How to Stop This..

[WImom]

I have a new dcb 3y that started a few days ago and every 10-15 minutes he says he has to go potty. He likes to play with my gate which I have to keep telling him that only I open/close the gate but he knows that we need to open the gate to go to the bathroom. I'm thinking he may be just doing this to be able to open the gate. He is newly potty trained - beginning of this month.

So how do I stop this? Usually we get to the bathroom and then he says he doesn't have to go. I've been making him still sit on the potty, wash hands, etc everytime hoping he will get sick of doing this. Is this how you would handle??

[nannyde]

I would have him use a little kiddy potty off to the side of the room for a couple of weeks just to see the difference of how often he requests.

[Zoe]

I agree. I have a little potty chair in my living room for the newly potty-trained to account for the instant need to go. Then the chair goes away once they have shown some consistency and the ability to hold it for a minute.

[SimpleMom]

I take the kids every two hours. If they are newly trained, they can go when asking, but if the appear to be playing with the idea then it's time to wait til the next time. It works for my set-up. they are also required to wear pull-ups til dry for two weeks...here and home.

[sharlan]

And I thought I was the only one who kept a potty chair in the corner of the room. I sure beats opening and closing the gate a hundred times a day.

[Mom_of_two]

I would not allow him to touch the gate. In my home I open all the gates and/or doors (worried about little fingers in the doors here)...maybe that would take away some of the fun for him...

I agree with PP's that said every couple hours. If he truly needs to go maybe he will tell you, and if he is not able yet to distinguish the feeling of needing to potty maybe he is not entirely ready to be in underwear (if accidents begin to happen.)

[bice99]

Yep, only my family is allowed to touch gates and doors in our house. Too many tiny fingers around here.

[nannyde]

Yep, only my family is allowed to touch gates and doors in our house. Too many tiny fingers around here.

Yes the kids are not allowed to touch the gates or go in the transition area by the gates.

[WImom]

I don't allow them to touch the gates either, I'm constantly telling him "Miss___ touches the gates, not ____". Or "Please leave the gate alone, it's not for you to touch".

He is luckily in pull ups - I don't allow them to be in underwear until accident free for two weeks. I did talk to mom and she is having the same problem at home, he will go into the bathroom and say he has to go a ton of times. I guess I'll take him and If he goes then we are waiting a good hour before he can go again.

This child is a VERY busy child and can't sit still for more than 1 minute and this may be part of the problem, it's just in his mind that he has to go but really doesn't. I think I have my work cut out for me with this one.

I'm not going to do the potty chair thing though since I have carpet in my daycare and I really don't like those chairs, I've never used them except for a very short time with my own kids, just didn't like them, sorry.