WWYD: should I just stop PTing? (kind of long, sorry)

[AnnieW625]

DD2 turns 3 at the end of the April, so she is 2 yrs. 8 months. In mid December she started going potty on the potty at home before bath, and then some nights before she was 100% asleep (IE: she would lie in bed and then get up and tell us she'd have to go pee, and she would pee). So over the holidays we got her to go about 50%/50% on the potty and she even pooped a few times. So last week I told my DCP that I thought she was ready potty train. DCP Assitant (who I know very well, has been there for 6+ yrs.) said she would put DD2 on the potty and she wouldn't go. DD2 wanted to wear pull ups all weekend and was consistent about going pee in the potty, but after telling me she had to go poop on the poop on the potty she didn't go and I could tell I thought she was witholding the poop. She ended up going about 3 hrs. later in her diaper and it was large and solid.

Would you stop, or would you just push on? I am terrified of her withholding poop which would be my main motivation to just stop now (DD1 never withheld poop, but she had zero interest in the potty until she was 3 yrs. old, and then took about about two weeks to train completely), but the other part of me thinks we should just keep going because she gets going potty and does it most of the time even if the pull up is a tiny bit wet.

I did give her some probitioc (Jarrow Baby) last night and maybe that will help, but with the way her poop has been (smelly, runny, often not hard at all) I am very afraid that if she does develop a withholding issue and Miralax is going to give her full on diahhrea and she is just going to be plain uncomfortable.

[AngelaS]

Push on. My theory is once you start pt there is no turning back. I went full speed ahead, no pullups and a big prize once they can keep their panties clean and dry for a week. Feed her some good high fiber foods, take her out and run around after supper so she keeps things moving and give her lots of praise for staying dry.

[newg]

I used 3daypottytraining.com with both girls......just finished with DD2, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. It's an e-book and she answers personal emails/facebook posts within 24hrs.
She says any toddler over 20 months, who can communicate in some form, is able to be potty trained......and once you start, you never go back!

[AnnieW625]

Thanks Gwen! I was thinking about doing that as well. DD2 is battling some weird rash infection too so it really makes me want to get it done quickly, and we have a 3 day weekend too. How did your older DD handle accidents?

She is still going pee pretty well on the potty, but we are still working on the pooping.

[hbridge]

Contrary to what others are saying, I'd put her in pullups and let her take the reigns. Put it all on her and tell her that if she want to use the potty she should, if not she's in pullups. Of course, the incentives should also be in place; with wearing underwear as a big one. Give her the power to decide. She is still VERY young and pressure could lead to a power struggle that results in with-holding or complete regression.

We had a tough time training, so learned early that letting the child have the control, with everything in place for accidents to be as painless as possible, was the best approach for us.

Good luck, she will get there .

[newg]

Thanks Gwen! I was thinking about doing that as well. DD2 is battling some weird rash infection too so it really makes me want to get it done quickly, and we have a 3 day weekend too. How did your older DD handle accidents?

She is still going pee pretty well on the potty, but we are still working on the pooping.

Neither DDs liked the accidents. A lot of it is the language you use while going through the three days. DD1 especially hated peeing in her panties....but both were pretty much accident free by the end of day two. I'm still working on the night time PT with DD2, but that's mostly because she's a horrible sleeper and hates to be woken up.
With the method you do panties so they feel the wetness right away. She also has some great strategies for getting them to poop on the potty. With DD1 we had to let her start in a diaper a few times...always catching her and running her to the potty to finish, then making a HUGE deal out of it. With DD2 we didn't have as much trouble.

I truly love the method......it's a hardcore three days for the parents, but you really are diaper free after three days if you do it right (minus a few weeks for naps and overnight)