Been away for long time...need potty training tips

[NoahsMommy]

I haven't been on here for a long time...

Short intro: My son Noah is 7.5. Had a very complex medical history, but has been doing wonderful for the past 4 years. Getting ready to go into 1st grade, after completing 2 years in kindergarten. He absolutely LOVES school!

Current dilemma: potty training! I am so tired of buying diapers/wipes and changing diapers. 7.5 years of it is enough. For teh past 6 months or so we've been putting him on the potty off and on at home and at school. In that time he's only gone 1 time at school and 1 time at home. Been working on it this summer and still nothing. He loves to sit on the potty, just will not go in it. I have him in big boy underwear today for the 1st time. He's been wearing them for about 1.5 hours and we've had multiple trips to the potty where he did nothing, but he's still dry. I though it may be good for him to have an accident to feel it wet and icky, so just waiting for that to happen at some point today.

Anyone have any advice on how to get this child trained? Any appreciated.

[wrblack]

Advice? Me? Not much. School follows a schedule, started at every 20 minutes, I think. At home, we're much less structured, and suffer the consequences. For the most part, if he needs to go and we put him on the potty, he goes. I sign potty, shaken "t," to him, but he doesn't sign back. Wish he would. But, as I told a nurse at Disney World, you haven't really lived until you've changed the dirty diaper of a 10 year old.
Oh, and for any going to NDSC or just visiting WDW, besides the first aide stations in each park, the companion bathrooms in Epcot are also good changing spots.
Good luck with Noah. -- Bob

[mollysmomma]

thanks bob, good to know! we have got molly to #2 in the T (liked that shaking the T hand sign to her...we do that too) and have noticed changing the request from "going potty" to "go to the toilet" helped alot.....was told to do that by another mom (she's a big girl now), and by the autism tech ( we have to be very literal with our kids) we schedule a reminder every 2 hours now for #1?-she knows and will go if thinking about it, but if she's involved with something on TV? or a toy? she's not interrupting any entertainment. Molly just turned 10 and i DO have to listen to her gripe at me with her made up language. I don't understand the words, but i do get the attitude!

edited to welcome you back...i have been away for awhile too...still dealing with this other diagnosis, and trying to find some common ground. Autism changes alot of plans.

[Chris]

ARGH!!! I wish I had some advice. My not so little princess will be 9 in September and still is not potty trained. She is about average for a kid with Ds and does not have autism. She has more than her fair share of stubborn. We also take her on a schedule and she stays dry most of the time. Our problem is she refuses to poop in the toilet. So very, very frustrating! She has only pooped in the toilet three times and we had huge celebrations each time. Wish I knew the answer.

We do use an incentive chart and have a prize box. She gets to get a prize after she has used the toilet 10 times. If she poops in the toilet she automatically gets a prize and I bake a cake.

I think you have to bit the bullet and put him in underwear. Yes, it is messy and may ruin your furniture and carpet but I know everytime Sarah is put in a diaper we take a leap backwards and it takes a week to get back where she was. I wish I could convince her dad of that.

Hmm.....this week I had to take her entire carseat apart to wash and clean it. Then I had to clean the seat in the van. What a pain but someday she will be potty trained!

Bob, let's just say I have lived. Just wait until they have a blowout in public without a diaper on.

Chris

[dannysmom]

While Danny still wears nighttime pullups (just in case)...he's trained. We did ALOT of modeling for him. Literally everytime someone (me, sister or daddy) had to go...Danny went with them. I also showed him his sister's big girl underware and asked him if he wanted big boy underware.....he of course said yes....so off to Walmart we went. I let him pick out any kind he wanted (he chose Spongebob)...and I just kept telling him...poop and pee on the potty...not in your underware. He's pretty verbal so he was able to tell us when he had to go. I still ask if I noticed he hasn't gone in awhile.

With my son, I noticed more success when he knew what it felt like to 'have' to go. Just knowing you pee in the toilet wasn't enough...he had to connect what it felt like...and then he had to WANT to go on the potty.

Good luck!!

[Chris]

I just had to add that Sarah pooped in the potty at school today! ;D Yes, we baked a chocolate cake to celebrate.

Chris