3 Yr Old Doesn't Want to Potty Train

We had all the tools but he wasn't down with the whole idea. Give him time. Once mine caught on (after he was 3.5 years old) he was off to the races.

Dummy me just ASSUMED all kids UNDERSTOOD 'rewards' but I was WRONG,WRONG,WRONG!

BUT once he GOT IT that child would produce the smaaaaalest poop to earn his new reward. We almost went broke but it was worth it and saying goodbye to diapers which was much more exciting than I thought it was going to be.

Let it go for a while and then try again. My DD was 3.5 when she finally did it. She had zero interest in it. She had gone from going first thing in the am and before bed to refusing to do it at all. So I totally let it go. Then I talked about how we weren't buying any more diapers after the current box was empty. She disagreed strongly but about a week later, she told me we weren't buying anymore diapers. I put her on the potty in front of the tv at her usual poop time and she went, realized it wasn't any big deal and then she just started going on the potty. She literally went from diapers one day to totally trained the next.

I think potty learning has to be on their schedule. If you push they will push back and you'll get nowhere. I was beginning to think she'd never get there, but as soon as she was ready, she did it.

my middle son was a closet potty trainer. He was over three and went to preschool in a diaper..he was a pain to go in the potty drove me crazy nothing worked. I told his preschool teacher he was in the process of being potty trained on the first day. About a month into school one of the other teachers in the room asked me why I put him in a diaper everyday..come to find out my son from the first day went on the potty like the other kids and not just when told to go he would tell his teacher he had to go! I threw all diapers away and he wore underwear from then on. my neice was hard to potty train too, she turned 3 in sept and just after christmas finally went pee on the ptty and a couple weeks ago called to tell me she pooped on it! (we are going to a tea house to celebrate) so I just gave up and my son trained himself and my SIL gave up on her daughter too and both kids are now potty trained. maybe let your son tell you he wants to go on. I think it is a control thing with some kids,I read that somewhere not sure where though. good luck

Back off completely for awhile. Even consider putting his potty chair away (or inconvenient). The good news is--he WILL get it and when he's ready, I'll bet it's a quick process. Good luck.
You do NOT want this to turn into a power struggle which is what is sounds like it might become if muddied with "gently pushing", "rewards" and his being "adamant" about keeping the diapers.

Neither does mine! She turned three in February. She used to be interested but after trying for a while she decided she (quote), "wants to be a baby and wear diapers." Great! that's just great. ha ha It's a real struggle for me to just wait for her to do it on her own but I'm trying, I really am. Everyone keeps telling me the same thing, to just wait and dont' push. I don't have any words of wisdom since I'm in the same boat as you, but I feel your pain! :)

Mine didnt want to either until 45 months. He would even change himself after peeing in his pullup. Then all of the sudden he decided to wear his big boy underwear. :) your son will do it too when he is ready.

My son was stubborn too. It took a combination of finding the right bribes and figuring out the timing. Mini marshmallows or an m&m along with trying on a regular basis with the help of a timer were enough for peeing. I had to the stakes with getting him to poop. Standard bribes were not worth the effort for him. He got a hot wheels car and a lollipop for #2. Plus, I found that he did not want to sit long enough for #2 so I started only letting him watch tv shows on a portable media player when he was on the potty trying. No shows on the big tv until he was trained.

Mine will be 3 next month, and just completely regressed. I just bought diapers again (we were in combo of pullups when out, and underpants at home). Now he tells me that he's "a baby", and won't have anything to do with the potty.

So, I've given up.

Everyone keeps telling me that he'll just do it when he's ready.
So for now, I'm just waiting for that day.

Updated

Mine will be 3 next month, and just completely regressed. I just bought diapers again (we were in combo of pullups when out, and underpants at home). Now he tells me that he's "a baby", and won't have anything to do with the potty.

So, I've given up.

Everyone keeps telling me that he'll just do it when he's ready.
So for now, I'm just waiting for that day.

My daughter was darn near potty trained then regressed so we tryed rewards and she didnt understand and got frustrated so we waited( i don mind changin two in diapers) well she woke up one day and decide to go. she too got to the point she wanted to sit but with a diaper on. So i let her have her indepenence and when she actually used it her reward became a little more independence( she could dump it into big potty with my supervision and flush it away BYE BYE poo and pee) Since then we have been doing great. So i let her go nakey when she wakes for a few hours and then slowly put a diaper on her (bc of to far away didnt make it in time accidents) I told her that when she had the diaper on theat when she felt she had to go to take it off herself and go. And amazingly she has took the reins and may soil two diapers a day! yay. Try to utilize his independence. try the nakey method where he can be a big boy and also try cherrioes and let him aim to make it fun!

Children don't often chose to be potty trained but you need to just tell them it's time and do it. Put the big boy pants on him, no pull ups ever, and start. Clean up messes without being upset and take him to sit on the potty and start again. When you have a child who is set against it you have to take charge more than with children who want to be trained. Set a timer, make them sit and then set the timer for 15-30 min. again and then take them again even if they don't want to go. They'll get the idea that you mean this is going to happen and it will. You don't have to be upset by it and neither do they. Just consistent. I had a grandson who also said he'd NEVER be potty trained and we did it in one day. Even dry at nap time that day. Never had an accident after that first day. Tell your child that there is a reward at the end or if you think it works best reward with something small. You could give something each time they go. I've used both ways with my 8 kids and also used a chart with a couple of them. So whatever works best with your child to motivate them is what you should do.