Potty training is turning out to be one of those energizer bunny events for us. Just keeps going and going and going.

I keep wondering how other MOM's decide they are "done". Is it when you have an accident every 3 or 4 days. I asked a co-worker, who said she was done with her little singleton girl's PTing, how often she had accidents and that was her response. That accident rate turns into six or more messes a week for us...that doesn't rate as "done" for me. (This is where we are at now)

Is it when you are in underware all day except to poop? That was how one friend described it to me. She said she just waited for the poop and overnight part to fall into place. Since I am still buying diapers...this doesn't seem like "done" either.

Is it when you stop looking for coupons and scanning the circulars for diaper deals because you no longer need any diapers in your house? This seems like such a long way off.

So what is it ladies and gents...when did you consider PT'ing was "done"?

Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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I'm thinking it's more like one of those 100 mile ultra marathons
My kids are a week younger than yours and my girls have been PT for a couple of months. I considered them done because they have less than 1-2 accidents a week, go to the bathroom by themselves and can be trusted in the car to tell me when they need to go. I was fortunate that they didn't have any issues with poop, that came easier for them than pee. We just transitioned to the big potty a week or so ago and that has been wonderful. Now my son on the other hand is not PT. I did switch him to pull-ups and take him to the potty when I thinkabout it but after his first poo in the potty he decided he wanted none of that! So I'm not sure how to go to undies when I know he will poo in them. The girls are still wearing pull ups at night, I'm in no hurry to night train (and don't have a clue how!)

Kelli
GGB 28.3 weeks 5/3/07

http://yesihavemyhandsfull.blogspot.com/

Susan

2 of my girls are pretty much PT but they too have accidents a couple times a week and one is just starting to poop really good in the potty. I still have to start PT Leah. I have tried several times but she gets very upset. I will attempt again next week. I have talked with other moms of singletons and multiples and they all say that kids are not 100% PT until they start elem school and they have accidents here and there. So I stopped stressing about it. I did stop buying diapers and will only use pullups and underwear. I think it is a long process not something that happens in 1 week like I thought before I started PT.


Karen
mom to ggg trips born 4/5/07

I think I have two of your Leah's...we had to do a morning in the bathroom with Mom (actually I did all three, one at a time, this way) IE...DD, Mom, lots of potty chairs, lots of yummy drinks and various cups and straws (they always drink a ton from something new!) and NO diapers. Lots of crying, lots of tantrum...but in the end...it went in the potty. After that first time, it seemed like they caught on relatively fast and would go 2-3 times a day. They have slowly increased that to 6-7 times a day.

How did you teach yours to TELL you they need to use the potty or initiate on their own? Only ONE DD will tell me she needs to go potty...which is very frustrating.



Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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Hi Susan,

I am not sure how I taught them to tell me when they have to potty but 2 of them do and they even try to pull down their pants. They call pooping pee pee also so sometimes I get a surprise. Even Leah will tell me when she is peeing in her pullup..I tried to PT her last week..she fought me but this weekend is it! I just got the best portable potty for traveling. It has liners that come right off after they pee. I got it on amazon.com. A friend of mine had it and was wondering why I was just using a regular potty in the car. I wish I would find things out sooner.

karen

Ah...It is our Leah like ones that never tell me too. They go, and stay dry, but only if we put them on every 1.5-2 hrs. The third one will tell us, but since we are already in the bathroom for the other two every 1.5-2 hrs....she rarely has to.

I hope the weather is nice this weekend...we need to try naked potty training...outside!

Oh...I found out you really have to watch how much water they consume! If they are drinking a LOT, then in about 40-50 minutes they will need to go...and continue going every 20-30 minutes for the next two hours!

Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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I think we have had a breakthrough! (at least I sure hope we have!) We have been dry for three days in a row...no accidents. One tells us she needs to go, one does sometimes, and one we still have to put on regularly, but if we do she stays dry.

Poop is still another story. One has done it a handful of times...the other two don't want anything to do with it and have been known to withold for several days. Not sure what to do about that...fiber in the water has kept them regular...but they have to choose to do it.

PLUS we have one that is generally dry overnight, and the other two are each dry about 3/4 of the time now!

Finally!


Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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Susan,

that is great..I had a setback with Leah. She will only go on the potty when she wants to and will fight it if I try to have her sit on the potty. So I refuse to put underwear on her at this time. But when I run out of pull ups it will be time! I will probably have to stay home for one week with her.

Karen

Another breakthrough! We are in underwear except for nighttime with one...and naps/nighttime the other two (one sleeps so deeply it might be a while). We also have one that has pooped in the potty 4 days in a row now! The other two..who knows...it might be middle school


Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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I know you are all bored hearing about this...but only you all can understand my desire to shout from the rooftops.

One is in underwear all day and NIGHT! Yippie! hooray! Yahoo!

The other two are in underwear all day and diapers at night....sigh...and we are still working on the poop in the potty issue...

But I just had to share my joy..


Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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As of this morning...NO MORE DIAPERS!!!!!

Last night the last holdout (our deepest sleeper) got to wear underwear at night. She was so happy...and so was I!

No more diapers, no more diaper bill, no more giant diaper bag...yippie!


Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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Congratulations! I am extremely jealous, by the way. My boys are close in age to your girls (were 3 in July). One was pretty much trained during the day, but then decided he didn't want to pee on the potty anymore. I just can't bother with that fight, so I figure he will go when he is ready. Another is pretty good but has to be bribed and I've decided to let him decide as well when he just wants to use the potty for the sake of using the potty. My third is another story - getting the hang of peeing, but has no idea about poop yet. Although he is the slowest to get started, I would not be surprised if he ends up being done first as he is generally the most eager to please. Do you have any tips for me? I can use any help I can get!

Kyla
BBB - July 2007

For me a consistent routine seemed to be the biggest help. We went approximately every two hours. (I felt that if they couldn't hold it that long I wanted them to still be in diapers). Other than that, we tried EVERYTHING. To get over potty fear...we had them sit on their potty to watch a Thomas Video...after a week they got over that fear. Then we had to put a loose diaper on for them to pee in while sitting on the potty...then they peed on a diaper set into their potty...then no diaper, and finally on the big potty. Once they were dry a few days we did morning underware, then underware for all but nap and night, then all day underware. All the while we did stickers, candies, rewards when they filled up charts, potty dances...talking about potties, watching videos...egad! But the biggest thing (after there was no more potty fear) was just consistency in whatever we did.

Poop was another issue...Megan Welfare had a great post on that. Ours were all afraid of doing it on the potty. It just took time and slow steps for ours to get over that.

Night time. I waited until they were dry nearly every morning (before we went downstairs and did potty time as sometimes they would pee while waiting) and then started telling them that if they were dry every morning for 14 days they would get special night time underware. That was the only pressure on them and one at a time they did it.

It is a much longer process than I ever imagined. But then again, if I was doing one at a time I would have waited until each was ready and spent much less time on it.

My sister has her son who is 6w older than the trio (adjusted) daytime trained...but night time is another matter. And he still occasionally had daytime accidents.



Susan

ps. That mom who told me she was "done" potty training her barely 2yr old had to go back to buying pullups after DD decided she didn't want to do it anymore. It really does seem like 2.75-3.25 is the window for girls.

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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Thank-you Susan!

Thank-you Susan!