Seeking Help on Potty Training

Jen,

My name is V.. I am also a 34 year old mom. My son is now 7. I thought the target trick worked great. Take a square of toilet paper, draw a target and lay it in the toilet. Tell him to hit the bullseye. My son thought that was fun he kept trying even if he didn't have to go. Cheerios work well too. Just a couple and tell him to try to sink them. Good luck!!

Have you put him in bigboy underwear so he feells wet then make him clean the mess and himself

my son was a little over 3 when he finally was potty trained and it happened in just a week. Instead of using pull ups which allow your child to have the option of going to the bathroom in the toilet or in the pull up I just skipped that and put underwear on him from the start. He had a couple of accidents and got the hang of it since he didn't like the feeling of being wet. Just make sure to have plenty of underwear on hand, I had to hand wash them through out the day. And when we went out somewhere or when he went to sleep I kept the underwear on him but put a pullup on overtop so that he would still feel wet and understand that he had to use the toilet. My son also didn't like to sit down and go potty because that's not what his dad did so I would give him a stool to stand up to the big toilet so that he could be like his dad. Hope this helps

Don't worry too much; you're not alone with the 3-year-old not wanting to go on the toilet. My boys were all late trainers and didn't complete their training till they were nearly four. What worked for us was letting them choose their own "big boy" underwear at the store. We bought a pack and that was their incentive for using the toilet like a big boy. They wore the disposable underwear while training, but they wanted to wear the "big boy" stuff so they worked for it.

My daughter is 28 months and has just started (yesterday) really going to the potty. She didn't really want to try until we bought her some Dora panties. Again, the incentive is there and she wants to wear her "big girl" panties. In fact, she won't wear a pull-up and only wears a diaper right now. She stayed dry all day yesterday in anticipation of wearing her Dora panties.

If he still doesn't want to go, try using cloth training underwear. This creates a very uncomfortable sensation when wet and your son may decide that it's not worth it to fight with you and just go on the toilet.

You will absolutely pull your hair out on this one. I certainly did. I had two late trainers and my husband pestering me and getting aggitated that they weren't going to the potty. When a kid isn't ready, he isn't ready and nothing will work, so I backed off. With my 6 year old I just let him run around bare until he got it, and then he would hold his stools until he was in pain, at one point I had to put a diaper on him so he could get some relieve and after that he went on the potty. My 3 1/2 year old was a tough sell. No amount of big boy undies would do it, so I finally reasoned with him, I told him that he couldn't go to school until he used the potty without accidents and that we couldn't get him any more new toys until Mommy and Daddy had to stop buying him diapers. When he was finally ready (that's the key) we told him that if he had a week without accidents that he could go to the store and pick out a brand new toy. Worked like a charm, best Christmas present ever. So I am with the other mom's on this one. Relax and he will get it. You want him to be trained, not the other way around.

I had a somewhat similar issue with my son, who is now 5. When he was just over 3 yrs old, I set aside a week for me and him to potty train and I was determined to make it work. Here is what you do, no pants, no underware and no pullups on his body and he wont have any choice but to go on the potty because he will see that he will be peeing and pooping all over himself. When i did this with my son he did not have one accident. You have to be determined to keep him half naked and if you give in to him and put clothes on him before he is trained, then he will see that you are a pushover and he will not help train himself. Being ready yourself and sticking to what you say and do is the key to having a successful potty training week.

I am interested in finding out how to potty train a 3 year old that isn't "ready" also. I am finding it hard because I work outside the home full time. His father doesn't help any either. When asked if he goes in the bathroom with him, his response is that it is my job to teach him, not his. I have been trying for months (even before his father mentioned it.)

Has your son had the chance to visit the Preschool he will be attending? Sometimes having a visual image of the goal helps. Right now "school" for him is just a concept. If he spends a little time there he might decide he really wants to be able to attend. Most schools will set up a time for you to bring your child during free play so he can experience the new toys and some fun activities. Find out what things the class will be doing and contact the teachers to see if they have any other ideas to help encourage him to use the potty.

Making him be wet is a great idea, kudos caroline.

Also, bribery.. If he likes a certain toy, show him one in the store, and tell him you will buy it, but it has to stay on the fridge until he is a big boy, babies dont get to play with this certain toy. Then Ignore the potty training, take the toy down to look at it when he is around, and tell him it is for big boys and then just drop it. Incentive like that works on adults too... they think they will get a raise they will work hard :)

This worked for my sister with a stubborn 3 year old girl. She "suddenly got the idea" and was out of her pull ups in a week, no lie.