So Sick Of Bathroom Drama!

[Play Care]

For some reason, all the potty trained kids in my dc have taken to lying about going to the bathroom. For the oldest two, I used to not say anything about going. They are considered fully trained and rarely, if ever, have accidents. However we did have a period where they would hold it all morning, only to have to go two or three times during nap Or they would tell me they didn't have to go before going outside, only to have to run in as soon as we got out (we are an "everyone in, everyone out" state unless they are school aged so we would all have to come right back in) so I DID start having them go or at least try before we went out, and before nap time. Still, it's not as if I nag them all day about it...
The youngest girl is not quite 3 and does an okay job. Some days she won't have any accidents, then other days she'll have two or three! She has actually refused to try to use the potty and I will not force it. I usually put a pull up on her in the morning, just in case.
In the last week or so, I've caught all three of them going in to the bathroom, flushing the toilet and coming out and saying they went!

One boy seen to be doing it more often than the other two, but they have all done it at least once. I am just over the bathroom drama. Add to that I have another almost 3 yo boy who is not potty trained and the parents are making noises about it...

[Blackcat31]

For some reason, all the potty trained kids in my dc have taken to lying about going to the bathroom. For the oldest two, I used to not say anything about going. They are considered fully trained and rarely, if ever, have accidents. However we did have a period where they would hold it all morning, only to have to go two or three times during nap Or they would tell me they didn't have to go before going outside, only to have to run in as soon as we got out (we are an "everyone in, everyone out" state unless they are school aged so we would all have to come right back in) so I DID start having them go or at least try before we went out, and before nap time. Still, it's not as if I nag them all day about it...
The youngest girl is not quite 3 and does an okay job. Some days she won't have any accidents, then other days she'll have two or three! She has actually refused to try to use the potty and I will not force it. I usually put a pull up on her in the morning, just in case.
In the last week or so, I've caught all three of them going in to the bathroom, flushing the toilet and coming out and saying they went!

One boy seen to be doing it more often than the other two, but they have all done it at least once. I am just over the bathroom drama. Add to that I have another almost 3 yo boy who is not potty trained and the parents are making noises about it...

I've had that happen here before too. What I did was make a temporary rule that NO ONE flushes but me. I then checked the toilet after each child supposedly went.

After the issue stopped happening, they were allowed to begin flushing on their own again.

The lesson they learned was that I WILL check if necessary.

I also had a consequence for lying (if they did).

[mamac]

Ugh. Been there. My ds used to deny he had to go even though I knew he had to based on all the signs... pee-pee dance, holding himself, the whole 9 yards. When I told him he HAD to go the bathroom or he couldn't play, he would go in and just STAND there and then come out and say, "It wouldn't come." Ten minutes later he'd come flying back in the house and barely make it to the toilet. He always waits until the last possible minute to go. I guess life is just too important to stop for a pee break. He didn't like me interrupting when I told him to stop whatever he was doing so he would prove me wrong by holding it in until he was ready to go. It drives me nuts!

[Sugar Magnolia]

Bizarre, but I'm having the exact bathroom drama. Two girls, always saying they have to go......"REALLY BAD".....then get on the pot....drip...drop.

[MarinaVanessa]

I've had that happen here before too. What I did was make a temporary rule that NO ONE flushes but me. I then checked the toilet after each child supposedly went.

After the issue stopped happening, they were allowed to begin flushing on their own again.

The lesson they learned was that I WILL check if necessary.

I also had a consequence for lying (if they did).

This is what I do. And I also insist that all children go to the bathroom and sit for 2 minutes because I used to have this issue as well. My nephew is especially notorious for saying that he doesn't have to go to the bathroom as he is doing the pee-pee dance . He has gotten his fair share of UTI's and bladder infections also from holding it in and when this happens he has accidents. And yes, the "Only I flush" rule also has to do with how he has managed to clog and overflow my toilet 4 times now so bad that it has seeped through the wall and into the garage .

Insisting that they go in and sit with some type of timer (I use a 2 minute sand timer) and "only I flush" rule has significantly reduced the bathroom issues I had including the getting up during nap time. PS: I insist, not force. You don't want to go sit on the toilet? Then we will wait until you do before we go outside ... and then wouldn't you know? You did have to go to the bathroom after all ::.

[MissAnn]

Bizarre, but I'm having the exact bathroom drama. Two girls, always saying they have to go......"REALLY BAD".....then get on the pot....drip...drop.

I get this at the end of the day when their parents arrive. I have had parents let them in my house without a parent or myself! I put an end to that! This IS my house! Do you guys have that happen?

[e.j.]

I've had the same issues and have had to resort to checking the toilet before flushing like Blackcat. Also, I always have the kids use the bathroom before we head outside to play. The rule here is we don't go out until all potty trained kids use the toilet - or at least give it an honest try. If someone isn't willing to try, I remind him/her that if he/she has to pee when we're outside, we all have to come in and that we will stay in. It's amazing how all of the kids manage to pee before heading outside.

Nap time peeing issues are a problem for me here and there. It's kind of the same thing when it's time to pick up the toys. There's always at least one 3 or 4 year old in the group who figures out the bathroom is a great place to hide out if they don't want to nap or pick up toys. Usually, I keep track of how long they're in the bathroom and give them gentle reminders to finish up. It usually only takes a couple of times before they realize I'm on to them and then it stops as suddenly as it started. You've got to love kids!

[Unregistered]

I keep a little plastic potty outside....that way we don't have to stop and all go in when someone (who wouldn't or couldn't pee before we went outside) has to pee, but they all know they can not go poop in the outside potty.

[JoseyJo]

I've had the same issues and have had to resort to checking the toilet before flushing like Blackcat. Also, I always have the kids use the bathroom before we head outside to play. The rule here is we don't go out until all potty trained kids use the toilet - or at least give it an honest try. If someone isn't willing to try, I remind him/her that if he/she has to pee when we're outside, we all have to come in and that we will stay in. It's amazing how all of the kids manage to pee before heading outside.

This is what we do too! One or 2 times of coming in and staying in and they start going to the bathroom before we go out (we have 2 providers so the one who has to go pee comes in and stays in with one provider, the others get to stay out).

We did have one dcg4.75 who decided she wouldn't go before hand, and wouldn't say she had to go while outside and just hold it until outside time was over. After a few days of this (running straight to the bathroom when outside time was over and barely making it) she ended up having an accident outside- she had to come in to get cleaned up and change clothes and that took long enough she missed the last part of outside time and a little free play inside - so she goes potty before we go out now too!