Toilet Training Russian Adoptees

Russian Adoptees are said to be toilet trained as soon as they can sit up because as soon as they can do this they can certainly sit on a potty or a pot and go to the bathroom on their own. Of course, some of the children who can sit up on their own can’t stand on their own or walk by themselves but they can certainly scoot on their potty and play with the other children in the bathroom. It becomes more of a game to them than potty time.

From what I have seen this type of toilet training is not successful after adoption, as most children go through a regression period and will revert to some sort of diaper period either for a short time period or a long time (depending upon age of adoption, the amount of time in the orphanage, personal needs, trauma, etc). For AJ, who was two at the time of adoption and dry 100 percent of the time, there was a full regression to diapers for almost two years and he is still in night time diapers. Granted, AJ has sensory issues as well as MAJOR gastrointestinal issues.

I have to say that the only thing that eventually worked for AJ was that he wanted to be trained and he wanted to go on the potty. We had used what he liked to call Kaka Cars (Hot Wheels) and candy and they worked when we initially trained him at 3.5-years-old. Unfortunately, he regressed when we went on two vacations in a row. He finally trained at almost 4-years-old (but on his own terms).

He still has problems with holding, as he wants to play. I have to constantly remind him that he CAN go potty and come back. So, I pause play with imaginary remotes, he runs inside, pees, and runs back outside…