Quoting Animal Guardian:“   Loud toilet in public? I was scared of public toilets flushing for a long time b/c they were sooo much louder and forceful -- I'm sure the echoing tiles didn't help!”

actually, we were at a baby shower and she took herself to the bathroom while I was talking (she went with my friend and her daughter to another room, then said "i have to potty" and went all by herself for the FIRST TIME EVER! it had been TWO MINUTES that she was away from me with my friend and said friend just let her go potty since she had been pt'ed for 2 1/2 months at that time) well, my friend's grandma....to put it bluntly, crapped herself. there was a trail from her seat to the bathroom (where Lydia was sitting on the toilet) she's a bigger lady with a walker and she was standing in the doorway with crap running down her leg and Lydia was stuck and I couldn't get to her until someone helped my friend's grandma move. it was a good 10 minutes that she was stuck there calling for me and all I could do was say, "I'm coming to get you as soon as I can"

Quoting Mer is a Mean Girl:“ Those rewards seem lame to me. lol. I mean the stickers might be cool I have TONS of stickers that ... [snip!] ... so many stickers you can go to the store and they pick out a new package of underpants with their favorite character/design. ”

stickers were a reward in and of themselves for Lydia. Still are. We used a blank wall calendar and put it up in the bathroom and she put them there as she went.

Quoting Mer is a Mean Girl:“ I honestly haven't really pushed PT at ALL. We are just going with the flow, so to speak...lol. I ... [snip!] ... it at her age whatsoever, but I don't mind doing the diaper thing still... And thanks for the compliment on her vocabulary!”

if Lydia hadn't been ready/willing we would have done nothing more than have her sit on it when I did and before baths. She pt'ed herself pretty much. I just followed her lead. IMO that's the best way to pt.

Quoting i love my sunshine:“ I'm sorry but as a child development professional, you did SO many things wrong here!!!! When I did ... [snip!] ... time (cooler everytime). ---> THIS is outright abuse!!!! Punishing your child with a cold shower is abuse. You disgust me”

  


 


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Quoting Mer is a Mean Girl:“ What happened that scared her?? Poor lydia  ”

i just posted it. It was so sad..

Quoting Animal Guardian:“ exactly. "Oh sorry Susie. You did pee so you don't get a g'night book."   I like the idea of so ... [snip!] ... like to pass it out at Halloween either! lol I opt for "alternatives" such as play-doh, themed pencils, spider rings, etc.”

i don't use food as a reward. ever. my personal choice but imo it can be dangerous. not always but sometimes it can teach an unhealthy relationship to food.

Quoting i love my sunshine:“ actually, we were at a baby shower and she took herself to the bathroom while I was talking (she went ... [snip!] ... a good 10 minutes that she was stuck there calling for me and all I could do was say, "I'm coming to get you as soon as I can"”

 omg that would scare ME!  That just sucks..and nothing you can do about it at the time either.  
On the plus side that is cool that lydia wasnt' scared to go potty by herself (before she got trapped)!

Quoting Animal Guardian:“ Well, does that mean that making them clean up their own mess is bad too? There's a fine line with ... [snip!] ... need to get clean. For some, a shower is quicker/easier. So -- what's wrong with not making it a fun/warm/pleasing shower?”

cold showers are abusive IMO. it's a punishment. Having them wash up is NOT but it should be comfortable. You should NEVER force your child to be uncomfortable as punishment. EVER.

OP - I had posted this in the Oct 08 forum which I know you saw, and meant to post it here, but forgot.

Anyway :
As for potty training, there was no reason to start it now, though we have put the potty seat out to let our youngest explore it (he is one)(b/c he seems interested in peeing in the potty (every time our oldest runs to pee in the potty the youngest runs in behind him and stands next to him at the big potty and sometimes tries to get his diaper off lol it's adorable)). We won't start really trying to potty train him until he shows interest. For the oldest we started around 2 and he really showed interest around 2 1/2 when his older cousin (who was about 3 became potty trained). He was potty trained within a few weeks and it was totally easy. It is normal for boys to be potty trained (according to what my niece told us) anywhere between 2 and 5 and girls anywhere between 2 and 4.

Quoting i love my sunshine:“ stickers were a reward in and of themselves for Lydia. Still are. We used a blank wall calendar and put it up in the bathroom and she put them there as she went.”

 Yeah adison has held a sticker like 2x in her life and she thinks they are the bomb dot com LOL.  She is like "sticker mommy" and put it on me, then took it off "sticker me" put it on herself. So I think when we actually start to PT beyond just her being around and seeing the process, she will enjoy the sticker aspect of it..and like I said I have tons upon tons of stickers to give her. Maybe i'll get a calendar too..or they have sticker charts at the dollar store w/ classroom supplies which would be the same idea.  Either way I think she will like the stickers!

Quoting Mer is a Mean Girl:“ Because a fun warm pleasing shower is getting clean, a cold shower is punishment. Verbalizing how ... [snip!] ... my daughter because she doesn't properly identify colors, I also will not punish her because she doesn't fully grasp PTing.”

and even for regressing, you shouldn't punish!! Lydia's regression was met with kindness and empathy not anger, disappointment and cold showers. I just said "we use the potty honey" and encouraged her not to be afraid. The full regression was a week long, and we're almost accident free again after week 2

Quoting Ryder&Spencer'sMommy:“ It was a regression, I didnt start out that way. The shower was not cold, just cool. Not a warm fun shower but a matter of fact you made a mess, you clean it up. ”

you still shouldn't punish during a regression.

Quoting i love my sunshine:“ if Lydia hadn't been ready/willing we would have done nothing more than have her sit on it when I did ... [snip!] ... sit on it when I did and before baths. She pt'ed herself pretty much. I just followed her lead. IMO that's the best way to pt.”

 Yeah one of my friends tried pting her daughter and they worked on it for maybe 9 months or so. Then she gave up because there was really no progress, and decided to go back to it later...well her daughter one day out of the blue said she had to go potty, so they went and she was basically instantly potty trained. She knew all you are supposed to do by it being introduced already, so she pretty much just went when she was ready for it.  I am (cross my fingers!) hoping that this will happen w/ adison as well.  

Quoting Ryder&Spencer'sMommy:“ It was a regression, I didnt start out that way. The shower was not cold, just cool. Not a warm fun shower but a matter of fact you made a mess, you clean it up. ”

when you get dirty, do you take cold showers? probably not. it should still be a decent shower. if you want to not give t hem time to play, that is fine, but a cool/cold shower is abusive.

Quoting Ryder&Spencer'sMommy:“ It was cool, not a hot shower like he is used to. I'm sorry I feel the need to punish my child for ... [snip!] ... use the toilet. If he wanted to be a baby like bubba then go get me a diaper. It was his choice to go get underwear. ”

you should NEVER punish for potty training regression!!!! especially shortly after a new baby. Regression is normal and punishing is the WORST thing you can do1