Potty Training and Nice Weather

[IADad]

What do the two have to do with each other?

Well, DS2 started showing interest in potty last fall before he turned two. We got out the potty, started using pull ups during the day, etc, but otherwise kept it "low-key" not really pushing the potty, we know he was young and didn't want to create any negative feelings about potty, just thought we'd make it available and eventually he'll train. DS 1 was a pretty easy trainer. So, we were making pretty good slow progress, with him pooping in the potty about half or better of the time and doing his wet there, most of the time as long as we rembered to ask him, he only sometimes would let us know he (usually when he wanted a way out of something like away from the dinner table or to be taken out of church etc....)

So, now that nice weather has started he's losing a lot of interest in the potty, because going there means coming in from outside.

Any ideas other than seizing every opportunity while we're already inside?

We're considering changing to underpants and plastic pants during the day so he can feel the wet, rather than the pullups which keep him pretty dry, but even feeling wet, I'm pretty sure he won't want to stop the fun.

We are so looking forward to ending the diaper expense on our last kid.

[Xero]

Let him whip it out on a tree!!

[mom2many]

I second Zero, if you make it just as fun at home when outside he will keep with the training. Be carefull about when out in public...one of mine liked to pee on my tires (like he saw the dog do) and would do it anywhere if I wasn't carefull .

[16th ave.]

yep, pee on the tree.
make sure he knows that no.2's need to be done inside or behind a bush.

[fallon]

I would switch to the undies and plastic pants. Also I would make him stay in after an acciendent. It may sound mean but he'll see soon enough it's a lot better to come in and do you business than have to stay in because you didn't take the time to go potty. That's just my take on it though, he's still pretty young so whatever progress you are making is wonderful

[Music-dad]

I'm not sure if I agree with the "just let him wiz on a tree" idea. Especially as this is a learning stage....what may happen, is anytime he is outside, ge will get used to whipping it out and going where he wants...which includes the schoolyard, the park etc.

To me this sends the messgae "no need to worry about making it to the potty, just use nature as a urinal"....sure you can pee all you want on your own property, but when it comes to public places, well I have to disagree.

I only use nature when camping, of when I'm somewhere there is simply no washroom (eg: on a highway in the middle of nowhere)....I could pee all over the cottage property, but I don't... because I think it's discusting when someone steps (or falls) in it. And although the pets don't care, they walk in it and track it through the cottage ...ewwwwwww, gross.

Just a thought...I think "making it to the potty on time" is an important part of the training.

[Xero]

I don't think it's a big deal, but really its up to you. It makes more sense to go inside and get to the potty, I was mostly kidding, but I don't see anything all that wrong with sometimes taking a pee on a tree lol. (I would never consider having a kid poop outside :/ ) There's nothing clean about outside, its mainly dirt and other gross stuff I'd rather not fall all over anyway. I kind of assume every tree has been pee'd on (by dogs or otherwise) and would not feel comfortable rubbing against them. haha

If that were the case, we'd have to potty train our dogs and set litter boxes out for everything else.

[16th ave.]

ya'll are right as always.
it's just that peeing on a tree is the first thing that comes to mind with boys. out in the country (atleast around here) little boys tend to copy their male relatives and pee on a tree.
in the end correct potty training is still just as important with boys as it is with girls.
as long as its been stressed that one should usually go potty in private in a bathroom, i don't really see the harm in peeing on tree if you are in an area when there is basically no one around to see.

[bssage]

not to keep a theme going today but I can understand where MD is coming from. there's nothing worse than enjoying a nice day at a outdoor concert throwing back a couple of brews only to slip and land on your back in a spontainiuos (msp) mudhole in front of your buds.

Ds does go outside quite a bit but its usally if we have already been outside for awhile and he would have to take his shoes off to go back in. Or he just waited to long.

IMO @ this stage you should be trying to develope good habits. Before you go out is when its time to go potty every time without fail. If he doesnt have to go I would still sit him on it or stand him in front of it. Every time you go out.

We all get caught short from time to time and even I really dont "Want" to take a break in the fun for something like that. If its part of your routine : Potty, shoes, hat, drink (or whatever). If you get him to go before you walk out the door. Well that buys you a couple of hours. And I generally pay attention to when the kids drink so I can come pretty close timing wise to put a natural potty break in the schedule.

Your first may have spoiled you. You should be able to pick up on the body language cues. I know its not foolproof but it should reduce the incidents.

You may have read from some of my prior post that the outdoor potty break kinda backfired on us a few times. Some time should spent on choosing "the path less traveled" (pun intended) for the outdoor break.

And I agree 100% try your best not to make it punitive. But I also agree with Fallon. You have to draw your line in the sand (pun intended)

[mom2many]

I do agree with music dad in some respects, and Fallon, but peeing on a tree every once in a while doesn't hurt either.

When I potty train I have more then one potty chair, one for outside, one for my van and two in the house....why so many you ask?

One for outside because I don't want them dependent on using the tree or my tires, but if we are outside they are usually muddy, we have a creek that runs through the property and that is thier favorite place to play, so getting them in and out of the house is one VERY messy job, but the potty is usually placed by the door, so it "like" they have to go in the house.

The van is because once we leave the house it is a good 30 minutes if not more before I can get them to a public bathroom, and once I put underwear on we don't go back for any reason (to doapers or pull-ups), many a times we have had to pull over to let them go, also when I trained Vanna she HAD to go when she said she had to go, with one kidney we can not make her wait for more then a few seconds.

Two in the house is because we have one bathroom, 9 people, one is incase the bathroom is otherwise occupied, even though the kids are good about letting the little ones in to go if they are in there. There are still times were it isn't possible.