There’s a river in our house
And it’s all urine.
I’m not sure what’s going on today. Why today is different from yesterday - why my Big Girl Big Sister doesn’t want to use the potty anymore. She just will not sit on it to go. Do I put her in pull ups? Do I keep her in panties? Do I put a diaper on her? What do I do? I don’t have an answer. So, if you do - please help.
Todays most used phrases:
“I don’t want to use the potty.”
“I’m not a big girl, I’m a baby.”
“I not a baby! I a big girl!”
“I don’t want to [insert anything I’ve asked her today]”
“I don’t want a diaper! I want Elmo panties!”
“I don’t want to pee on Elmo!” (After my telling her that if she doesn’t use the potty she’ll pee on Elmo [panties] and Elmo doesn’t like to be peed on).
Okay, so you veteran moms who have done this before. Tell me what should I do?
We haven’t had many accidents (just two or three maybe), but getting her to sit on the potty is such a struggle. This is supposed to be awesome, big girl time, I don’t want this to backfire.
HELP!?
Love, a super frazzled mom who loves her daughters with all her heart, even when she has a wet sock because of tinkle.
April 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I thought potty training was the hardest thing in the world until Ava decided that she was going to do it when she was ready. We sat on the potty, she pee’d in the floor, she refused the potty, etc… But one night Ava decided it was time and she used the potty 15 times in one night. (No kidding…15 times in one night!) Since then, we’ve been pretty lucky. It hasn’t been that long ago..I have to warn you about a Lysol or some kind of bathroom cleaner commercial. It has some “monster germs” that live in the potty and that almost ruined it for us. I thought everyone was full of it when they said that she would do it when she was ready, but it’s true.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I put the potty in front of the TV for my second child and it kind of become like her second chair. So when she peed while watching Dora, I totally went overboard with praise and stickers. I had a sticker chart. After so many times on the potty, she got to go and pick out her own big girl panties. Don’t worry. She’ll get it and even when she’s gotten it, she’s still going to have accidents here and there. Just try to be cool about it. You can do it, Mommy!
April 29th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Oh my gosh! I am not looking forward to this at all! Wish I had some advice for ya, but I’m sending big hugs your way!
April 29th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
To be honest, the few times that we went back to diapers or pullups, it didn’t do anything to help. So we just planned to stay home for two weeks and wore underwear with no pants during that time.
It worked for us but every child is different.
April 29th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
My younger son was really hard to potty train. We had all hardwood floors at that time so I ended up leaving him in undies and mopping alot so he could tell when he was wet. Eventually he got tired of being wet and it just ‘clicked’ one day (after his 3rd birthday). I also bribed him to sit on the potty with Tootsie Roll Midgies, his favorite. Good luck and hang in there mama!
April 29th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
The BEST thing that worked for us was to leave our kids in their panties/undies (try not mixing those two up when you have a boy and a girl. I am forever getting corrected for telling my little boy to pull up his panties) and let them have accidents. They learned with in a few days. Both of them but during that time we had days like you are describing. It eventually happens. Well, so far… 2 down 1 to go! Good luck!
April 29th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
What we did with Jada was when we started we did not go back. We were in for the long haul. It was summer and we left her in panties. She ran around in panties all day. When we had to go somewhere she would still wear her panties and I stopped at every bathroom as I went along. I remember making a lot of trips to the potty…running. The only time we put a pull-up on her was a night time and nap time. It would mess her up when I tried to put a pull up on her during the day. We had a chart and did the stickers and made a huge deal out of it and she would get prizes…we probably looked really silly now that I think back on it. Just stick with it you are doing a great job!!!
April 29th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I had to laugh at some of her phrases! My 3 year old went through the same thing, and I honestly think she just wasn’t ready. I started asking her every morning if she wanted a pull up or undies and she chose pull ups for several months. Finally a few months before her third birthday she woke up and said “I want undies today!” And here we are, six months later and no accidents (including nights!). I think she was just really ready.
Another thing we did was move her little potty chair into her room during naps and nighttime. I knew she wouldn’t get up on her own and go to the bathroom in the night, but she will use her little potty chair.
We let her pick out new undies, and choose what treat she would like when she went poop.
Good luck! I am sure she will get it soon. The stay-inside-in-undies trick seems to work pretty well too!
April 30th, 2008 at 7:12 am
After several days of accidents, I finally just let her go bar bottom and put her potty chair close to her in the living room. The next day, I moved the potty chair a little further away and continued everyday until it was in the bathroom.
Having a bare bottom made her panic that nothing would catch it. After a week or less, I was able to put panties on her again. I still haven’t tackled the sleeptime and away from home time yet. I still diaper her at nap and night and when we go out (which is hardly ever). Is that a bad thing???
April 30th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I only giggle because I’ve been in this situation a LOT! There are days when this happens, even after she’s established going on the potty. Basically, my daughter doesn’t have a choice. She HAS to go sit on the potty when I tell her.
If not, she loses special things (her favorite toy, a show/movie, etc.). She goes into timeout. Sometimes I put her on the potty and tell her she has to sit there and can get up once she shows me she peed.
Don’t put a pull up on her. That may backfire. Don’t worry! You’ll find what works for you. Basically she doesn’t have an option because she’s a Big Girl now!