Justin Used the Potty!

[August Mom]

DS used his Baby Bjorn potty yesterday for the first time. He was so proud. My mom actually got him to sit on the potty without a diaper. (Usually he freaks once he doesn't have any pants/diaper on and won't sit on the seat). Then he went. We got home and he showed me and DH what he had done. He clapped and jumped up and down. Well, today, he pointed at the potty and started to pull his pants down. DH put him on the potty and he went again. I got home and he immediately took me to the bathroom to show me what he had done. Now, if he would just sit on the potty while I'm home. He keeps turning me down about sitting on it.

So, at this point should I just put him on the potty periodically? Or, just wait until he wants to use the potty? Or, keep asking him throughout the day if he needs to use the potty? I'm not sure where to go from here.

[brubeck]

Yay Justin! That's a big step! And as you're finding out, it's a bigger one for you because the potty training has just begun. :)

Do you think it's co-incidental that he went when you were out of the house? Perhaps your presence/reminding stresses him and he just wants to use it when he's ready? Maybe you could try a low key thing: get yourselves into a room whose floor can be easily cleaned (or the backyard) and let him run around naked. Make sure the potty is in sight, but don't mention it. The give him lots to drink. See if he voluntarily goes over to use it. Since he got such a big reaction when he did use it before heopfully that has interested him enough to make him keep going.

Of course I'm not going to guarantee that this would work, but it might be something that would encourage him to use it without pressure/reminding. You could also show him the consequences of not using it (eg: look, your diaper is dirty and wet, that's because you didn't use the potty) but if he starts reacting negatively then you can back off.

He's still young (not even 2!) so you're already well ahead of average. Just see where this goes! Good luck!

[August Mom]

I have a feeling that this avoiding going potty when Mommy is around will continue. I really haven't been pushing him to use the potty, but I do ask if he wants to sit on the potty/use the potty. If he doesn't, fine. He sometimes sits on it with his clothes on. But, for instance, this morning, he said he wanted to use the potty, but then freaked when we took his sleeper and diaper off. However, tonight when DH was home, DH asked if he wanted to use the potty and DS said yes. He went in a went a very small amount. So, I'm not sure what it is about me being around, but I definitely think that's going to be a struggle between me and DS.

[brubeck]

OR......

Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to get DH to do the potty training! }(

[nigele]

Hurray for Justin! We have had a potty for a couple of weeks and Tom loves to sit on it, but only with clothes on. He will pee in the lift-off pot if I hold it up for him. I'm just hoping he will want to sit down and try it one of these days! My ped warned me not to train him standing since it will be hard to get him to sit down when he is ready to poop in the potty.

So, how DID your Mom convince Justin to sit down on his potty without a diaper?!

[August Mom]

Well, from the way she described it, she took him in there with some board books and a magnet book. Then, she sat on the floor in the doorway, blocking his exit. She talked to him about sitting on the potty, got him to help her pull down his pants and pull off his diaper and returned him a few times to the potty when he tried to get away. That being said, I'm still not sure how she did it. :)

[August Mom]

My thoughts exactly! (Although I'm not sure if training on the evenings and weekends is going to work).

Anyway, here's an update: DS went 4 days in a row at least once a day. And, yesterday, he went for me (about 7 times in a row). I may have created a monster because after he went the first time with me there, I asked him to help me dump the container in the toilet and flush it. Well, he thought this was really fun so he kept sitting down, going just a little bit and then dumping, flushing and starting the process again. By the end, he was dumping 1 drop of urine.

But, the big news is that he pooped in the potty too (about 3 of the 7 times LOL).

So, I guess it wasn't me after all. Yea!

[JElaineB]

LOL that's the funniest thing! Dumping one drop of urine! Jacob also figured out how to flush the toilet this week and keeps flushing and flushing and flushing..... He also peed in the potty earlier this week but that was only on one day. Justin seems like he is progressing along rapidly! Congrats on the potty success so far!

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[August Mom]

Congrats to Jacob too!