Potty Training Nightmare! - Lakeland, FL

I have not strated potty training yet, but I ahve a friend that did it a week before her daughters third birthday and she put regular panties on her daughter and yes its a mess but she will only do it a couple of times and then get the idea that it doesn't feel so good and she will make up her own mind to go in the potty. Also I have heard that pushing too much can cause set backs. Good luck. It will happen.

C.,

I just went through this. My daughter turned 3 a few days ago. A few months ago she FINALLY told me she wanted to go Pee Pee on the potty. Before that when she was around 2.5 yrs old, I used to put her on the potty all the time without success. Once she was ready, she told me and I rewarded her with a few Skittles. For a week straight she peed on the potty just to get the Skittles. After a week she forgot all about the Skittles and just peed on her own without a reward.
Then, we moved on to pooping in the potty. Every time she would tell me she did poopie in her underwear and wanted me to dump it in the toilet. It became a game with her. So... I pretended to throw away her favorite dirty underwear in the garbage which upset her, but she still wouldn't poop in the potty. I offered her little pieces of chocolate and at first it didn't work either. Then, one day last month, she said she wanted chocolate, and I told her to go poppie on the potty and she did. Now after a month of this, she hasn't had one accident. Even if you don't think rewards are working for you, I would just keep trying. If candy and food don't work, figure out what she really likes and try to use that. I think you just need for her to be ready. Good Luck!

Two and a half is early for alot of kids to be pooping in the potty willingly. I would step back and let her do it when her mind, emotions and body feel right about it. Pushing her is probably the cause for set back, frustration and aversion to the entire idea, maybe was for your son too. I would definately ease up and not mention the poo in potty anymore, keep her in panties and just casually (no anger or frustration signs) have her help out when she does have an accident. I consider my daughter smart too, but she wasn't interested in pooping in the potty till right before age 3 even though she had consistently peed in there. I let he go at her own readiness level and there was no stress!

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but she just might not be ready. My 3 y/o used to like to poop in her pull up during nap time. It drove me crazy! Nothing I did could make her stop, though, until she decided to stop.

I understand with your daycare situation that you want her to just stop it already, but I don't know if there's really any way to force the issue. If it becomes a power struggle, she may hold out even longer. :(

Is she in pull ups or panties??????? Hard to give advice when you don't give full details.

My son turned 3 back in April and is just now potty trained. I constantly praised him every time he peed on the potty (sang and did the potty dance)and just encouraged the pooping. I took away the pull ups and he would just poop in his underwear. I would allow him to use a pull up to poop for a few weeks. I explained to him that he was a big boy and he should poop in the potty, but again, I didn't make a big deal about it. I let him help me put the poop in the potty.

He would occassionally go on the potty and again (praising him each time). We even used M&Ms to bribe him. Since he was getting his pullups to it was clear he knew when he had to go, so I took the pull ups away. Now he is in underwear, with and occassional accident.

We also told him we would have a "Potty Party" when he was out of diapers and pullups to encourage him to go. The part is next month.

Hope this helps a little.

Put a potty next to the toilet and when you have to go, play a game so she'll go with you when you have to go. Go through the procedures, starting with pull down the pants, sit, and also clean. You can check her later if she cleaned herself. But make her go through the same procedures with you. It worked for me. And my son was 2 years old then.

I am in the same boat with my 3 year old son. He was supposed to start preschool back in August, but we've had to delay him twice because he won't do it. I have no idea what to do. I wish I could help you (and myself), but from everything I've read, they will do it when they are ready and not one second before.

This question comes up a lot on Mamasource and it seems to be pretty normal behavior. She just isn't ready to go on the toilet yet. I would really try not to make a big deal about it. Sorry I don't have better advice for you.

Hi C.,

I don't know if this will help or not, but does your daughter like to read? My son was very late with the training, he was 3 1/2, but he just couldn't get it together before that. It was much easier to get him to sit with a book. If their minds are on something else, it may be a little easier for them to forget that they are doing something on the potty. We ended up with a huge basket of books right next to the potty. My son is now reading very well at 4 1/2 and I know a lot of it was the books when I could get him to sit.
Hope this helps! I know how frustrating it is!!

Roz

Hello C.,

Gee, this sounds so familiar to me..lol. Listen hon, have you tried that toilet training book? You can get it at the library. Or just let her do it on her own time, in her own comfort zone. Sometimes children take awhile, others don't. Children are all on a different time clock. Some start earlier, some later. No worries, have patience with her, and in time she will freely go sweetie.

Much luck & many blessings,
Shell D.

Hi C. - please learn from my mistakes!! Don't pressure her because she'll start to hold it, and that will cause all kinds of problems!!!