My 2 yr 4 mo. old daughter is potty training. She can tell you anything about going potty, recite parts of the potty book, watch others in the family go potty and flush the toilet for them without fear, and sits on the potty (when she doesn't really have to go) and listens to the potty book. However the minute she actually has to go pee she freaks out and gets off the potty crying for a diaper. It's impossible to get her back on the potty. She arches her back, kicks, screams, braces her arms etc. She will stay off the potty until she gets a diaper or pees on the floor (which upsets her even more). Could she be afraid of the tinkling sound of pee hitting water? She won't sit on the potty chair at all, only the adult potty with potty ring. Mommy encouragement doesn't work. Rewards don't seem to work. I've tried the sticker thing and M&M's. Anyone have any tips on getting her to stay on the potty and pee in it?
Honestly? She's not ready. The only thing you can do is stop trying for awhile and then start again in a few weeks. Kids have to be ready in three different ways... physically, emotionally, and mentally. Sounds like your daughter has two of the three. Her emotions will catch up soon, and you can try again. If you push it now it will just become a battle of the wills.
I found with boys anyway that I would let them tell me when they were ready to train.. meaning I would try and if it didn't work or they freaked out, I would back off and try again after a couple weeks.... that lasted only a few months before they both went potty in bathroom with no issues. Kids will go in the bathroom when they are ready.
I am very interested in seeing the answers you get to this questions. Unfortunately, I don't have any insight to this problem because I am having the exact same problem with my granddaughter who is almost 3 years old. My husband and I have guardianship of her and her brothers and I am at a loss as to what to do to help her over her fear. If you get any good ideas, could you please pass them along to me at ____@____.com. Thanks and good luck
Turn her around, maybe? Like a horse? lol
Although she is showing all the signs of being ready, apparently she isn't. Wait a few months, and try again. Potty training doesn't have to be so hard, and she'll win any tussle you get into. You were right to get books, and get her used to the potty/sounds of flushing, but I would wait a bit.
A little about me: Child psychiatrist, in practice 17 years,married 22 years, mother of a 20 year old boy and 14 year old girl. Boy was hard to TT, girl was easy.
I agree with Trish T. The same thing happened with our son who is exactly 2 yrs 3 mos. He was ok sitting on the regular toilet with the potty ring, but not going pee, then he sat on his little potty and even peed-ONCE! Since then he has no interest in the potty so we decided to back off and try again next month and his daycare provider agreed that was best. My older son was soo easy, but I remember having to stop and start again with him as well, and the 2nd time around he was potty trained in a few days.
It sounds to me like your daughter might be physically able, perhaps even neurologically ready, but probably not emotionally on board. See where she is on the helpful "readiness" checklists at this site: http://www.parentingscience.com/toilet-training-readiness...
You'll probably get the least stress and fastest success for your daughter and yourself if you back away from the actual use of the potty for a couple of months. Continue with all the other great educational stuff you're doing with her. Throw potty parties in which all her toys line up to use the bathroom. Keep it light and positive. At some point, she will more than likely decide she wants to use the potty, and that will be it! I've seen it happen many times.
