HELP! Need Help Potty Training My 3Yr Old.

hi there. well 3 yrs old is about the right time for potty training, preschool don't start til fall, so ya got all summer to work with her, and at her age every month they learn new things. So take a deep breath, she will do it. OK, she seems like a determined lil girl, no interest in potty, and don't care about messy pants. Then i wouldn't suggest you try and do this all at once. Set down 1 very firm rule, she must use the potty after she wakes up in morning, before and after nap if she still takes one, and before bed at night. put up with any fit she may throw, 99% of all parents make thier lil ones use the potty before bed, and before going anywhere, Deal with the messy pants inbetween those times for now, just try to establish some control. still continue to talk bout how the dirty pants are yucky, and she is a big girl and needs to go on potty all the time, just don't make it a power struggle yet. Good luck

Does she know she can't go to school unless she's potty trained? I'd take her on a tour of the school so she can see the kids having such a good time. Then explain that she needs to by using the potty all the time if she wants to go to preschool too.

Have you tried making her run around naked? Some kids don't like that stuff running down their leg and that helps. Really, I think routine is the best thing for training in many aspects. Start with morning and make her sit before she gets breakfast or morning juice. When she goes praise her like crazy. Let her know how happy this makes you.

Try giving up. It may be a control issue. If she knows you don't care if she uses the potty or not, she may choose to do it herself. Its difficult, but she won't be in diapers forever. Sign her up for preschool. Hopefully by fall she'll be ready. Good luck.

I was in those exact same shoes a few months ago. My daughter was pt'd but would constantly pee her pants. It was SO frustrating! And they weren't accidents either, she would do it on purpose. I know people say not to punish, but I did. I stood her in the corner for peeing her pants. Like I said, she KNEW better. It wasn't an issue of just learning. She had been pt'd for about 3 months. When that didn't work, I told her if she didn't knock it off, I'd put her back in a diaper. It worked for us, but I know it's not a technique that works for everyone.
Do you have a kitchen timer? Get a picture of a potty (either take one and print it off or get one off the net), put the picture on the 0 of a kitchen timer. Set the timer for either 15 or 30 mins. When the timer dings, she has to go sit on the potty and at least try. If she tries she get a small sticker. If she goes, she gets a big sticker and if she poops, she gets a small prize. Once she seems to get that, then every time she pees she gets a sticker and poops she gets a big sticker. Just keep going till she gets it. We used a sticker chart and my dd LOVED it. She's been pt'd for almost a year and she still won't let me take it down :)

Make a chart for her.
Like a calendar.
Each day.....every time she pees in the potty she gets a star...everytime she poops, she gets a sticker.
When she gets a certain number of stars and stickers she may have a reward, such as a trip to the dollar store or out for an icecream.
I would start out by putting her on as soon as she gets up, after breakfast, in another hour or two, after lunch, after nap, after dinner, and before bed, for example.
Do this routine for at least a couple of weeks or until she gets the idea of telling you, or going by herself.
You could go so far as her losing a star or sticker for peeing or pooping in her pants too.
You might want to start out too by requiring say 10 stickers/stars for a reward, and after a week upping it to 15 and so on.
This worked with my children and grandchildren so hope it helps you.
If you cannot find stars, use the small round stickers for peeing and some big stickers she likes for pooping!

,I, too, had tried many , many things when my daughter wouldn"t use the potty. .This is what finaly worked...

"Mommy, I poo pooed"

Rather than "why didn't you use the potty? etc, I replied "ok, you need to clean yourself up"

"But Mommy, I don"t want to, it's stinky and gross"

"Yes honey, I know. That is why we use the potty. Now, you made it so you need to clean yourself up."

I put her in the bathtub to undress etc. I then gave her a washcloth and set the water on the proper temp and supervised while she cleaned herself up. When she was finished, she even had to dump the poo poo in the toliet etc.

Well, the bathtub had to be SCRUBBED afterward, however, she used the potty from that day forward!

PS She is 15 now, and she/we still laugh at that story!

Good Luck!

I was going to respond but Stephanie gave my 'trick' away. The reward should be something she LOVES (barbies, cars etc) Seems like there is a bunch of great ideas. The only thing I can offer is please be consistant. Dont give up after a week. Keep enforcing the rule and guidelines.
Please dont be frustrated. You are doing a great job. Your little girl loves you to pieces. In a year from now you will think "oh it wasnt that bad"
Good luck

Unfortunately, I have no advice for you. I wanted to read the responses that you received as I am in a similar situation as you. My son turned 3 in January and has ABSOLUTELY no interest in the potty. The difference with us is that my son is already registered for preschool in the fall! And yes, he has to be potty trained to attend. Let's hope that we both have successful summers!

I would keep her in panties, and if she makes a mess let her clean up, and never make a fuss about going or not going, and I would never give her rewards for it. Right now she is in control, she is playing a game with you to get a response, so just decide that you do not care if she uses the potty or not. I would mention to her once that if she wants to go to school and make friends she has to start using the potty because babies can not go to school, and than leave it alone. when the fun of driving mom crazy is gone, she will decide to go on her own, she just needs to have the control over the situation.