[bargainmommy]

My daughter is now 2 1/2 yrs old. She has gone back and forth with using the potty 2-3 times a day to not doing it at all. My big problem is that she wants to sit on the potty for over 30 minutes at a time, especially if it's before her bed time. Before I was pregnant and had to use the bathroom myself every 30 minutes and now I have a new born, so I really can't stay in the bathroom for 30 plus minutes. What do I do? Should I let her stay there for as long as she wants?

[ASheppa0821]

This has been an effective method, from what I understand... Get play coins and a jar. Tell her that everytime she goes pee on the potty, she gets a dime. Everytime she goes poop on the potty, she gets a quarter. Then when she hits a certain amount, she gets to go to the toy store and pick out a toy she really wants. Make it an amount that would probably take her at least 2-4 weeks to achieve. If she pees her pants, she loses a dime. If she poops in her pants, she loses a quarter. Then, let her know that if she says she has to go, then she's got 3 minutes on the timer. Set a timer so that she knows that if she hasn't gone by the time she hears a "ding!", she loses a dime. That way, she'll only tell you when she really has to go because she doesn't want to lose the dime. Since she can't count coins, keep a chart going with stickers, or something that can be easily removed if needed, but that she can see she's getting closer to the goal. You could also just make a line around the middle of the jar, or even make it so that it has to be full. Just something so she can visibly see her goal ahead of her, and if it gets less, then she's farther away from the toy she wants (or a special "mommy and me" day at a play land, or to see a special movie, etc... whatever she'll respond to most.). Hope this helps!

[DivasMomma]

sounds like if she is doing it mainly before bed, she is trying to get out of bedtime! I LOVE Andrea's suggestion....but whichever way you choose to get her out of there, stick to it!