Potty training in the trenches

Oh...woe is me.

My confidently toilet trained daughter has developed a number of phobias lately with the newest being the water connection between the wall and the toilet. Ditto for the water connections under sinks.

She is *absolutely terrified* and won't turn her back to it (toilet or sink). I think I've tried pretty much everything.

Our solution? We are the Portland Hillbillies.




She pees in the grass in the backyard.

I'm trying to tell myself that this is one of those things I will need to be reminded of in a few months, like her habit of speaking of herself in the third person.

If she pees in the toilet, I'm all about helping out. If she goes outside, she is on her own. She seems ok with that.

Must repeat...I will be laughing about this in just a few short months...

Wowza! You ARE the Portland Hillbillies ... chicken and all! This is Miss Anna, no? And what is she doing if she needs to relieve her bowels?

Anyone have a rusted out truck they want to park on the front lawn?

She goes in her room, shuts the door and says she needs to be left alone and puts on a pull-up. I have to hand it to her, she has done an excellent job of taking care of this and finding alternatives by herself, for the most part.

Well then, I say you continue as you are. If she's essentially handling it, chances are she'll tire of the extra steps and eventually throw in the towel.

I've got a mitsubishi just wishin' for some soupin' up that we could put up on blocks ....

Bring it over! I'm sure the neighbor next door selling his house would love it.

Same for the neighbors above and behind us selling their house. I'm sure the afternoon moon is a great plus for potential buyers. :run:

And the interesting twist...since this started, she has a dry pull-up almost every morning. :huh:

[PrincessFiona]

Can she go to the potty backwards....ie...facing the wall and the tank?

Did something happen that caused her to suddenly feel so afraid?

What does she do at preschool or when you guys are out and about?


I *think* <disclaimer> I don't know what the heck I'm talking about</end> maybe it would be ok to bring the portapotty back into the bathroom so that she doesn't have to deal with the tank and the pipes....

ugh...


uch:

If it makes you feel any better....Aidan likes to perch on the potty kind of like a bird and....watch the action.

kris

It's been getting worse for the last few weeks. When we were out of town, we hit the "absolutely will not go" point.

She would go at preschool and home but no where else. Since that was managable, I didn't make a big deal of it. I've tried to get her to sit reverse and facing the water hose but she isn't going for that. I'm hoping it clears up before preschool starts at the end of next week (Passover break).



I never had a separate potty deal because I didn't particularly like them but I think I need to change my ways.

She thinks the water hose is a snake.

I'm going to try "snake spray" -- an empty spray bottle -- to see if that helps and/or get a portable potty chair.

I got her the Happy Feet video and she just asks me to put it away so she can't see it. She really wants it but is truly terrified of that *#(^@ hose.

[MissCrabette]

My sympathies.

I still remember a stage in my childhood when I was terrified of going to the bathroom. It was brought on by seeing a scary war movie. In my mind I thought the crazy russians would jump out of the toilet and get me.

Thanks, Miss Crabette.

Kid fears can be so hard.

[PrincessFiona]

Nellie....

I remember being older than anna and for some reason fearing that spiders would crawl up out of the toilet when I sat on it (shudder).....this was not helped by going camping and sitting on the potty and having one crawl up my leg (I kid you not).

It took awhile for this fear to subside, but it did...I was older and so I used the bathroom....but I can imagine that for a little one it would be pretty fearful.

You might even start with some deconditioning/exposing stuff with her if she's having trouble looking at the video....get a cute (if ther is one) book about snakes and read a fun fact a day about them, get a pet stuffed animal snake when she's ready, etc. If she's afraid of the hose on the video cover, you may even have to just start with a book about hoses...or even pictues on the internet and so some gentle exposing over the next couple of weeks.



kris

[Gwendolyn]

I can only commiserate. Hang in there!

Nellie! I've solved your problem! Just buy this toilet ..



So what if it starts at $3105??? If you REALLY loved your daughter ...

Hmm.....

I don't want to jinx myself but there has been a little progress. She still walks by the bathroom sideways -- can't turn your back on those water hoses.

I am cautiously reporting some progress.

I'd love to say that I helped her overcome her fears but it really is shameless bribery, leveraged sibling rivalry, and more fears. She saw a bee or fly outside and was afraid it would sting her tushie. So....inside didn't look quite so bad.

My friend told me she saw a Supernanny episode about this. She didn't recall the solution but that nanny was...slightly horrified.

[alison]

Oh my, Nellie. I missed this thread completely!

She should come to our place. We have a public bathroom style flusher, which my dad says "churns everything." I don't think Anna would be scared of it because it's quite a spectacle!

I think snakes are more of a concern if you take care of your business outside, no?

What a tough cookie.