Potty Training Help

[TheGoodLife]

So it's my first potty training child! Showed up today in undies (my policy says accident free her for 2 weeks, but mom brought pull-ups) and mom said they worked hard over 4 day weekend with only 2 accidents at home.
Put in pull-up immediately, she was dry and peed a little 30 mins. after arrival. I initiated by asking if she had to go, she said yes. However, she couldn't pull shorts or pull-ups down OR up by self. Didn't know how to get on potty w/o help. Then an hour later she told me she had to go, had a wet pull-up.
I'm just curious how much assistance others do at first (ideally I say in my contract they need to be able to pull own pants down and up by themselves and wear clothes that help them do so- DCG has stretchy denim shorts but couldn't get those or pull-ups down at all.) I'm just concerned that I will be nursing my baby or feeding my DCB a bottle, or be in the middle of a diaper change, and she won't be able to go potty w/o me and have an accident. DCM is excellent and I know I can tell her what she has trouble with, and they will work with her at home.
What things should I be doing to help make the pottying at DC an easier transition for everyone? If anyone has a handout they give to DCFs and wouldn't mind sharing, I'd appreciate it as well! I have one I'm going to send home today, and I think it's pretty thorough, but I'ms ure there are things I may not have thought of yet. TIA!!! This forum is such a lifesaver, and I appreciate all of you wonderful ladies (and gentlemen!) so much

[Cradle2crayons]

My policy is that they do not go in underwear here until ALL of the following conditions are met:::::
(1) they have to be able to tell me verbally they have to go before they wet their diaper or pull-up
(2) they have to be able to pull their clothes and etc down independently
(3) they have to be accident free for two weeks
(4) it has to be initiated at home before I start.


So I tell parents this. So they can teach them how to get their clothes off and on, wipe, and verbalized their readiness for my house.

Then when they have taught them those things, the child can come here in a pull up. Then after they have been accident free here for two weeks, they can go into underwear.

From what you've said it sounds like the parents were the only ones working hard over the 4 day weekend and forgot the fact the child is the one who is supposed to be getting onto the toilet etc alone.

[blandino]

Everyone on here does things do differently. But I do not help children with the toilet ing process, longer than maybe a week. They need to know how to initiate the process and follow through with it.

I require that they should be able to do most of it with me standin in the door way. For the first week, I will give some assistance and help walk them through the process, but only minimally.

I run a preschool program and cannot stop everytime one of my seven or eight children needs to go potty, and walk them through it. I would be doing nothing else besides bathroom trips.

I believe you like my FB page, and my PT policy is posted in my parent handbook (and the very end). If you have any interest in looking at it.

[TheGoodLife]

My policy is that they do not go in underwear here until ALL of the following conditions are met:::::
(1) they have to be able to tell me verbally they have to go before they wet their diaper or pull-up
(2) they have to be able to pull their clothes and etc down independently
(3) they have to be accident free for two weeks
(4) it has to be initiated at home before I start.


So I tell parents this. So they can teach them how to get their clothes off and on, wipe, and verbalized their readiness for my house.

Then when they have taught them those things, the child can come here in a pull up. Then after they have been accident free here for two weeks, they can go into underwear.

From what you've said it sounds like the parents were the only ones working hard over the 4 day weekend and forgot the fact the child is the one who is supposed to be getting onto the toilet etc alone.

I hve everything but #2 in my policy- I think I will add that now before I send it home this afternoon

[TheGoodLife]

Everyone on here does things do differently. But I do not help children with the toilet ing process, longer than maybe a week. They need to know how to initiate the process and follow through with it.

I require that they should be able to do most of it with me standin in the door way. For the first week, I will give some assistance and help walk them through the process, but only minimally.

I run a preschool program and cannot stop everytime one of my seven or eight children needs to go potty, and walk them through it. I would be doing nothing else besides bathroom trips.

I believe you like my FB page, and my PT policy is posted in my parent handbook (and the very end). If you have any interest in looking at it.

Found it, thanks! Very helpful- I might change a little of my wording today

[daycarediva]

I am different in that I will assist a child with potty training. I believe they need the additional help at first and I prefer taking them to the potty over changing diapers (any day!)

We all use the restroom at 8:30, 10:30, 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30. That's when I check and change diapers, too. I rarely have kids need to go potty before/after those times.

For pt'ing kids, I will assist them with clothing for the first couple of weeks, then walk them through it, then stand in/outside the door for reminders to wipe, flush, wash hands. After that I expect them to be independent, but they know they can ask me for help if need be.

Potty training is a habit that needs to be learned and adjusted to, and if you are willing, I find that reminders to use the potty and going at regular intervals helps them get into that mindset faster.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I guess I get tired of diapers before their parents do so I usually decide one day that I am done with diapers and have them go potty. I am working up to deciding to eliminate diapers from my 2 yr old twins. I think one is ready, but be sure I am doing them both at the same time! Two potty chairs no waiting
So, obviously, yes I help them. Usually when they are 3 they are pretty independent about going without help.

[Blackcat31]

My potty training routine has changed over the years. It is not necessarily due to changes in child development or new trends/ideas but more due to MY own personal preferences.

I started out being a provider who pretty much trained all the kids long before a parent even noticed their kid was ready or able.

I have also been outright uninvolved.....expecting parents to do the majority of the work at home and not even bring me into it until the child had mastered the verbal skills, physical skills of dressing/undressing and had been accident free for a FULL 2 weeks.

But then I realized that most my DCK's spend more of their awake time with me verses at home so expecting a parent to do the majority of work during the minimal awake time they had with their kid was like expecting oranges to just make themselves into orange juice.

Now what I do is when I have a child I personally feel is ready I have the parents start with undressing/dressing skills. Build those up really good so the child can undress and redress quickly and unassisted. (for the most part)

Then I start asking the child during our scheduled bathroom breaks. I ask them to try and sit or just hang out on the potty for a few minutes.

I work with the parent together on all the steps necessary until the child is potty trained.

The one skill I don't require is being able to verbally tell me they need to go. If a child can recognize the need to urinate, get to the bathroom, undress, use the toilet and redress....they certainly don't need to tell me about it. Just go.

I have a couple 3 year olds right now who are completely potty trained and speak VERY few, if any words.

[JoseyJo]

I am different in that I will assist a child with potty training. I believe they need the additional help at first and I prefer taking them to the potty over changing diapers (any day!)

We all use the restroom at 8:30, 10:30, 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30. That's when I check and change diapers, too. I rarely have kids need to go potty before/after those times.

For pt'ing kids, I will assist them with clothing for the first couple of weeks, then walk them through it, then stand in/outside the door for reminders to wipe, flush, wash hands. After that I expect them to be independent, but they know they can ask me for help if need be.

Potty training is a habit that needs to be learned and adjusted to, and if you are willing, I find that reminders to use the potty and going at regular intervals helps them get into that mindset faster.

This is how we do it too- we do a full day preschool program (and pre-preschool program for 2 and up) so we are pretty structured. When we wash our hands after breakfast they go potty then (dont HAVE to, but reminded/asked), again at 10:30 when washing hands coming back from outside time, again at 12:15 after lunch. Then right after nap/before snack.

We potty train most of the kids who start here because they normally start around 2. They do have to wear pullups or diapers until they are totally dry here (except nap) for 2 weeks. Parents and I coordinate training at home and here. They go to the bathroom and try like the "big kids" and we do stand up diaper changes in the bathroom, instead of using the changing table. I assist with LEARNING how to pull up/down clothing and pullup but I don't do it for them at all. Same with wiping, handwashing, etc- I dont do it for them, I assist them in learning how. IMO if they don't have the physical ability yet to undress, dress, wash up and wipe they are not ready yet to start potty training.

[Crazy8]

I've been wanting to look up posts on this subject too as I have one who says they are trained and they obviously are not and another who is just starting the process. My policy has always been they need to start at home over a long weekend/vacation and then we will continue here. I really feel if a child is ready they will get it pretty quickly.

I never did pull ups with my own kids but since my "accident free at home before wearing underwear here" policy just has parents lying about how well trained their child is I am thinking I need to change that to "wear a pull up here until they are accident free for 2 weeks". I am just afraid pull ups are a glorified diaper and they don't help in training a child.

[Unregistered]

I have a boy right now who is nearly 3. Mom is upset because I am not working hard enough on potty training. I told Mom that I am working with him on his self-care skills. He can NOT pull his own pants on and off. He can not put on/take off his velcro shoes. He is as helpless as a newborn. He cries when I tell him to pull up his pants after a diaper change. I will not do it for him any longer. I have told Mom again and again that I will not work with him until he has a chance of success, and he can not be successful until he can dress himself. He also says he will NOT use the potty, does not want to, he refuses to let me know when he poops in his diaper and tries to hide it from me. He has NO control over bowel or bladder. And still, Mom wants to stop buying diapers and wants me to do it. At least once a week, I tell her no.

You have to set the rules to what you are comfortable with. And if you need to change your criteria, it's your call.

[TheGoodLife]

I have a boy right now who is nearly 3. Mom is upset because I am not working hard enough on potty training. I told Mom that I am working with him on his self-care skills. He can NOT pull his own pants on and off. He can not put on/take off his velcro shoes. He is as helpless as a newborn. He cries when I tell him to pull up his pants after a diaper change. I will not do it for him any longer. I have told Mom again and again that I will not work with him until he has a chance of success, and he can not be successful until he can dress himself. He also says he will NOT use the potty, does not want to, he refuses to let me know when he poops in his diaper and tries to hide it from me. He has NO control over bowel or bladder. And still, Mom wants to stop buying diapers and wants me to do it. At least once a week, I tell her no.

You have to set the rules to what you are comfortable with. And if you need to change your criteria, it's your call.

Thanks for all the advice, ladies! DCM is wonderful came the next day apologizing for throwing it at me and not realizing that what she can do at home is much more than I can with a group (this is my PERFECT DCM that I know will follow pixies- she just didn't have my potty training policy handout until that first days PU). We are working on self-help skills here and both at home until she's more ready for it here!