Toileting Success!

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ellemenope
Pileated woodpecker

Joined: 12 Jun 2013
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 178

16 Oct 2014, 11:21 am

Over the past two years I've scoured this forum and read many threads about toilet training in hopes of finding solutions for my son. I found some helpful things and read about progress and success as well as setbacks and challenges. So in light of our recent giant steps forward in this area, I thought I would share what worked for my boy.
Background: We have had a few big attempts at toilet training since just after his second birthday and between those have taken complete breaks with no toileting attempted or even mentioned and some periods when we tried a relaxed approach (asking if he wanted to try, talking about it and reading about it a lot). He was in preschool last year where we think he had some kind of traumatic experience with one of the helpers who was in charge of changing him and encouraging him to use the toilet. He developed some emotionally charged scripts around the issue, would hit the toilet when being changed in the bathroom, and often would scream, roar, or growl when using the toilet was mentioned. When these things arose (and we soon after pulled him out of the school for many additional reasons) we put everything on hold and didn't speak a word about any of it for a long, long while.

This summer I read a book called Ready, Set, Potty! http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Set-Potty-Developmental-Disorders/dp/1849058334 and was determined to just follow the plan contained therein exactly because I was, frankly, out of ideas and nothing anyone else had suggested had worked. And I just planned on it not working and then moving on to the next idea. The book had a lot of ideas that we had tried before and was very detailed about what exactly to say and do. Anyway, we did it and it worked... fantastically. In less than a week!
I'm still kind of shocked- my boy now just goes to the bathroom when he needs to and does everything in there pretty independently sometimes needing help with pants or wiping and the occasional reminder to use soap when washing up afterwards. It's amazing.

I don't know why it worked- if it's just a fantastic program or if my boy was just ready and we hit it at just the right time. But it worked and his confidence has quadrupled and the success and pride he feels from toileting has spilled over and made so many other things better around here. We haven't had a big step like this in a long while, and man, it feels so good for everyone after a hard year-long slog of tough times. We are just ecstactic and so proud of him.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post this positive report and maybe the book recommendation will help someone. If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to offer details about our experience. I honestly don't know if it'd be helpful- our kids are all so different and what works for one may not work for others, as we all know.