UPDATE!!! - Desperate for ideas to PT my 3.5yo twins

[mikeys_mom]

Update - The 3-day method worked!!! I have to admit I am always s bit skeptical of these types of things but it totally worked. We started on Sunday and they are now pretty much toilet trained. I still expect an accident here or there and think that I will need to keep reminding them to let me know when they have to use the potty but we have come sooooo far from where we were. Plus, they both pooped in the potty for the first time ever. That was really super exciting!! Plus, even more shocking to me is that they have been dry every night.

Thanks all for the advice! I'm so glad I decided to try the 3 day method. It was an intense, exhausting few days but completely worth it. After almost 8 years of continuous diapering, we are now a diaper-free house. Woohoo!!!


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We have been trying to PT the girls on and off since December. They turned 3 at the end of February. Their interest in the whole process has not been stellar. Basically, they have full control when they want but seem to have little interest in getting rid of their diapers. They were in preschool this year in the mornings and didn't want the teachers there to change their diapers so they would stay dry all morning and then pee/poo in their diapers when they got home. We would then change them into underware for the afternoon.

Here is what we have tried so far;
- Tried giving m&m's as a reward
- Have a jar of squnkies they get as a reward for using the potty
- Tried staying home and having them sit on the potty every half hour
- Tried just putting them in underware and taking them out of the house
- Tried letting them run around naked both inside and outside
- Always giving water to make them have to pee

Basically, the end result is either they hold it in all afternoon and then have a massive pee/poo in their diaper right before bed or they have accidents throughout the day. They sometimes pee on the potty but it's really inconsistent.

They have been done with preschool for 2 days now so we have been doing underware all day and I think it's even worse than when they were in diapers and would just hold it in. Despite sitting on the potty every half hour they have had a million accidents, often soon after getting off the potty.

I am getting fed up. I don't want this to turn into a game or a control issue with them so I have been very relaxed about it until now. But c'mon, they are almost 3.5yo!!!! I am done with diapers!! Plus, they are registered for preschool in September for which they must be PT'd.

Help!! I am pretty much willing to try anything at this point!

[mmsmom]

My DD is the same age & I think we are finally almost PT'd. I was like you, laid back about it and also had a few "false starts". I started sincerely trying again right after she turned 3 and she got the pee thing right away but the poop was a whole different nightmare (she started withholding which was awful). The Dr's advice to me recently was to just take 3-4 weeks off... put her back in pull-ups or diapers and don't say a word about it. I was set to do that but then she all the sudden started going on the potty.

I was also in the same boat w/ my DS needing to be PT'd for preschool... I use to drive him by the playground at the preschool & we would look at it and talk about how much fun it was going to be and then talk about how they did not allow pull-ups at preschool. We had done candy, prizes, etc. before but the playground ended up being his motivator.

[TwinFoxes]

We did 3day potty training program (there's a website). DDs threw away the diapers on Monday (I had been telling them that that we would). I put them in undies and told them tell me if they had to go. I didn't let them leave my sight. First sign of pee run fast and put them in the potty. By hour 3 or so I was ready to quit. But I stuck to it, and on day 3 we went to TJs in undies no accidents. I think in a lot of cases if they know the diaper is an option they will wait. Good luck!

[jgenie]

We did 3day potty training program (there's a website). DDs threw away the diapers on Monday (I had been telling them that that we would). I put them in undies and told them tell me if they had to go. I didn't let them leave my sight. First sign of pee run fast and put them in the potty. By hour 3 or so I was ready to quit. But I stuck to it, and on day 3 we went to TJs in undies no accidents. I think in a lot of cases if they know the diaper is an option they will wait. Good luck!

We did this same program with DS1 at 3.25 yrs. Daytime dry by day 3 and no more night accidents within a week and a half or so.

[Sweetum]

This is gross, but tell them that you would be enlisting their help next time they have an accident, and make them do it. It doesn't have to be threatening, just let them know. This is the same as cleaning up after eating, or cleaning up after playing. If in the potty, you get to flush, if on the floor you get to clean it. And when the accident does happen, try not to look flustered (tough, I know) and just calmly hand them some mopping towels. Keep lots of sanitizer. This was a trick our daycare director once told me that has worked for her for 3yo who are in the understanding yet defiant phase. Same goes for poopy. And definitely no diapers, and make sure they have fun underwear (princess etc.) and non-fun (plain white) underwear. They start with fun underwear, and after an accident they have to wear the non-fun underwear until next potty time and if no accident they get to change back to fun underwear. If accident, they stay in non-fun underwear.
good luck!

[mikeys_mom]

We did 3day potty training program (there's a website). DDs threw away the diapers on Monday (I had been telling them that that we would). I put them in undies and told them tell me if they had to go. I didn't let them leave my sight. First sign of pee run fast and put them in the potty. By hour 3 or so I was ready to quit. But I stuck to it, and on day 3 we went to TJs in undies no accidents. I think in a lot of cases if they know the diaper is an option they will wait. Good luck!

Ok, this sounds like a promising option. Is this the website you used?
http://www.3daypottytraining.com/

Did you buy the e-book or just read about the method from other blogs and reviews?

[TwinFoxes]

Ok, this sounds like a promising option. Is this the website you used?
http://www.3daypottytraining.com/

Did you buy the e-book or just read about the method from other blogs and reviews?

That's the one. I bought the ebook, although "book" might be a stretch. :) It's more of a plan. It really did work for us. I don't think it's that expensive. I learned about it on the BBB from someone else who used it and liked it. It's not rocket science, but I did follow the plan pretty closely. You will be cleaning up a LOT of pee the first morning, since you have two like I do. I seriously thought there was no way it was going to work. Then suddenly on day two it was.

[mikeys_mom]

That's the one. I bought the ebook, although "book" might be a stretch. :) It's more of a plan. It really did work for us. I don't think it's that expensive. I learned about it on the BBB from someone else who used it and liked it. It's not rocket science, but I did follow the plan pretty closely. You will be cleaning up a LOT of pee the first morning, since you have two like I do. I seriously thought there was no way it was going to work. Then suddenly on day two it was.

Thanks! Ok, now I just need to find the time to read the "book" and then a stretch of 3 days where we can watch them.

[okinawama]

Another vote for 3 day potty training. We started Friday and I sent him to school on Monday in underwear! We haven't been as successful at night yet, but I know we'll get there. Good luck! For us, the first two days involved TONS of pee on the floor, so much so that my DH said we should quit. I wanted to stick it out to the full 3 days. He had one accident on the morning of day 3, and them bY the mid morning of day 3 something clicked And he was successful from then on! So push through the first two days and don't get discouraged if it doesn't begin well, stay with it!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds1 was a month and a half shy of 4 yo. Our attempt at 3.5 ended in a dismal power struggle. Sounds like you are there. Back off and give it all a few weeks off, don't even talk about it. I think it is a good idea- sorry!

Eta- I should say that it took us 6 cold turkey days with ds2. He'd have successes but he honestly didn't care if he had accidents or not. He even helped with clean up. I was about to quit but decided to stick with it and finally it's like a switch went off bc he just got it. He was 3.5.

[bekahjean]

Will is just now potty trained. He's 3 y 9 months. What finally did it for him was me telling him I was done buying diapers. When they were gone, they were gone. We had a rough first week, but when he realized that I wasn't going to cave, he decided to be a big boy. It was a total mind game with him. Hang in there! The 3 day plan sounds awesome!

[PunkyBoo]

I'm so relieved to see I'm not the one one with a 3.5 year old resisting pt! I thought he would be easy since he started preschool in January and the work with the kids on it. He is one of the oldest kids in his class and is the only one left not pt'ed. I guess I need to get the 3 day plan!!! Thanks for the advice even tho I'm not the one who asked for it!

[ha98ed14]

I think a lot of what will motivate a kid is dependent upon his or her preferences. DD hated to be naked and hated to have "stuff" on her. She still freaks out if she gets stuff on her hands. She was also stubborn as all get out when it came to using the toilet. She was 3.25 and had full control when I got fed up and threw out the diapers. I told her she could not have underwear or diapers until she showed me she could use the toilet. Use the toilet or soil yourself; those are the choices. It two 2 days for her to decide I wasn't backing down; but after that she was fine. In fact on day 2, she went to the bathroom unprompted and then came and told us; she was really proud.

Now if I could only teach her to wipe her on @$$...

[mikeys_mom]

Happy update in OP :).

[TwinFoxes]

:cheerleader1: woo hoo! Awesome update. I'm so glad it worked. Eight years of diapers is a long time, you must be thrilled.