https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 22 Jun 2026 01:45:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2830222 Fri, 22 Jun 2018 12:28:09 +0000 codeitall 2830222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh you gave me hope! I have a very stubborn 3.5 year old boy who just was adamant about not wanting underwear, pullups, candy or anything to do with the potty training. Until last night!!!! I casually asked if he wants to sit on the potty (as I do about every other day) and he said yes! Hopped in front of the toilet, pulled down his shorts, had me help with the diaper and climbed right on to the full size toilet.</p> <p>Of course, he insisted on staying till he peed, so we were in the bathroom for over an hour :silly: We wiped and flushed and washed our hands like 4 times before he peed. And then he wanted to get back on and pee some more :shocked: </p> <p>Had to wrestle him off to put pajamas on. I am sooooo excited and glad I waited instead of fighting him over it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2830194 Fri, 22 Jun 2018 09:31:19 +0000 snowjewelz 2830194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dahlia: It will happen! Even just a month ago when we ask her when she'd be ready for undies she was just like, no, I'm not ready and I kept thinking please child be ready before pre-k.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2830128 Thu, 21 Jun 2018 20:27:06 +0000 Dahlia 2830128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: DD just announced, totally unprovoked, that her baby doll had potty trained herself and that she (DD) would be potty training herself in July. </p> <p>I wish I believed her...when we asked her in May when she'd use the potty, she said June. At least she seems to know her months? :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829456 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 20:11:37 +0000 nana87 2829456@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This was our experience too! Just kind of waited it out until she was initiating it herself rather than making it a power struggle. She wasn’t consistently out of diapers until she was occasionally using the potty for like 18m, but just after 3 she was ready and we’ve had so few accidents </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829400 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 16:41:19 +0000 starlitsky 2829400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: same here, we co-sleep and i'm still BFing my 2 year old (but hoping to wean soon since we are TTC #2)... definitely not the norm amongst my parent friends! </p> <p>thank you for sharing your experience! :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829350 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 13:46:44 +0000 snowjewelz 2829350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@starlitsky: yeah that was hard for me to "go against the norm" and not have people acting so shocked that she wasn't potty trained at almost 3.5.</p> <p>But we also co-sleep, I'm bf-ing an 18 month old, so we're also on the crunchy side compared to our general circle of parent friends... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829347 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 13:44:22 +0000 starlitsky 2829347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I'm going to go this route with my DS. he just turned 2 but he is showing no interest in the potty and has a pretty stubborn personality. now I just have to ignore all the potty training posts from my friends who have girls around the same age and not feel like he's "slow" or "behind" :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829304 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 11:21:37 +0000 KT326 2829304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Alba4: we had a lot of bribery too. </p> <p>@snowjewelz: that is pretty much what we did with our first son. He just had no interest until a few months after he turned three. We had a few false starts when he was 2 and 2.5. It was a long process and daycare refused to let him go in underwear until he was completely trained (we ended up switching daycares during this time and the new one was completely fine with underwear/accidents). We did have to use a lot of bribes for poop though because I got tired of cleaning poopy underwear! Lots of gummy bears and toys! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829269 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 10:19:54 +0000 Alba4 2829269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yay! Always good to not have to buy more diapers 😜. </p> <p>We also were pretty relaxed about training our older DS. We started when he turned 3, but he set his own pace and it took a bit of time. We put him in underwear to school and only used pull-ups at night. There were accidents, but he eventually learned! We didn’t try a “method” or anything. Lots of bribery was involved though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829231 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 08:28:44 +0000 snowjewelz 2829231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: Yes that's exactly my child too. Everything on her own time line whether it's sooner than avg or later! </p> <p>@caitcat: Ugh, yes it sucks when you're up against a deadline though! I was really discouraged at different points wondering when it would happen and now looking back it was all my in my head; I should have just trusted her! </p> <p>@erinbaderin: I SO agree. Just this weekend I had to lug my 1.5 year old in the bathroom with us and it was a disaster trying to make sure no one touches anything! </p> <p>@Dahlia: Yes yes yes this was my child she pretty much met all the readiness milestones; it was pretty much all emotional/a control thing for her! </p> <p>@Littlebit7: Yess and that must have been so great for you esp with another baby! I did not even want to attempt potty training with another baby either! </p> <p>@SweetiePie: Haha awww what a funny/sweet story! I think pee/poop for us all happened together since she is 3.5 at this point and I guess she is an all or nothing kid :silly: It's just so amazing to me b/c I think I'm traumatized by all the crazy intense potty training stories out there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829210 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 06:28:31 +0000 SweetiePie 2829210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Congrats! It’s an awesome feeling!<br /> This was us too! The only difference was pee and poop came at different times. Pee was really easy and happened right when he turned 3. He’s been in underwear since.<br /> Poop was another story. He would ask for a diaper or hold it in and become super constipated, which then would make it hurt, which of course perpetuated the cycle because he was afraid to go.<br /> It was AWFUL but both my Ped and his preschool teacher assured me that 1) it was normal/common and 2) to let him get there in his own time. It would be less stressful with less accidents that way.<br /> So we just did not pressure him. We asked maybe a couple times a week if he’s like to try but he always said no. 2 months ago, right around 3.5 as well, we were at a children’s museum and he had to go. But he would not let us put a diaper on, he suddenly had an aversion like they were for babies (he had a 2 month old brother, maybe that’s why?) but he also wouldn’t go in the potty. Well at the museum he pooped a little in his pants twice. We got through both spares of underwear and all we had left was a diaper. We told him that he needed the diaper to go home in as underwear because that’s all we had left. So we went into the bathroom there which had a kid sized toilet. We just cheered a ton and told him he could do it. And presto! He did it. We cheered a ton and he was so happy he cried 😂😂😂 he kept asking if we were proud of him. And it’s been smooth sailing since. No accidents or regressions. 2 months later he just walks into the bathroom, poops, wipes and washes his hands without telling us till after. </p> <p>So he partly had his back against the wall but honestly, I think had it been a week earlier he would have ignored us and pooped in the diaper anyway and gone home free-ballin 😂</p> <p>In the end I’m so glad we let him do it on his own. Any time we tried to force (2-3 times I refused a diaper for him over about a year and I deeply regret it) it was traumatizing and I realize now that potty training needs to happen when they are ready. I think that even people who have success with Oh Crap or similar (like no accidents or regressions) were lucky that their kid was ready when they decided to try it. I’m glad that preschools don’t seem to make that a prerequisite anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829203 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 01:02:56 +0000 Littlebit7 2829203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We basically did this as well. I had tried when she was about 2.5 because she was showing interest. Her sitter was pushing it too. However my gal is just stubborn. Won’t be coaxed into anything no matter the bribe.<br /> So I gave it a rest and just left the potty out and visible for months. Lo and behold, a few days after I had my second kid, she just started using it unprompted. Poop and pee. She’d just come into the room and casually say “I went pee” and sure enough she had. She was really proud. And that was it. No accidents, no pull-ups for daytime (she wears a dipe for night and nap bc she still is in a sleep sack and in the crib). 85% of the time she is dry after nap<br /> Done.</p> <p>Eta; I also left some special treats visible on the counter at all times. I didn’t bring them up, but casually said ONLy if she asked “oh those are for when you start using the potty and wearing undies”. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829195 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 20:42:31 +0000 Dahlia 2829195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I'm so glad to hear about your success! DD is a month shy of three, has told us for months when she's going potty in her diaper, peed on the potty a few times, but absolutely, totally emotionally against going on the potty at the moment. I was starting to worry but your story gives me hope! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829178 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 19:11:53 +0000 erinbaderin 2829178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is what we did too - in fact when daycare told us he was ready for underpants I was kind of bummed, because diapers are so much easier - you don’t need to know where the nearest bathroom is at all times! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829160 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 18:03:13 +0000 caitcat 2829160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you for sharing this - it’s encouraging to hear! :) Gives me hope for my stubborn almost three and a half year old. We’re up against a pre school potty training deadline in September, unfortunately, but I’ve already resigned myself to needing a different pre-school solution if she doesn’t take the lead on potty training by then. Nothing we have done makes a difference to her - and often makes her even more resistant, so I’m glad to hear that waiting on it has worked for someone else. Gives me some much needed hope! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829158 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 17:58:27 +0000 agold 2829158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really want to do this "method"! I'm so happy to be hearing about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829145 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 17:09:25 +0000 bhbee 2829145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m a big fan of doing it older too! Both mine were past their 3rd bday and pretty much just did it themselves!</p> <p>ETA I am in the lazy camp :silly: but my first never did anything that wasn’t on her own time frame! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829136 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:29:59 +0000 snowjewelz 2829136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: We've had a potty since she was 2 or even before. We did the usual - model, and when she was curious about the potty we taught her. I have no idea when she started using the potty on and off; maybe sometime after 2.5 but super sporadic. I think for her it's mostly emotional, and then also she just needed to be more in sync with her body as to when she needed to go? For the past half a year she just didn't really want to use it if we asked. She had to initiate it. She knew when she was going to the bathroom; she'd always tell us if she was peeing/pooping in her diaper. </p> <p>@AnnabelleG: Yes, I am much more confident now with our 2nd that she will do it when she's ready! It just takes the stress out from everyone and we don't need to designate some long weekend to shut everyone in and do it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829135 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:25:19 +0000 AnnabelleG 2829135@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had the same experience with our first and are planning the same with our second- hopefully he won't be super old. Since his pee/poop is not something I can actually control, I prefer to be on his time about it. So glad to hear it worked for you also! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829133 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:16:36 +0000 agold 2829133@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This sounds great! Good job to both of you. Was she telling you when she needed to use the potty? When did she start using it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/a-rave-review-for-child-led-potty-non-training#post-2829115 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 15:14:50 +0000 snowjewelz 2829115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD1 is quite opinionated and stubborn. Her interest with the potty waxed &amp; waned. The one thing that helped us along was that potty trained is not a prereq for preschool so that took the pressure off a lot. We even went from highly encouraging to just nothing because she would resist when she felt the slightest pressure from us (we could not fool her. Rewards/charts were nothing to her). We talked to her teacher and she felt the same way, so it helped that all adults were on the same page and thankfully our families were too. </p> <p>So we just waited, and waited, and waited some more. It was tough because at times it seemed like she'd go to pre-k in diapers. But lo and behold, she suddenly was staying dry at school and also doing decently at home (all her, no prompting from us) so her teacher told us it was time to ditch the pullup! And it's been almost 2 weeks and no accidents, and she pees/poop all fine. At home, public, no issues and I am so happy I want to cry because I didn't have to do any work :silly: </p> <p>So this may not be the path for everyone, but to those with similarly stubborn kids, or just wanting wait till they're ready (or just lazy lol), I wanted to share a positive experience!</p> <p>ETA she turned 3.5 in June so 3.5 was the magic age for us! </p>