Potty-Training Help Needed!

[flybye023]

So my nephews are staying with us for the week while their parents are out of the country. The Rex is 3 1/2 and is being potty-trained. Last I heard, he was doing pretty well but still wears a diaper at night. Problem is, ever since yesterday, he has had accident after accident. We have gone through all his pants and done laundry three times.

We're kinda at our wit's end on what to do because we can read the signs--we've seen many a little-boy-pee-pee-dance--but we can't make him go. When we ask, "do you have to go?" he just denies that he has to go and refuses to do anything even if we take him into the bathroom. Then within 10 minutes there's a mad dash to and an "I've had an accident!" from the bathroom.

We thought if we just took him into the bathroom at the first sign, pulled down his pants and put him on the toilet, we could avoid the problem but he just kept denying and fought pretty hard not to go. My sister was able to get him on the pot by telling him if nothing happened by the time she counted to 10, then he could just get off and it worked but, we're not sure that will continue working. One time does not equal a pattern here.

So, any suggestions?

[Akasa]

He may be nervous and acting out due to the strange environment and feeling a bit abandoned by his parents.
I don't remember potty training my siblings so no tricks from me. Good luck.

[flybye023]

Yeah, I've considered that angle but the one or two times he's actually made it he's seemed completely relaxed and happy.

[Reyneth]

We're kinda at our wit's end on what to do because we can read the signs--we've seen many a little-boy-pee-pee-dance--but we can't make him go. When we ask, "do you have to go?" he just denies that he has to go and refuses to do anything even if we take him into the bathroom. Then within 10 minutes there's a mad dash to and an "I've had an accident!" from the bathroom.

If it were me (although I haven't been in this situation so YMMV), bring a book in and keep him sitting there until he goes. He had been giving you clear signals but he wants you to ignore them. Let him know he's not missing out on anything exciting while he's in there - the coloring, sprinkler, whatever will still be there when he's done, but let him know that since it had been X time since he had gone and his body was telling you he had to go, even if his mouth was saying different, that he needed to sit there until he did go.

Good luck.

[BethB]

Judging from the laundry he isn't wearing Pull-Ups. When my son was potty training we tried the pull-ups but he just used them like they were diapers. We put him in underwear but he refused to go unless he had pull-ups. we took away the pull-ups altogether and held firm to it. My son was harder to train than my girls. My younger daughter was the easiest to train. I told her "no more diapers. it's time to be a big girl and use the potty". she said "okay, mommy" and that was it.

some people have said they use the blue toilet tabs because the kids like making the water turn green. for boys i've seen flushable targets. Rewarding could backfire if you give him a treat for not going. My mom says that letting kids pick out their underwear will make them feel like they're big boys/girls. Worked for the boy when he picked his Spongebob underpants. We also had a CD player in the bathroom with a Veggietales CD(Silly songs with Larry) to play so he got distracted and more relaxed.

One last "trick" I was told by a coworker was if the kid did their business in their pants then they got to go around in dirty pants. not recommended unless you have a plastic coated house.

It's also possible he's not entirely ready to be potty-trained. We started training the boy at around 2 but it didn't take so we kept trying a 6 mos intervals. Took him until he was nearly 4. Just depends on the child.

[Sheldonrs]

You could sit him on the potty for a little while and when he's relaxed enough, jump out at him from around the corner holding a dead cat and scare the piss and poop out of him.


WHAT?

You never had that done to you?!!!

[TTAZ]

Hello! Currently in potty training hell over here!

The kid is acting out because it's an unfamiliar environment and situation. If he's there long enough, it'll pass. If it's a relatively short visit, likely it will not.

Is he tall enough to pee like a grown up man, or do you have a step he could stand on so he can pee while standing? Maybe that's something to ask him if he'd like to do or try, if he wants to try then nab a few cheerios or fruit loops or some small cereal that dissolves for him to "shoot".

The only other advice I can give you, is relax. Pee washes, kids are washable too. This is the hardest part of potty training a kid or being around on in the middle of it. REMEMBER THAT IF YOU MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT IT SO WILL HE. Just don't make a big deal about the accidents, if he tried to make it to the potty and failed, tell him "good try" if he makes it, do a literal happy dance and give him a high-five.

Mainly, just RELAX and then tell your sister you want reimbursement for all the extra laundry.

Good luck!

[flybye023]

Thanks for the great suggestions, guys. I had forgotten about cheerio target practice. Right now, though we are using good old-fashioned bribery. For every successful bathroom trip The Rex gets...a Gummy Worm! So far, no accidents

[BethB]

You could sit him on the potty for a little while and when he's relaxed enough, jump out at him from around the corner holding a dead cat and scare the piss and poop out of him.


WHAT?

You never had that done to you?!!!

THAT is awesome!

[Akasa]

Better have a large supply of gummy worms!

[lolad]

Also in potty-training hell here

My wife, who is magnificent , has started putting food coloring into the loo as something different and exciting for him to aim at.

And no accidents (of that type anyway) so far

Good luck!

[fireheart]

If you're after something else for target practice, maybe try a ping-pong ball in the toilet with a smiley face on it as an aiming target. Too bad you don't have "pee and see" things as encouragement. (basically, when the urine stream hits the black image, it peels away to become a message, the water or whatever turns it back to black)