D.B.
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I am potty training my 22 month old daughter. She has watched her 3 year old brother master the potty over the past year and thinks she is big stuff and ready to give it a try. She usually tells me when she needs to go, which is awesome. But here is the hang up. We get her on the potty and she freezes up. We sing or read and just as soon as she gets relaxed enough to go, she jumps of the potty and says, "All done." So we put her panties back on and 5-10 minutes later she tells me again that she needs to go - sometimes a little dribbles out, we run to the potty and again as soon as she is about to go, she quits. I know it has to be a strange/scary sensation for her. Today she held her urine all morning and through nap time, then did the every 5 minutes thing all afternoon. A few times she cried because she didn't know what to do, she didn't want to wet her panties but couldn't get over the stage freight on the toilet. I know that if she can just let go a few times, she'll figure out that it's not scary and be able to go all the time. I have tried running water, she likes it, but it doesn't seem to motivate her. I also tried pouring warm water on her crotch while she was on the potty. I did get her to go that time, but now she wont let me do it again. Any other tricks out there???
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We used a little potty with my son and placed it in front of the tv. I just kept putting him back on the potty every 30 minutes until he peed. It was easier for him to relax that way. He would be watching one of his shows and the all of a sudden look at me in surprise and say, "I peed!" Once he got used to it, he did great.
Here is the BIG trick; wait till she's ready
She's not ready. Kids that are ready won't hold in their pee. It's going to get a lot worse if she is forced to keep using the potty. Put a diaper back on her and wait til she's ready. That can cause some bladder problems if she doesn't want to use the potty, you want her to, and she won't. Kids have control over their pee/poop no matter how inconvenient it is that the parent has to change a diaper. You literally can't force it and it causes physical/emotional problems when you do. Is it really a huge deal if you fight with her for 6 months before she uses the potty or chill and be in diapers for 6 months til she WANTS to use the potty? The latter sounds stress-free on both of you.
This is a duplicate question to "Toddler withholding pee."
My grandson did the same thing. He was completely ready he had been going really well then for some reason he held it all day one day he did the pee dance, held himself, cried from pain then when he went home he went he did this for a few days then he started going and we haven't had any issues since.
Role play using her baby doll(s). She's old enough to pretend to be "Mommy". Have her take her doll potty and reward her baby with a couple of M & M's if "baby" goes potty. Do this frequently so that the whole concept becomes routine in her mind and less scary. You can even give her a tiny bit of water in a cup to pour on her baby's crotch to help baby pee. Kids of all ages love playing with water.
