hi, i just read your letter. it almost sounds like you think that just because the other is already potty trained that your daughter should be too. my son is finally just starting to get the hang of it, he just turned 2 but i have a friend that her son is 3 1/2 and will sometimes, but most of the time would rather not. he doesn't care if his pants are wet and will scream and throw a fit if they are poopy, like he would rather wear them that way.
out of the research that i have done, says that most kids aren't ready until 2 1/2 to 3 years. if she shows absolutely no sign of it, i would cool it for a few weeks and then start up again with an entirely differant strategy. i am just saying what worked for me.
we had to lay off for about two weeks to let him and myself and my husband calm down (i know how frustrating it is) and just not even think about it. then i went and got 2 small food storage containers, filled them with candy and he helped me decorate them with stickers and puffy paint. i told him that these were his "special candy jars" and that everytime he went potty in the potty he would get a piece of candy, if he had and accident and didn't tell me, then he would not, and even if he had an accident but just told me too late he would, for the effort of letting me know. if he did have an accident and was just too busy to tell me i would say maybe next time (cheerfully), never acting upset, frustrated, or irritated with it.
it has been about 3-4 weeks and he tells me all the time, just a little late sometimes. you know how busy kids get!!! anyway, some people say that this is "bribing" my child, i look at it as an award system. he does something positive and he gets a positive thing for it. morinngs and nightime are a little tricky. who do you know wants to give their child a reeses buttercup right before bed? i did it anyway and it really never even affected him, just be sure that he brushes his teeth before bed and even if he eats it afterward, i made him rinse his month out with water before he laid down.
i would say that half the time, he doesn't even ask for a candy now when he goes, just flushes, washes, and then we do a little pee-pee dance!!! i did set a time limit for it also, i told him that after Halloween candy is all gone, no more candy for potty. i sure that he doesn't understand that yet, but we will deal with it when it comes next week.
i don't want to sould like a know-it-all, i just wanted to suggest things that worked for me, i hope that you have luck soon one way or another with your daughter!!!!
