As promised, here's an update of Cooper's potty-training progress: Zero, Zip, Zilch, Nada, Nothing.
Cooper turns two on February 23rd. He's an outgoing little man with dirty blond hair, big blue eyes and dimple. He loves balls, trains, cars, his Bear and his pacifier. And he hates the potty. I mean, he really seems to dislike it, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. I can understand why the big toilet, with the high seat and loud flushing noises might intimidate a little kid...but I'm not sure why he's so hesitant to even sit on the training potty. I can count on one hand the times I've gotten him on it and most of those times have required bribery: a chocolate chip or a TV show. Even then, he sits long enough to get his chip and is up and running. I wonder if the plastic is cold on his little buns? One day last week, I decided to roll up the rug in the living room, put the potty in the middle of it, undress Cooper and give him a sippy cup of water to drink. He now tells me when he's peeing and when's he's pooped and we talk about putting pee-pee and poo-poo in the potty. I tried to get him to sit down every once in a while. After an hour without any accidents on the floor, I knew he probably had to "go". However, it was soon evident that he wasn't going to be able to relax enough to "try" on the potty. I had been hoping serendipity might play a role and that with an enthusiastic enough round of applause from Mommy, he might get the idea. A moment later, I saw him casually leaning on the couch, with an elbow propping him up and looking like a much younger version of the man he will become. He cocked his head, looked at me with a big grin on his face, and said "Pee-pee" and then peed on the floor. I think it's safe to say "He's still not ready," but I want to keep trying every so often just to make sure I don't miss a window of opportunity that might get me out of washing diapers for too much longer. The good news is that his Size Two Thirsties are still working just fine for us. I've been using the Size Twos since he was about eight months and after dozens and dozens of washes my snaps, gussets, elastics and covers, Duo Fab-Fitteds and inserts are holding up just fine. Are any of you currently potty-training your cloth-diapered toddler? If so, how's it going?
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You’re both doing great! He will know when he’s ready! He might even surprise you one day and just be ready all of a sudden.
I noticed with our little guy that he was more ready at 3. Actually the month after his 3rd birthday he decided he wanted to potty train himself. I reminded him the first day and the second he said no mommy I don’t need your help. He has had a total of 5 accidents, and was potty trained overnight within a month. I think it is definitely easier on everyone to just let them be ready. I know not all kids will make the choice but that was wonderful for us :)
My 3.5 year old finally seems to be going for it. After our fourth attempt last summer (fiasco!) I threw up my hands and decided he was just going to have to potty train himself. When he started expressing interest over Christmas break I left him alone and only offered help when asked, and now he is using the potty of his own initiative 1-3 times a day, and getting better all the time. I am thrilled that it is finally happening! We tried all the fast methods and it just doesn’t work with his personality.
I’m using part time Elimination Communication with my 4 month old baby girl. We use cloth diapers for back-up and my baby girl really seems to like it. She’s my third EC’d baby and my fifth child. I noticed with my 4 month old and with my last baby that neither one liked sitting on the potty at first because it was cold. Once I made fleece potty cozies for them they calmed down and started to enjoy sitting on the potty.
I wonder if making a big fun to-do about potty training would help? I tried to conventionally potty train my first two children and it was a nightmare both times. My next two were EC’d but for reasons that would take too long to explain here, they both ended up in disposables later on. When it was time to potty train them I threw them potty parties ala Teri Crane. Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day: Proven Secrets of the Potty Pro is the name of her book. I also used a DVD called Potty Power. My son was fully potty trained in a few days and my daughter in a couple of weeks. If for some reason EC is interrupted with my current baby I’ll be throwing another potty party when it’s time for her to be out of diapers.
Good luck!
I tried early potty training my now 20 mo. old, but it is not working either :) I mean, he loves the toilet! Some days he even lets me know he needs to go before peeing! But it is very inconsistent. I have to give him though, that I have not been very consistent because I am pregnant and between the terrible first trimester and my last, in which I am super tired and picking him up an down the toilet sometimes is too much; plus a trip that daddy took that set everything back by a few months, I have not been the most dedicated potty mom.
Have you tried the toilet with no adapter? This is the only way our child likes it!
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