We’ve been talking about kids and the bottle and kids and sleep, but how about potty training. We had to train both of my kids by age 3 because their pre-school wouldn’t let them come to school in diapers. I thought that was cruel when I first heard of the policy but apparently it is common.
With my daughter, the training was no problem. She was turning 3 in October so she was almost 3 when we trained her the summer before. She took to it like a champ and had no accidents in school. For the next year, she would have the occasional accident but it was usually because she was so caught up in some fun game with a friend that she didn’t want to stop to go potty until it was too late. Live and learn.
With my son, he turned 3 last September and I was so terrified of potty training him, thinking he’d never get it, that I put it off until the month before he was to start school, the same month in which he would turn 3. Some of my friends had told me that they didn’t train their sons until they were 4, so I really was worried about my son, who was also not a good communicator so I couldn’t tell if he understood what I was trying to get him to do. But sure enough, he learned quickly and he never had a single accident in school. He was much smarter than I thought about it-he knew enough to hold it all morning at pre-school, then when we would pick him up, he would immediately wet himself on the car ride home. Eventually, he stopped doing that as well and we got alot smarter about making him use the bathroom before we left the school (duh). We still kepthim in diapers at night for next few months but at one point I had to ask myself how he would ever learn if I didn’t just remove the diapers completely. So I did. Months ago. And just when I thought we were out of the woods, he wets his bed. so now here’s what I do-I put him to bed at around 8pm. When I go to bed, around 11 or 11:30, I put him on the potty and he goes, literally in his sleep. Then he is usually good until morning, but if I didn’t do that, he’d wet the bed.
How do I get past this? My husband wants to throw the night diaper on him again but I just can’t do it. I feel like we need to tough it out as long as it takes.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:17 am
way to be strong mommy!!!
Your doing a great job!
May 6th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE DOING THE RIGHT THING TO ME. bETTER THAN HAVING TO CHANGE AND WASH SHEETS EVERY MORNING.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Tough it out! If you go back to the old ways it creates confusion. I have three boys aged 5, 3 and 1. Potty training the two oldest boys was not fun but they were both superstars before the third birthday. I still take my 3 year old for an 11 o’clock pee and he is consistently dry through the night. With my eldest boy I quit taking him for the midnight pee because he was waking himself up when he needed to go. I think my best advise is to go with your instincts and to follow your child’s lead (especially about the late night potty trips). My mother-in-law gave me a great piece of encouragement one day when I was extremely frustrated with training my middle boy - she said, “Jenn, most kids figure it out before kindergarten…” its funny but I found it very profound. So hang in there all who are potty training and don’t get psyched out. Have a positive attitude and lots of cleaning supplies…
May 6th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
no drinks after dinner - it works. my daughter was wearing a pull up at night when she was 5. i finally stopped letting her have any drinks after 6 (of course sips of water if she was dying of thirst). she wet her bed maybe 5 times over the course of 3 months (not too bad) and then she was done. good luck.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Start at earlier age to put kids on the potty.
First let them play with it and then let them sit on it fully clothed. My 3 sons were fully potty trained at 2 years old! My grandson is just 1 year old and his mother has been letting him use the potty a few minutes after he wakes up and he pees into it and then there is a lot of klapping and showing him the pee! It does not happen every time but it is a start.
Good luck. Asta from Iceland
May 8th, 2008 at 2:40 am
Good job mom ! I had the same issue you did with my 3yr Old.I even had moments where I’d cry and get frustrated, being a Single mom with twin boy’s 22months, it was really difficult! But yes it was hard work! We encouraged him to use the potty and after every attempt we’d congratulate and applaud him.It’s been 6months and he’s doing well, I still keep pull up’s hidden just for those lil occasions lol but now im preparing myself to start potty training all over again with my twins ! Nice to know im not the only mother who struggled with this =)
May 10th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
My youngest son has been ‘daytime’ potty trained for over a year now and we still struggle with the exact same thing you are describing. I worried about it for a long time and talked to several pediatricians and (more importantly, sometimes) experienced mothers. Since looking into it, I’ve stopped worrying. Kids bladders mature at different ages, that is the bottom line.
My little Trooper is fine during the day but if I’m not very careful to put him to bed on time (so that he is not overtired) and cut off the liquids at a decent hour, there are accidents. Now, of course life happens, right? In those times where he is up way too late, drank more than usual, or is feeling under the weather, my husband and I wake him up around 11 pm and Trooper goes potty in his sleep. Strangest thing I’ve ever seen but it means no messes in morning, no humiliation of diapers at night, and -best of all- no grumpy mommy.
I would take him to a quick visit to your pediatrician to rule out anything medical and then… relax. Sounds like you are incorporating what he needs into your routine by getting him up at night. Eventually, you won’t need to.
May 10th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
My son was botty trained before his 3rd bday. Just remind him to “Make Yellow” in the toilet. My son goes to bed at 630pm and is up at 7. He can have his last drink an hour before bed, he has to go to bed. If he doesnt fall aslepp right away, say it has been an hour and he is still awake have him get up and potty then lay back down. Let him know its ok to wake you up to go potty!
May 12th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Good job mom!!!! you should pat yourself in the back or where ever you want.. Its so nice to hear you say you put him at night while his sleeping cause my mom had told me to do that for the longest since she did that with us and I finally did it with my older boy (4) and after two evenings he’s been dry ever since. So mom’s are always right. Thanks mom.!! Good luck to all the moms here.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I would make sure he is awake at that 11-11:30 potty trip. Otherwise you are training him to pee in his sleep. This could be a problem down the road. A cool washcloth on his face will wake him enough but allow him to go back to sleep.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I believe that potty training should start around two or before. As soon as the child can communicate verbaly, it should start
May 13th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I have 5 kids-all of which potty trained in different ways and at different times. The fourth child was actually our most difficult to potty train and was doing exactly what your son is doing. One of the other posters suggested to stop giving drinks close to bed time. This is definitely helpful and I would do that. The only concern I have for you is what happened to my daughter. I would wake her to urinate because other wise she would pee the bed and now she won’t sleep through the night (it’s been a year and a half). My last child, also a bit tough and battled with peeing the bed, was given a plastic sheet over her matress and I dealt with the washing. She didn’t like having to get out of bed to wait for clean sheets and started to make her own efforts to go to the restroom before going to bed. Hindsite….
May 14th, 2008 at 10:14 am
I have the same problem one kid that eats almost evrything I cook and one that doesn’t. I roasted potatos carrots onions celery dill salt and pepper, yuck my picky one says, until the melted cheese was all over them, I didn’t make enough, try other veggie dishes with melted cheese, experiment with other types of cheeses for different tastes. Hope this helps