Are you having toilet training woes right now? Hopefully it is of some comfort to remember that millions of families the world over are going through the very same thing. To prove it, we asked our readers what some of their stories and tips are.
- From Kim B.: “I just remember thinking that my son would be 25 and walking down the aisle wearing diapers. I thought he would NEVER get potty trained. He did. It just took patience and consistency. No special tricks worked for him. I think it just depends on the child and personality. Eli is my strong willed one and when he was ready, it happened. He was 3 1/2, by the way, so he will not be getting married in diapers! Yay!”
- From Lisa B.: “I tried to ‘train’ my first and he kept going back to his old ways. Treats, stickers, charts, rewards, etc. did not work. He didn’t care. So I stopped trying and he just did it on his own one day. No effort or stress on my part. So, that is what I did with my youngest three and they all did it when they were ready to. With four kids, three in diapers at once for a while, I did not have the patience or the time to sit in a bathroom with a timer or the other things I had read were good tips.”
- From Michele F.: “My son trained himself – we spent a week on vacation with friends of ours who had a little girl a year older than him. After he saw her without diapers, he decided he wanted to be a big boy and just started going to the bathroom. Never wore a diaper again – we got really lucky. My daughter, completely the opposite. Thought we would never get her trained. Eventually, she decided it was time. That was the key – she had to decide – she is very strong willed.”
- From Brooke R.: “I tried to train my son when he turned two and it was a disaster. He just didn’t mind being wet. We couldn’t use training pants because he’d pee in it like a diaper. I’d give it a good week effort and if there wasn’t any improvement we’d take.”
- From Crystal R.: “At age 4, my son got the hang of the potty. We’d tried (gently) several times beginning when he was about two. The difference was he was ready that time. Potty learning isn’t something we can force and expect positive results. We can gently suggest, help them learn, but it’s ultimately up to them.”
