Still unable to potty-train 3 yr. old.

[e-mum]

I'm having a really hard time trying to potty-train my 3 yr. old son. I started training him around 2 yrs. old. Even now, he hates to go to toilet and will never tell me that he needs to wee-wee or poo-poo. It's always a big battle just to get him to the toilet.

Has anyone had this problem w/ their son and how did you deal w/ the situation?

 

[joannek]

everyone said go cold turkey was the sure way. find one week that he'll stay home. just let him wear his undershorts. when he pees, his legs will get wet. just change him without making a fuss, and tell him that's wee-wee. people say it takes 3 days of accidents for him to start telling you that he needs to go. he has to, if not he will always be interrupted to clean up. 3-yr olds hate to be interrupted.

at 3 he should be physically ready to hold his pee in to tell you. so if all goes well, he should start telling at day 2.

good luck!

 

[Veronika]

For us stickers worked great. Each time he poos in the toilet he gets a sticker on a paper next to the toilet. Once we were sure about the poo we did what joannek suggests: just took off the nappy. There was a week with LOTS of laundry and then he got the idea. Try to stay relaxed, he'll soon get it. Good luck!

 

[MommyTo3]

We went cold turkey. At 2y9m (so old enough) I told her the diapers were bye bye. We had several accidents that weekend and that was it. She had an occassional accident but less than once a month, now it's about once every 2 months (usually at night, and there is a lot going on). We combined cold turkey with stickers and m&m's. Number 2 took a little longer, but was also under control as soon as she turned 3.

 

[rani]

Stickers and M&Ms worked for us too.

Good luck!

 

[m2cw2mhk]

We are in the throes of this right now. Does anyone know where to get one of those dolls that makes a wee in Hong Kong? I don't need it to be anatomically correct nor do I need it to cry or anything, I just want something to show my daughter how it goes pee pee. Anyone seen a (preferably not expensive) one around town?

 

[mumsy]

I'm having the same problem with my son who'll be turning 3 soon. He's also needs to be toilet trained before starting kindy so I'll probably have to defer his start date now!!

I sort of left it late and never really introduced it earlier because he was so resistant to being near the toilet/potty, and all the books say don't force them.

So for the last few days, he's just been wearing underpants and there have been many accidents. At first, he would tell me he's having a wee during actually having one. Now he says wee before it comes but won't pee in the toilet/potty, so I think he doesn't want one and put his underpants back on, and he wets himself 5 mins later.

We've always left the door open when going ourselves, and lately he's taken an interest in flushing the toilet. So now, I've told him he can only flush it if he has a wee in there.

He's not interested in rewards (stickers) and doesn't actually like to eat sweets!!, so any other tips would be great.

 

[carang]

well, no advice as my boy was virtually toilet trained(day time) before he was 2 (he did it himself, we only encouraged him a little).

but, we are about to start night training for the 3rd time!!! we are going to australia in october and i've told my son that they dont' sell "big boy nappies" there. also, we are renting a motorhome, so i've told him that the people will be VERY angry if he goes wee on his bed in the motorhome, so we are going to "practice" at home.

we've just bought some plastic to go under his sheets and i'm preparing for a big battle!

any words of wisdom???

 

[AndreaY]

Stickers, treats, no tempting worked with our 28 month old girl, she refused to sit on the potty. Nor did she feel peer pressure seeing her 9 month old sis weeing in the potty. Even tried the mummy weeing in the toilet in front of her and all I got was clapping and "clever mummy wee wee in the potty!". Was sure she was ready, so finally decided not to follow the books which said it should not be forced. Went cold turkey, 1st 3 days, screaming and crying for her nappy and rather wetting herself than in the potty. By the 4th day, she realised mummy has more patience than her and would not give in, and has weed and pooed in her potty since.

I never scolded her for wetting herself, just quietly explained that she was big girl now and no more nappies, and she is only getting wet and dirty cos she would not wee in the potty. I have since talked with other friends and those who went cold turkey all say it only took a few days of inconvenience and mess and their kids were toilet trained.

 

[carang]

how is she at night?

i've just tried to wake my boy to take him to the toilet....him crying the ENTIRE time.

"i don't want to! i want to sleep! i don't want to wee wee!"