Training Tales

[wisdom]

Spoiler: Thread summary

Parents shared their experiences, challenges and strategies for potty training in response to wisdom's request. Many found creative ways such as using fancy undies or storybooks as incentives to encourage their children. There were varied responses on what worked, from sticker charts to letting children choose their underpants designs. Accidents happened but were generally handled patiently. Some toddlers had peculiar fears related to toilets, like flush sounds or pooping itself. Lucky ones had children who picked up training quickly, while others shared humorous stories of car ride accidents and enormous poops. Parents acknowledged the importance of adaptability, celebrating victories, and keeping a positive attitude during this challenging phase.

Share your training tales, successes and challenges alike! We're here to offer support and encouragement as you navigate the often tricky world of potty training.

What's everyone's experiences been like so far? Any funny stories or unexpected obstacles? Let's hear all the details!

 

[travelmum]

Training pants! What a nightmare, man. My kiddo was super resistant to potty training - we tried everything except the whole sticker chart thing which feels like bribing imo. In the end what worked was letting her pick out fancy big girl undies with her favourite cartoon characters. That was the game changer - she didn't want to pee on them! Also had a couple of accidents in the middle of the night but luckily that phase didn't last long.

 

[wisdom]

Training pants! What a nightmare, man. My kiddo was super resistant to potty training - we tried everything except the whole sticker chart thing which feels like bribing imo. In the end what worked was letting her pick out fancy big girl undies with her favourite cartoon characters. That was the game changer - she didn't want to pee on them! Also had a couple of accidents in the middle of the night but luckily that phase didn't last long.

Not all superheroes wear capes! Some just know how to incentivize their kids haha. Fancy undies certainly do sound like a good motivation for little ones. Good thinking!

Every child is different, and it's encouraging to hear that despite the initial bumps, many of you are finding creative ways to navigate the potty-training journey. Keep those success stories coming; they're a great source of inspiration!

 

[travelmum]

Not all superheroes wear capes! Some just know how to incentivize their kids haha. Fancy undies certainly do sound like a good motivation for little ones. Good thinking!

Every child is different, and it's encouraging to hear that despite the initial bumps, many of you are finding creative ways to navigate the potty-training journey. Keep those success stories coming; they're a great source of inspiration!

I remember when I trained my kiddo. She was pretty resistant at first, so I had to get creative! Bribing with candies and stickers didn't work either - she just wasn't interested. But then I remembered her love for storybooks!

So I got her this book about a little girl who goes on all these cool adventures, and the potty-training part was a bonus. She loved it so much that she wanted to wear her big-girl underpants to match the main character. It was pretty cute, and it worked like a charm! We'd celebrate every tiny success, no matter how small, and she'd beg for a new book each time. That got us through the tough initial phase.

Of course, there were accidents, but we took it in stride and never shamed her or made a big deal out of it. We just kept at it, and now she's a pro! She was so proud of herself, and I'm so proud too.

Everyone's got their own unique strategies - it's such a fun journey!

 

[travelmum]

Not all superheroes wear capes! Some just know how to incentivize their kids haha. Fancy undies certainly do sound like a good motivation for little ones. Good thinking!

Every child is different, and it's encouraging to hear that despite the initial bumps, many of you are finding creative ways to navigate the potty-training journey. Keep those success stories coming; they're a great source of inspiration!

Yeah, I'm always on the lookout for new ideas because you never know what's gonna work with kids sometimes. Sticker charts were not gonna work for us either - she couldn't care less about stickers. But fancy undies? Hell yeah, that hit the spot! They say to never underestimate the power of a good incentive haha!

 

[wisdom]

I remember when I trained my kiddo. She was pretty resistant at first, so I had to get creative! Bribing with candies and stickers didn't work either - she just wasn't interested. But then I remembered her love for storybooks!

So I got her this book about a little girl who goes on all these cool adventures, and the potty-training part was a bonus. She loved it so much that she wanted to wear her big-girl underpants to match the main character. It was pretty cute, and it worked like a charm! We'd celebrate every tiny success, no matter how small, and she'd beg for a new book each time. That got us through the tough initial phase.

Of course, there were accidents, but we took it in stride and never shamed her or made a big deal out of it. We just kept at it, and now she's a pro! She was so proud of herself, and I'm so proud too.

Everyone's got their own unique strategies - it's such a fun journey!

Storybooks as a motivational tool is such a clever idea! It's great to see how every parent adapts their approach to suit their child's interests. And it's wonderful to hear about your success - those little achievements along the way are precious.

Accidents happen, and it sounds like you handled it perfectly by not making a fuss. That's fantastic!

 

[wisdom]

Yeah, I'm always on the lookout for new ideas because you never know what's gonna work with kids sometimes. Sticker charts were not gonna work for us either - she couldn't care less about stickers. But fancy undies? Hell yeah, that hit the spot! They say to never underestimate the power of a good incentive haha!

I feel ya! It can be hit or miss with kids, so it's always handy to have a backlog of tricks up our sleeves. You never know what might just seal the deal!

 

[greenfingers]

My little one had this weird fear of the flush sound initially so we'd have to sneakily flush the toilet without her knowing. Now she's past that phase but has developed a fear of pooping in the potty because it makes too much plopping noise. Can't win man!

 

[luciana]

I'm pretty blessed 'cause my kid picked up potty training reaaaal fast. We did have some accidents in the beginning but it got a lot better after a few days. Sticker charts worked like a charm - incentivized the whole process, you know? Also had a couple of funny moments where he'd ask to be let loose in the garden when nature called and do his business, haha. Lucky me didn't have to deal with any major challenges that some other parents face!

 

[mamamia]

I'm quite lucky actually - my helper monkey has been really eager and super adventurous throughout the entire potty training process! No resistant phases at all, which I've heard can be pretty common among toddlers.

The first few days were full of celebration when he finally got the hang of it and there was much less mess to clean up. But then, I realized he would only go when I took him to public toilets - he held it in otherwise! It was like he was waiting for the perfect toilet or something. Scared that he'd wet himself though, I let him pick out new underpants with his favorite cartoon characters on them, which convinced him to try going at home too.

Now peeing's a breeze but pooping's another story. The little fella still gets a bit shy and would rather hold it in till we go out somewhere - shopping malls are his favorite place to "produce". I've had to resort to sneakily putting him on the potty whenever I think he might need to go, because if he realizes we're headed for a toilet, he'll clench up real tight! It's quite funny actually, this little game of mine, but it's working so far.

I'm just glad I've had plenty of time at home with him during the pandemic to sort of hyper-focus on this - and that he's been such a willing participant!

 

[Le Mon]

I'm quite lucky because my kid picked up potty training reallly fast. We did have a couple of accidents but it was more like pee miss than anything else, which is to be expected.

But the funny stories started coming in when we went on our first long-ish car ride after he was mostly trained. He really had to go and we were still quite far from any rest stops so I had to pull over at a gas station. You know how it's kind of hard to control your bladder once you realize you really have to go? Yeah, my kiddo had an accident right there in the backseat Thank goodness for disposable seat covers! We just pulled over another two times on the way to our destination - once for pee and once for poop - but luckily the rest of the trip was smooth sailing.

It's definitely a challenging phase but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be plain sailing from here on out!

 

[bubblyfish]

I'm quite lucky because my kid picked up potty training reallly fast. We did have a couple of accidents but it was more like pee miss than anything else, which is to be expected.

But the funny stories started coming in when we went on our first long-ish car ride after he was mostly trained. He really had to go and we were still quite far from any rest stops so I had to pull over at a gas station. You know how it's kind of hard to control your bladder once you realize you really have to go? Yeah, my kiddo had an accident right there in the backseat Thank goodness for disposable seat covers! We just pulled over another two times on the way to our destination - once for pee and once for poop - but luckily the rest of the trip was smooth sailing.

It's definitely a challenging phase but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be plain sailing from here on out!

Oh dear! That's quite the adventure during your car ride! Luckily you had those disposable seat covers!

My own experience with potty training was less eventful, but I remember the relief when accidents became fewer and farther between. There's definitely light at the end of the tunnel, even though it can be a tricky phase!

 

[chickadee]

I'm quite lucky cos my kiddo caught on pretty quick after we did the three-day potty training method. Of course, there were still accidents here and there, especially at night, but overall it went pretty well!

The funniest thing that happened was when he announced to me one morning that he had to do a 'number two'. I quickly scooted him off to the toilet and as he sat down, out came the most enormous poo - it practically reached the back of the bowl! He was so proud of himself, he high-fived me and declared, "Mommy, I think I'm a big boy now!" in his adorable little voice. Kids and their cute ways really make the whole tedious training seem so much more manageable. Can't help but laugh at their antics!

 

[wisdom]

Ahhh yes, every kid responds differently to the same methods - keeps us parents on our toes! We've got to be super adaptable. I've had to whip out the storybooks and fancy undies a few times too . The little wins along the way keep me motivated, because some days are definitely tougher than others... but I think that's parenting in a nutshell right there!

 

[mamamia]

That's a really neat trick you've got going there - getting your little one to pick out new underpants did the trick!

My experience has been okay so far, nothing too tricky. But my tot is still young, so I'm anticipating some bumps later on. For now, it's just lots of reminders and celebration when she gets it right - which she does most of the time.

I'm also curious to hear about other folks' challenges and victories!

 

[wisdom]

It's like every kiddo has their own unique way of doing things, and us parents gotta be super flexible and creative in our approach. I feel it's the accidents and minor setbacks that can really test our patience, but we gotta keep reminding ourselves - this too shall pass!

The undie situation can be a real challenge, especially when the little ones are super attached to certain designs/characters, and heaven forbid there's a poop incident hahaha. But like you said, having a whole arsenal of tactics helps keep things interesting and increases our chances of success! High five to that!

 

[bookworm]

The only “challenge” I faced when training my kiddo was probably having to buy him new pants and undies ‘cos he kept getting excited and peeing all over the place haha! It’s like he got so focused on whatever he was doing that he completely forgot about everything else - including his full bladder! But it’s all good, accidents happen and it’s part of the learning process right! We just took it in stride and kept at it!

 

[sunnybunny]

Oh man, potty training can really be quite the adventure! My little one had some funny moments during her training days - which now seem like a blur of clean-ups and washed undies!

The funniest thing was how she'd get super excited about flushing the toilet, like it was this huge accomplishment every time. She'd flush and clap and cheer, totally proud of herself, even if she didn't do much else right haha. Theflush fear was real too - she'd stand outside the bathroom crying, afraid to go in! We had to do a lot of coaxing with rewards - not just for doing her business, but also for daring to even go near the toilet again!

And man, the accidents! We had a few epic ones while out and about too. Once, we were at the mall and she suddenly froze, then started dancing around saying her pants were wet. I whipped out the spare undies from the diaper bag, but the damage was done - there was a massive trail of pee behind her! I quickly scooped her up and dashed to the nearest toilet, leaving a rather curious trail of wet footprints.

I felt like such a pro parents after navigating that situation haha. All in all, it's definitely a tricky phase but an enjoyable one filled with cute surprises!