Potty Training help!

[tara]

Hi ladies! I know it has been forever since I've logged on, but I couldn't think of a better group to come to for help!
We have been talking to DD about using the potty for months, and her interest in using it is still not there. We've talked about it, read books, watched videos and still no interest and I am not one to force this on her, but she's going to be 3 in December and I feel like we really need to start and see how she does. So we are thinking about starting sometime within the next week with a method that others we know have used and been successful at, my biggest concern is that we have baby #2 arriving in about 7 weeks and I'm worried with such a big change about to happen she'll just progress back to having accidents all the time once baby is here. But I know once baby arrives I won't have the time to potty train for awhile. So should I go ahead with potty training anyways, or hold off until after baby has arrived and we've figured out a new schedule? Any suggestions?

TIA

[quirky22]

It seems to me that she's not ready, so I think it's ok to put it off for a while......

I know it's frustrating, but hang in there and GOOD LUCK!!

[bunsy]

I'd put it off. I tried to potty train my un-interested 33 month old because I was pg with twins and didn't want 3 in diapers. It was a massive failure for both of us. I finally gave up. He was 38 months when he got up one morning and decided he wanted to use the potty. It will happen when she is ready.

[dara1012]

It sounds like she is not ready, which in my opinion means you should wait until she is. DS showed some interest at almost 2 1/2 and I was so excited, then after 2 days of sitting on the potty chair he refused. He even told our daycare provider he wouldn't be potty trained until he was 3. At 3 both our daycare provider and us were very consistent with sitting him on the potty every 2 hrs. But he rarely would go on the potty and almost always would go in his pull up. Then one day at 3 1/2 I was talking to him about how potty training was going and he said "I don't want to talk about it anymore, I just want to be potty trained". We bought him underwear and had maybe one accident. He was finally ready.

My niece has been wearing underwear since 2 1/2 and now she is almost 3 1/2 and doing worse and having more accidents. I am glad we waited longer and he has no accidents.

[deannemdm]

DS son interest very early (18 months and bringing us diapers when he needed to be changed) and he helped pick a potty chair-- we never pushed things just made it available- had it in bathroom and tried having him sit in living room too. AFter the novelty wore off, it sort of sat there. Then he got interested in putting ring on big toilet and sitting on that. He would go into bathroom by himself, take off diaper and pant, cimb on toilet, rip off 1 square of toilet paper, put it between his legs, get off toilet and flush.
Eventually we got fun size m&ms and he got a pack if he (put something) in toilet. When he was getting 3-4 packs a day on pretty regular basis, then he only got one if he did #2 in toilet/potty chair. He was just past 3 by a month or two.
Let him determine the schedule-- it will help you stay saner and both of you happier. Think about incentives too.
Other signs they are ready (from ECFE teacher) is other interest in self care-- brushing teeth, getting dressed, etc. or being aware that he is going (hiding, etc.) of tells you
Also there are 3 parts- knowing you went, knowing you are going, and knowing you have to go. Where is your son at?

[cakemakermom]

Neither one of my children potty trained until they were 3.5. I had two in diapers at the same time for a while, fortunately the were in the same size for a while also.

[momof3anddog]

I have three children, a girl age 7, who was not potty trained until about age 3; She initially showed interest at a very young age 13 months, was almost there, and then didn't want to do it anymore; In the middle of the summer, about two months before she was 3, she just woke up one day and said, I'm a big girl now" and started wearing the underwear we had and basically was potty trained except for night times which took a little longer just as she is a sound sleeper. That was "late" for a girl according to all my friends. My twin boys, 3 years and 1 month old now, one is fully potty trained; Just a couple of months ago, he just did the same thing, 'I'm a big boy now"and" I want to wear Thomas the Train Underwear" not hot, wet diapers. The other twin, is just now barely showing interest on just some days. Only because he likes his twin brother's cool, Thomas the Train Underwear. But he doesn't really care about going to the potty, or if he wets himself. I kinda think that you just gotta go with the flow and let them be ready when they are. I know it would be nice for you if she were potty trained. But chances are when you have the new baby, she is going to have some issues with not being the baby anymore and likely have some accidents just because using underwear is so new for her and you are busy with all that a new baby entails; Just because you won't always be avialable to immediately get her to the potty, remind her to go, etc... Don't drive yourself nuts right now. Just save your strength for what's coming up, and let your daughter enjoy her last few weeks of being the baby right now. This is your special time to snuggle buggle with just her which she will have less of in just a few weeks.

[sarahisis]

Tara, I am in the same position as you.. we started with a potty chair before I got pregnant, and there was a little interest.. then all of a sudden no interest.. and when baby came.. it was a flat out NO. lol. I brought the potty out to the living room this week to see if he'd initiate and I just don't think he's ready either..
Your little lady is smart.. I bet she'll initiate when she's ready. I've always heard, the more you push, the longer it will take!!!

[tara]

Thank you guys so much! This is exactly what I needed to hear!
She's at the point of telling us she went some times, she hides when going #2, and she'll even announce "I'm going to go hide and go potty", and we'll ask her if she wants to use the big girl potty before she leaves, and she always says no. So I'm glad that I'm not alone by letting her lead the way instead of pushing her, and just leaving the communication open for now.

[lilmermaid]

My DD1 did this same exact thing. She would hide. She was 3 years 2 weeks when she was fully trained. She was scared to #2 in the potty. I finally did a potty party and it worked like a charm. I didn't have another child to worry about though. Mine are 4 years apart.
DD2 trained herself at about 2 1/2.

[ReneeW]

I agree. With DD1 we tried to train her at 2 1/2, that just didn't work well, and it took a lot of work and was rough on all of us and we put it off in the end anyway. We should have waited. We let DD2 decide when she was ready and it was a MUCH better, faster, easier on everyone experience.