Potty Training Help with Three Year Old

Updated on March 11, 2008
M.R. asks from Cameron, WI
4 answers

I need aome potty training tips for three year old boy. I have a son who just turned three at the end of January. I have tried putting him in underwear, training pants and taken him frequently to the potty but nothing seems to work. Does anyone have any suggestions for me or is it to early to try and potty train him?

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So What Happened?

Hello everybody, I apologize for not getting back to you all sooner. It has been extremely busy for my family. Well enough of that . I am happy to report that our three year old is completely potty trained. He has been trained for a month or two now. We are having another issue though with him. He attends Head Start 4 mornings a week. The problem with him now is that he won't go potty for the teachers or at school. Any suggestions for us we have had the school and teachers try everything that we thought of but nothing works. Now we just have to get our 2 year old trained. Any suggestions for him?

More Answers

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J.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

Put him in training pants (like plastic pants) or regular underwear. Be consistent in taking him to the bathroom regularly (every 30-45 minutes, you can set a timer and when it goes off, then its time to get to the potty), use the Cheerios/Fruit Loops in the potty for him to sink with his aim, and try rewarding him for a job well done by going to he potty all day.

The reward should be something he can really look forward to whether its going to the indoor play area, library, etc, make sure he understands that he needs to keep going to the potty all day in order to do the reward.

Don't get frustrated when he has an accident or two. The plastic pants help with that plus they allow him to feel wet when he has an accident.

Its not too early to potty train him. With a little excitement and motivation and also consistency, he'll have it down pat in no time.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.A.

answers from Minneapolis on

My son had no interest until he was 3-1/2. Then he was running around naked after bath and he said he had to go potty. We took his lead and trained him from there.

We did us treats everytime he went to the bathroom (5 M&M's) and we had a big toy for the end of the week if he went accident free.

Pooping was another story, but that's another email.

You can either force the issue and get him trained. My guy would kick and scream all the way to the bathroom when I tried to force it. Or you can let him tell you when he's ready. I've heard that don't even try to train a boy until he's 3. So he's in the right range to start, it depends how you want to do it.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.K.

answers from Des Moines on

I have potty trained too many children to count and with my own personal experience it is easier to potty train a 2 year old than a 3 year old....although in 28 years I've only had one child that I didn't have completely trained by 3.

I usually give them a smartie(a very small candy) when they try to go potty, and we also have a toy on the back of the stool that you get to push after successfully going potty. It plays a little tune about going potty and what a big person they are.

It probably helps at my house because there are other children there going potty all day, and the little ones want to be like the older children. Try taking your child with you when you go potty...maybe give yourself a treat in front of him and pat yourself on the back. Make a big deal out of it. Attention is a big thing with children..and if he sees that it is positive attention he will want some for himself.

Good luck!!!!

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S.S.

answers from Milwaukee on

It is not the easiest advice to hear, but it's the best advice I've heard...let your child take the lead and do it in their time.

I too tried to start my son at 3 on potty training and he just wasn't into it...he couldn't care less about wearing a diaper and if it was wet or not. And then all of a sudden at 3.5 he just started going to the bathroom on the toilet and stopped wearing diapers with little to no accidents! Voila! Just like that he was ready.

My friend's son didn't make this connection/decision until 4. You just have to stick with it and let them take the lead. Difficult to do, but it's the best thing! Best of luck!

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