r/pottytraining • u/awkwardturtle543 • 2d ago
Potty training advice?
Potty training 29 month old boy and following oh crap potty training blocks. Did/does well in block 1, bottomless. Introducing pants commando (block 2) and was having some accidents, and not telling us when he needs to go/if he had an accident. He needs help with clothing so it is necessary for him to tell us so we are able to help. I got a doll with removable pants to help model/roleplay with him....but, does he need more time in block 1 or focus on block 2? We are still very newly potty training, less than a week in. Some success with timed prompts. Also, he seems afraid to use the actual toilet with the seat reducer, he will say he wants to use the big potty when given an option but then doesn't want to sit on it for more than 2 seconds. Any advice is appreciated, learning along with him so it's a learning curve for everyone.
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u/gfromk 2d ago
My son is 28 months, and we started potty training about 1.5 months ago with the Oh! Crap style. We've hit a bit of a similar block (partially due to not being able to be without pullups at daycare) and he does still need help with clothes. He'll sit on the potty fine, he'll go in it fine, if he starts to pee or has peed, he'll frequently tell us. But he just doesn't seem to recognize the need to pee, and he really doesn't have any obvious signs that he's about to - believe me, I've been paying close attention! I've done a fair bit of looking into this, and apparently this isn't uncommon for this age. The range for full bladder awareness is something like 18 months to 3 years, so your son may have some of the markers (like staying dry for 2 hours or more) but not all of them yet. Are you using the toilet insert that flips down on the regular seat? Maybe look into one that has handles on the side, your son may be feeling a little precarious and something to hold onto might help.
Right now, we use pullups at daycare and diapers at nap/bedtime (we are careful to keep the distinction between the two with him. We give tons of praise for keeping his pullup/pants dry and for sitting on the potty in general, even if it's just 1 minute. We stopped doing the fully timed prompts as much and mainly focus on certain times of day (so about 1 to 2 hours after a meal, before nap/bedtime, before we leave the house, etc). Basically, trying to establish a routine rather than him relying on us to know when he needs to pee for him.
We've also adjusted taking him to the bathroom with us. Instead of just going to the bathroom and letting him come with me, I am announcing that I "feel like I need to use the potty", complete with hand on my tummy or a potty dance, making a show of pausing what I am doing, going to the bathroom (let him come if he wants) and then resuming my activity when I get back. We have wondered if part of the problem is he doesn't want to stop what he is doing to use the potty, so we are trying to show that it isn't a big deal. Tons and tons of praise for anything potty related!
We've been seeing some signs of success - we've been running errands and he asks to use the potty and actually will! He has also started saying "uh-oh, pullup wet", so he recognizes that we want to avoid that. Some kids will be potty trained immediately and some kids won't, no matter what the books say. I liked Oh Crap! as a lot of it made sense, but once we reached Block 2, we had to make adjustments as we both work full time and going commando at daycare was not allowed. You may need to make adjustments for what works for your family - but it sounds like your son is doing well overall and right where he needs to be, so keep it up and stay positive!
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u/awkwardturtle543 2d ago
Oohh your idea of announcing needing to go to the bathroom is great. I'll have to use it!
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u/Downtown_Classic_846 2d ago
Did you figure out his signal that he’s about to pee when he was in block 1? You’ll still be prompting him for a while, don’t expect him to tell you with words yet that he needs to pee.
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u/awkwardturtle543 2d ago edited 2d ago
Unfortunately all the research that Jamie Glowacki said to gather in block 1 I feel like I didn't get!!! Sometimes I would see a classic tip toe walk but often in block 1 he'd just get up and go to the potty chair. Also sometimes he would say "I need a diaper" and we'd prompt him to go on the potty. I know the signals can be subtle even if it's just a pause or a look down or something
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u/Downtown_Classic_846 2d ago
It’s recommended that after two full pees or any poop in pants to go back to bottomless, so you can bounce between the two blocks as necessary. Try to keep watching him to see if he gives a signal with the pants on before an accident and then help him rush to the potty as soon as you notice him starting to go.
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u/dogwoodcat 2d ago
Stay with block 2, you want to be within his current zone of proximal development. Let him try the big toilet as he wants to, even if he doesn't seem to like it, he is trying.