# My baby is beating me up, help!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baby-is-beating-me-up-help/310271
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 28, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baby-is-beating-me-up-help/310271 "2005-06-28T20:52:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baby-is-beating-me-up-help/310271/21 "2005-06-30T00:47:47Z")
> [@AerynSun](#):
>
> 😃 I do believe while I was in labor I shouted, “But shooting makes me feel better!”
I shouted many things during labor. They will not be printed here. 29 hours without food really makes a cranky Inkleberry.
> [@AerynSun](#):
>
> There is no way she’s ready to potty train. We’ve got a potty and she comes into the bathroom with me and sits (usually clothed) on hers while I sit on mine, but she is just starting to realize that something uncomfortable happens in her diaper at times. The closest she’s come is when she peed on the floor after her bath, she ran and got a diaper and mopped it up.
>
> I think it’s a bad idea to try to force potty training on kids. Whether they go (especially BMs) is one of the few things pretty much entirely in their own control, and if you force a showdown on it, some kids will retain to the point that they need medical intervention.
I agree with you. Look, no one goes to college, or even kindergarten in diapers (unless they have a medical condition). And kids vary a LOT around this issue. I was trained at about 2, then basicaly said “screw this” and untrained myself for 6 months, and then went right back to being trained. For no clear reason. My brother, weird neat freak child he was, peed on himself _once_, and hated the feeling of pee down his leg so much he was fine from then on. From diapers to undies reliably in a few days. Our neighbor’s kid ahd no interest until he was almost 4.
When she’s ready, you’ll know. Meanwhile, if she does anything potty related, like sitting on it or peeing in it, I’d make a BIG fuss- “What a GREAT JOB!” “I’m so proud of you!” etc. Is she in day care? I’ve noticed kids who go to day care tend to get toilet trained somewhat quicker because they watch their peers wear big kid undies (Dora the Explorer!) and get so much positive attention that they try to follow.
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baby-is-beating-me-up-help/310271/22 "2005-06-30T16:23:29Z")
**Inkleberry** ,
My mother has been in part-time child care for close to 30 years. She is firmly convinced that big kid undies with interesting designs are a big positive influence on potty training- for most kids.
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### Author:  [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baby-is-beating-me-up-help/310271/23 "2005-07-01T05:42:11Z")
> [@Eureka](#):
>
> **Inkleberry** ,
>
> My mother has been in part-time child care for close to 30 years. She is firmly convinced that big kid undies with interesting designs are a big positive influence on potty training- for most kids.
I know _I_ certainly pee less in my pants when I’m wearing the pretty undies. My husband is quite partial to [piddlers](http://www.rightstart.com/global/store/product_detail~Site~baby~rs_section~shopbybrand~GroupID~2365740~GroupTP~Model.htm), and rather jealous they didn’t have them when he was a kid.
I wonder if those would help making pottying fun for the OP’s kid? I know she’s a girl, but still, it could be fun.
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### Author:  [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2005, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baby-is-beating-me-up-help/310271/24 "2005-07-01T11:22:45Z")
> [@Eureka](#):
>
> **Inkleberry** ,
>
> My mother has been in part-time child care for close to 30 years. She is firmly convinced that big kid undies with interesting designs are a big positive influence on potty training- for most kids.
This is what finally did the trick for Whatsit Jr. (Well, that and his being old enough for it, but anyway.) We went to Target and let him pick out three packages of special “big-boy” underwear and then spent a week talking about how next Monday would be Underpants Day and he would wear underpants all day long and pee in the potty. Then when Underpants Day came, I explained carefully that it was important not to pee or poop on Bob the Builder, because Bob does not like to be peed on.
Amazingly enough, he started using the potty right away, and with only a few sporadic accidents we’ve never looked back.
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