Holding it in

[youngones]

Hi all!

DD is 22 mths and has been very interested in the potty/toilet and wees and poos for over 6mths. She has been quite able to articulate when she is ready to go and since the weather warmed up a couple of weeks ago, we've switched to undies at home and pullups at kindy, letting them know that we are TT except for nap time.

Things started out well, but since DD has become more conscious of what she's doing, she seems to be holding it in. I am worried about UTIs and constipation now.

She seems well aware that these things go in the potty, but when she takes off her pants and sits down, she gets straight up again and cries and holds onto herself. Then a few minutes later with much grabbing of herself, she finally wees in her undies and then cries.

We're not making a fuss of the accidents and I'm planning to make her a sticker chart - if anyone has suggestions of what to put on it that would be very welcome - but I just want to find a way to keep her on the potty long enough to do what she needs to do.

I have tried books, songs, special toys, even the TV, but she's just not into it.

Maybe we should try a different potty?

[trouble]

well, my DD1 is now four, just, and she has been fully toilet trained, even at noght time, since 2 and a half, and she has never had one accident, even at night, which still stuns me,

Anyway, if I get what your saying, your DD is like my DD, and knows to go to the toilet, but gets too busy playing and doing her own thing, she holds off going to the toilet????

If so this is what MyDD1 does all the time, she stands there kinda crossing her legs, we just remind her that her game and toys will still be here waiting for her when she gets back, and she goes, we then ask her if she feels better and she always says yes.

My DD2 is now almost toilet trained, she only wears a nappy to bed at night, and she has just turned 2 years old, and she is constantly on the toilet, has to go foe nothing.
Walks yp the hall just to flush the toilet, so I cant wait till she doesnt find it soooo exciting.

[youngones]

Thanks for the reply. No, it isn't about being too busy and just forgetting. She's only just learning the concept of going and what the feeling means.

The problem is that she gets the need, grabs herself and holds it in, will do a few little drops and gets really anxious, then when we direct her to the potty, she pulls her pants down, sits down for a few seconds, gets straight up again and cries if we try to get her to stay on the potty. Then she puts her pants on and within a matter of 2 or 3 minutes, she's done a huge wee in her pants and everywhere. After she's done it, she is more than happy to take her pants off, go and sit on the potty for a few minutes and then go and get a new pair of undies from the drawer.

I'm just wondering if there is something we can do to help overcome her anxiety about doing a wee in the potty. The few times it has worked, she's delighted in the praise and happily showed anyone who cares to look what she's done, but it seems to be more of an accident that she gets one in. Most of them happen like the above scenario.

She is still wearing a nappy to bed at night (though she will cry a lot and run through the exact same scenario above, even though she is wearing a nappy) and she wears a nappy for daytime naps, though today she woke up from her 2 hour nap dry (she wears cloth).

I just want to find a way to reduce her anxiety about doing a wee or poo on the potty, rather than jumping through the hoops, only to do it in her pants.

Any suggestions? As mentioned before, I've tried books, DVDs, songs, stories etc. We never use food as bribes and she doesn't like sweets anyway. She's also not really interested in stickers, but we're going to give the chart a try.