My son is 3 1/2. He understands the concepts of going potty. He'll sit every once and a while. We've tried to let him run around naked. He screams to put diaper on. We have done the underwear under diaper doesn't phase him. Help what can I do!
i know it's tough, but you just have to get rid of the diapers and not look back. Pee and poop go in the potty. There will be messes, and there will probably be some tears (from both of you). Hang in there, and he will get it. When he realizes you are not gong to give him a diaper, he will get it.
Remember, you only have to wait one minute longer than he does. Don't give in, and he will get it.
My son turned 4 in November. I wanted him done by August so I could put him in preschool. Nope. He had no problem, be it naked, with underwear, etc going wherever he happened to be. I had to stop because I don't have time to clean up every 20 minutes--esp when I don't know he wet the floor. Come mid Sept he decided, that was it and he went. Cold turkey on diapers and pull ups. You would think he had been going for a long time. If he isn't ready, then he just isn't. Maybe give it a little time off and try again.
If he's screaming for the diaper, then he knows he has to go. If he didn't know, I'd say he's not ready. But he does seem to know, at least physically. You can either tough it out as suggested below, or just put him back in the diapers until he is psychologically ready. If you turn this into a power struggle, it will be horrible. And he does have the total control, unfortunately - you don't. FWIW My child wasn't reliably trained until 4. And whatever you do, have a diaper at night. It's absolutely not fair to expect him to wake up - he may not be there developmentally and it's cruel to insist that he is even if he has control by day.
So has he had an accident without the diaper on and doesn't like the feel of it?
I put them in those thick pull up underpants (waffle weave), no pants, or even naked if outside. I had a potty right next to them - I brought it around wherever we were. The minute they started, on to the potty they went. Mine hated the feel of pee or poo. It didn't take long at all. It just meant a couple of days at home (I picked a weekend that worked for us) and was consistent.
But if he's upset and screaming for his diaper, maybe he's not ready. Trust your mom instinct on this one. Mine had just turned 3 and were ready but not every kid is.
Keeping the potty close by was what worked for me. Once they knew the signs and could hold it long enough to get to washroom, we moved potty in there and then did the potty ring on toilet.
Good luck - it will come. Everyone goes through potty training challenges :)
You say you have done underwear under a diaper and naked, but what about just underwear? I think at 3 1/2 you just need to get rid of the diapers altogether. It can't even be an option.
put the potty seat in the area he is in most often. keep him bare bottom and when he screams for the diaper put him on the little potty and tell him he is not allowed to get up till he is done pottying. then with his help put that into the big toilet and have a send off party with a sticker or something reward.
He's not ready yet.
Plain and simple. Keep enforcing the idea where you can, but don't drive yourself nuts trying to make him do it.
Hindsight is 20/20. Everyone told me they'd do it when they're ready. And I ignored it and tried and tried...you know what? They did it when they were ready. Not when I was.
And boys are harder. My son was almost 4.5 before he trained during the the day, and 5.5 and night.
My daughter...at 3yo, did it one day and never went back.
You know what? I'd simply not give in. I'd tell him to sit on the potty and go or go on the floor and get a spanking. There's a point when they're just manipulating you to get what they want.
I'm not very nice when it comes to the potty. It's a necessity.
I gave the kids an M&M for pee and 2 M&M's for poop. If they didn't go in the potty and made a mess they got swats. My youngest grandson had been working on potty at child care and at home and not doing it. He came to visit me for a weekend and he went on my couch one time. He got a spanking, I give swats with my hand on their hiney, not with a belt or switch or anything like that. He did NOT like that and from that moment forward he's been completely potty trained. He was ready but just didn't want to go on the potty.
He's only 3 1/2, I really wouldn't worry. In fact I wouldn't worry if he was 5. All kids go at their own pace...and all kids eventually DO use the potty. My son went at 2 and then stopped, we were frantic when kindergarten was starting in a few months and he was still asking for pull ups. His preschool teacher said to me (just as she did with his binky) 'he's not going to walk down the aisle in diapers' and of course she was right. I decided to back down and within a week he was going on his own. I think if we push them before they're ready we're only making things worse, putting too much emphasis on it makes it HUGE in the child's head which is not helpful. Try asking him for suggestions, put your child in control (ultimately that's what this is about, it's control and power struggle) and I bet you things will change real fast.
Back off about it. Pull ups are good cause they can practice pulling up and down. Have him go with dad. Fruit Loop target practice for fun. Books/toys he likes in the bathroom. It'll happen when it's ready.
Going to the bathroom is a weird feeling for some kids and it takes time. Relax, it'll happen when he's ready.
