4 year old daughter still in diapers!

[enne]

Hi Winnie,

i believe your girl needs more time to get used to potty training.
be more patience and slowly she will adapt to it

you may want to get her to choose her own potty (which means to buy another one) or encourage her through different methods
- use a lot of praises
- rewards (giving stickers each time she uses the potty)
- bribes (not in a way that I encourage but then again they are children)

hths

[Fusionmom]

don’t worry… my son was late too


I did not know there was a rule in the school - no diapers…(overseas)

so first day of school he has to take it off… had a few accidents but he self train.

I guess it is confidence and also if the child wants to…

2nd child taught himself in a day… but I failed helping…LOL

so talk to your child… assure that it is ok if there is accidents and how you will handle the situation discretely and assure that you will bring enough spares when outside and at home … have ways to avoid embaressment…

we got a special mattress protector so he can wet the bed

but I had to bite my lips as the washing for pillows, blanket, cover sheet, bed sheet was climbing up the pile…

go full swing … don’t say diapers for going out only… because it is confusing…

have faith and be strong…

[jetsetter]

[Editor's Note: Post selected for http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/weaning-4yo-diapers.]


Hi Winnie
You might hv to start in stages.

1) Bite the bullet. Remove it when she goes to kindergarten (but let her continue wearing at night first). Ensures she empties her bladder after breakfast at home. Kindergartens will hv bio breaks for them in between classes. She will get used to gg to the bathroom with her buddies. If Kindergarten must wear uniform, then buy 2 more sets on standby. Pack extra panties in her school bag and inform the school that she might wet her uniform from time to time.

2) Wardrobe stock-up. Buy packs of pretty cotton panties for her to pick daily. Cotton On, H&M Kids, Fox Kids, Soda hv nice designs. Maybe match it with her ribbon or socks for the day. If it's Barbie today, panties can be Barbie designs too:)

3) Continue this diaperless practice at home in the day. Pee after milk intake, before napping and sleeping at night. It's good to cultivate this habit.

4) Make your bathroom look fun. Buy a pretty toilet seat for girls and a short stool from Ikea. She needs to learn how to sit on the adult WC, not potty. Decorate your bathroom if yours is dreary, musky and cluttered.

I know some kids have severe 洁癖 when it comes to using the toilet. Scrub your bowl squeaky clean. Ensure bathroom floor is dry at all times or buy cartoon bath mats she likes.

Not sure if she is still using Pigeon wet wipes to clean her poo. But if she isn't anymore, you can invest in Hello Kitty toilet paper.

Buy her a nice cutesy hand soap that she loves. Kirei Kirei is well-loved by young kids. Go thru that routine at home with her. If you're working, ask caregiver to cultivate this good habit in her.

5) 3 months later, buy waterproof mattress protector. I got mine from http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/40143304/. Very waterproof indeed! She needs to give up that diaper when she sleeps at night now. Wear those PJs with leggings without panties when she sleeps, so you've 1 less item to wash.

Make her sleep directly on the protector which is terry cloth on 1 side and rubber on the other. Not the other way round which is to place sheets over protector. If you do that, you'll go crazy washing the soiled sheets! Buy a lightweight thermal blanket which is easy to dry.

6) Reward her every morning with a sticker if she doesn't pee the night before. Praise her when she poos successfully into the WC.

7) Give her a reason. Talk about her poo and pee colour, before flushing it away. My son was so fascinated with the shape and colour of his own poo in the hole, so everytime he finishes his big business, he will describe to me his poo! I'll explain it was cos he had been a good boy who ate lots of kiwi that evening, etc. If it was hard and tiny, I'd tell him he wasn't a good boy as he didn't drink lots of water that day. Same with the colour of his urine. hahah...worked for me, cos it becomes an exciting adventure for him to visit the bathroom. Just make sure she doesn't taste it! LOL :rotflmao:

Lastly, that should be months later after she weans off her diapers at night, you need to remind her to wake up and visit the bathroom in the middle of the night, if she has urge to pee. Is your bathroom very far from her bedroom? Is it a scary journey to venture there alone at night? Do something about it. Get maid or caregiver to accompany her at night. Or you yourself should not lock your bedroom door so she can approach you for help. Let her use your master bathroom if convenient.

[SAHM_TAN]

There’s a sensitive period when it’s easier to toilet train. When missed it will have to go with the flow.


I missed it with ds and dd2, so I go with the flow.

It’s not so much that they can’t control the bladder or big biz, it’s just that they don’t want to do it in the toilet becos used to diaper. But under normal circumstances, they will abandon the diaper when they want to.

[shinri]

Does the kindergarten help with potty training?

Maybe can enlist the help of the teachers there?
Normally kids are more obedient in school compared to at home.
DD at 1st blatantly refused potty, adult toilet bowl, whatever.
Then she went to school in her diapers and every time there is toilet break, the teacher will remove her diaper pants and let her sit on the toilet bowl even if nothing comes out.
Slowly she gets used to the idea and then she pees there.
So at home we continue the practice but using the adult toilet bowl, no more potty.

[matrix0405]

It is normal and she needs time to outgrow diaper.