We have a 3 year old (turned 3 in January). He doesn't even want to think about getting on the potty. We have not pushed it hard yet. He looks like he is 5 and has done everything early except this. Walked at 8 months etc... He is extremely smart goes to Mothers day out twice a week. His friends potty he just doesn't want to. We need to get this moving on Summer camps won't take you if your not potty trained at 3. He has a baby brother who is almost 10 months so I am thinking he wants to wear diapers like the baby. At first I thought he was scaird too but I did get him to poop the other night after dinner. Now I feel like that was just a one shot. I bribe with candy offers if you do it but still no go for the most part. I am full time working mother so it is a little hard to press these issues when you aren't around all the time. My husband is a stay at home dad and he tries too but with a 10 month old you can't spend all your day in the bathroom. Sometimes he has sat for 45 minutes with nothing. I think this weekend I am going to put him in the one of the dozens of pairs of underwear we have bought and just go with it. He has to start somewhere. We are going to disney world in June and I would like to have him in underwear. I know he is a boy and they are slower he has just been real slow it seems. I do think he is scaird sometimes he just won't say so. I can't get him one of the potties that sit on the floor because he is too big for them (we tried that). He has a cars seat that fits on our toilet. Any new or expierenced suggestions are great. My Mother thinks we started too late I don't think that is fair to say that. She doesn't run crazy like we do with two little ones in the house.
Don't push the issue. We tried to make the girls go and it ended up stalling everything until they were waaaay beyond 4. Let him decide.
You wrote "He doesn't even want to think about getting on the potty". There's your answer. He's not ready or interested. To push it now will be a waste of time and frustrating for ALL involved.
He's not ready. My oldest wasn't fully trained til she was 4. My youngest was trained about 4 months after she turned 3. One day, she said "I want to wear underwear" And the rest is history. I never pushed my kids. That is the worst thing you can do. I would just ask my girls if they had to go and if they didn't, then that was fine with me. I never made them sit in a bathroom until they went, or I didn't make them wet themselves. I never had messy clean ups and I was never stressed about the training issue. With my second child, there was only a handful of accidents I can remember after she was trained. She never wet the bed at night. He will come around.
I have to chime in with those who say don't push it. My daughter turned 3 last October and we're still not there yet. I have tried everything and recently posted for help, too (http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/12885384232238710785).
In short, we had made some progress, but the minute we started just encouraging, not even pushing, we lost all progress completely. Since the post, I backed off entirely only offering rewards when she did it, not even asking if she had to go, and we got right back to the original progress (poo only, still no pee) within 2 days. You simply can't push this issue no matter how inconvenient it is for you. I know it's frustrating, but you are not alone. He'll get there when he's good and ready.
My son was 3 and a half before he was fully trained. It's common for boys to not be trained until 3 1/2 - 4 (per my pediatrician). So I would suggest just to introduce the idea, keep encouraging it, but not to stress about it. When he is ready he will go. Every child is different and each child will show signs of readiness at a different time. So no you didn't start late, you start when you think your child is ready, end of story (that is what you tell your mom!)
Here's some good info for you:
http://www.babycenter.com/toddler-potty-training-advice
Hang in there, don't stress!
If I were you, I would not push it. My boy sounds just like yours did at that age and when the daycare and I pushed it; It was a HUGE battle and VERY frustrating! To me, it was not worth it. It won't go to "big" school still in diapers--I would give it time. That is what I was told by my peditritian and right before he turned 4, he made up his mind and we never looked back. Bedtime was a different story. Each child is different. Potty training is a developmental thing. Not all kids at 2 or 3 are ready. I know it is cheaper and more convient but hang on--save your frustration; he'll get it!
If he's not interested, it will be more difficult. Would it be possible for someone else to watch the baby for a week, so your husband could focus soley on potty training? Maybe it would help him to be praised as the big boy, who can do things the baby cant?
Good luck!
You won't like my answer Your mom is right you have definitely waited too long. My children are 16 and 18 months apart. Yes that is 3 in less than 3 years. 2 girls and 1 boy and they were trained at 16, 14, and 17 months. You must be consistent. If you put him in real underwear for the weekend and then go back to pull-ups or diapers you are letting him know he wins. Once you start you must keep it up. The longer you wait the more control he has over you. Quit making excuses and get busy. If your husband is a stay at home dad then he should be doing it. We all have busy schedules and manage. Mine are a lot closer than your and with my husbands help it took all of 4 days to get it done.
Here are some ideas and more details at the link below:
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2009/09/22/...
Training your toddler to use the potty may seem like it goes on forever, and that’s because it is a long process. There will be a stage that your little one does great, followed by a time where he won’t sit on the toilet even with your best bribe. Remember that coercing a toddler to do something they don’t want to do (including potty training) results in a power-struggle, and this is one struggle I do not recommend entering. Research shows that a coercive approach over a laize-fairre approach does not speed up the process of potty training.
I agree with not pushing it, you won't win. I have a very stubborn & smart 3 1/2 year old daughter, and from age 2 on, we tried training her, she just wasn't ready. In January, we put her in undies & made a 'potty prize bowl'. (It consisted of very small toys wrapped up). Each time she kept her undies 'dry' she got a prize. She was trained in one week. We then switched over to miniature animal crackers for pee-pee, m&m for poops. She's been doing really well since January, with one set back due to illness. Is your son screaming & fighting you? If so, back off and wait a week or two, then try again. Find what 'prizes' he likes, maybe matchbox cars (?) whatever it is. I would approach this as a celebration & make it fun. After all, it is a MAJOR milestone, and up to the child to decide when their ready to achieve it. Good luck to you!
join the club! My daughter will be 4 in june......she loves to wear panties and takes them off after peeing on herself. Today, i thought "this is the big day".....until i try to get her on her little potty. Then all hell broke loose and the biggest tantrum let her win ....again. I had went to town and came back 3 hours later, she had panties on the whole time, and never peed on herself. I try every month. I just tell myself, that one of these days it will just happen♥
He is ready and should be using the potty most of time, I think he is using his power and control to persuade you, they are very good at that. Let him run around naked or in underwear in an area close by the bathroom and have some rewards for him if he uses it. Your husband should start taking him to the bathroom every time he has to go to get him use to it. Good luck and you and your husband can do this!
At 3 he knows the difference. Boys aren't slower, parents just think its best to wait forever.
Put him in underwear and let him pee on himself a few times. Then make him clean it up, change his clothes and clean himself up. He will quickly learn that its faster and easier to use the toilet instead of having to clean up his mess every time.
I disagree with your mom and Marilyn. How can you start too late when he HAS NO interest in the potty???!!
You cannot make him be interested. Watching dad or your son knowing his friends aren't wearing diapers anymore helps create interest.
If he had interest a while back and you didn't encourage and go with it, then that is starting late.
But that is not what I read in your question.
