Seeking Help with Potty Training - Lenoir City,TN

Updated on September 30, 2006
D.W. asks from Lenoir City, TN
66 answers

I have a 27 month old son who I feel has been ready to potty train for about 5 months but he refuses to. He will tell me when he is peeing or pooping in his diaper and he has even started to go all night and stay dry. He doesn't want to use the "big boy potty".
I have tried all the potty seats, the targets for the potty, Cheerios,fruit loops, and even putting the big boy underwear on him at home.

What can I do next?

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T.

answers from Knoxville on

You know, little boys just do it on their own time. I raised two boys and now I have two little grandsons and they are all different. Trust me, he will eventually decide that he dosen't want that "stuff" on him and he will start using the potty. My youngest grandson really wanted to start to pre-school and he couldn't until he was using the potty, so when he realized that he couldn't go, he started using the potty and made the transition. I know it's frustrating, but hang in there a diaper-free day is coming!!!

T.

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A.L.

answers from Atlanta on

My daughter had started to show her "potty independence" at 18 months and I had tried everything...after numerous failed attempts. I read a book that helped - "Toliet Training in less than a day" by Nathan Azrin (www.amazon.com has it). It really, really helped me. Everyone laughed when I told that what I was reading... but I honestly had my daughter going to the bathroom completly on her own (#1 and #2) in a weekend at 30 months. After that weekend... no more training pants or diapers... not even at night. It was a very rewarding thing for both of us. There is no doubt in my mind, I would have had her trained much earlier had I read this book first.

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M.G.

answers from Nashville on

My son refused to potty trian til he was 4. No matter what we did or how hard we tried he fought it. Until one day he just went int he bathroom and came out screaming i went to the potty i went to the potty! Sometimes boys progress slower. Most of the time a child will tell oyu when they are ready. Unfortunately just cause you thinks hes ready doesnt mean that hes is. Good luck.

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M. .

answers from Augusta on

Hello, I'm M. and I've been keeping children in my home for 13 yrs. I've potty trained LOTS of children and there is one thing I've found with every single one of them. You eventually reach a point where you HAVE to outwait them. And every time I think the child has been sitting way too long, I get them up and they immediately pee in the diaper. This is not one child, but every single one I've potty trained. I then let the parents know, tell my past experiences and ask what they would like me to do. They have all gone with "outwait them". This is usually the breaking point. Once the child realizes it's pee or sit, that they won't be getting up until they go, they go. After that, they usually go pretty quick after you sit them down. This IS NOT professional advice, but based on 13 yrs experience. My potty chair is in the living room behind an easy chair, where they can see the tv. I can't spend unlimited time in the bathroom with one child, leaving others unattended. Nor can I leave one child unattended in the bathroom while they wait to go. I also reward the child with 2 M & M's after they go. The child potty training is the ONLY one to receive this treat, the others understand why. That makes your child feel special. We also cheer and clap (the whole group of kids)loudly for whoever is potty training. I've interupted buisness calls to cheer for someone who's gone! I promise this is not harsh treatment and it has worked every single time! My own children, one boy and one girl, were both potty trained at 18 mths! I don't ask if they have to go, I have kind of a schedule, after they eat, before and after nap time,ect. Once they've started going, when you ask if they have to go and they look away and don't answer, you know they have to go! Good Luck!

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S.E.

answers from Columbus on

HI, I AM GOING THROUGH THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH MY 25 MONTH OLD. HE ACTS LIKE HE WANTS TO POTTY IN THE TOILET BUT THEN HE DOESN'T. SO WE HAVE STARTED PUTTING HIM BACK IN BIG BOY UNDERWEAR AND WHEN HE GOES HE HAS TO TELL ME WHEN HE IS READY TO CHANGE. IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE HE IS TELLING ME THAT HE IS READY TO CHANGE BECAUSE HE FEELS NASTY. HE SAYS NASTY MOMMY BATHROOM PLEASE. IT IS WORKING FOR US. I HOPE YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL WORK.
S.

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B.J.

answers from Tuscaloosa on

Ok, I know this is going to sound crazy and somewhat "back wooded", but try letting him go pee outside. I know, you're probably thinking, "what is this crazy southern girl thinking?!" But, I swear it works. My strong willed son absolutely refused to go on the toilet. He was absolutely terrified of it. So I thought maybe it would be less traumatic if he just peed with dad in the back yard (not the front! I'm not insane!!) after a couple of weeks, and one embarassing moment @ my mother's apartment, my son decided to move it inside all on his own. No more diapers!!! Good luck!

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P.

answers from Macon on

I am a former Montessori toddler teacher. Lots of toddlers! "Toddler" translation: "all stages of potty training" lol The book "Once Upon a Potty" was all the rage over the years. One is especially for girls, the other for boys. It wasn't a magic cure, and I didn't quite see the appeal, but for some reason they loved it.
I have 3 children of my own and now a 3y/o grandaughter. They will do it when they are ready. Happy Pottying! P.}i{

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M.S.

answers from Augusta on

I read in an article somewhere that using reverse psychology can be very helpful when potty training. So maybe tell your son that he is simply not ready to use the "big boy" potty. Put his diapers back on him and tell him only "big boys" wear "big boy" underwear. Every time you go to the bathroom take him with you and tell him only big kids use the grown up pottys. This might be enough to spark his interest...after all most kids want to do what they are told they can't. If he asks to use the adult potty tell him only if he is ready..like a big boy. You know something like that. It may help. I don't know I just read about it in an article and it seemed like a good idea. My daughter is still really little..not even 2 months old so potty training is still a long way away for us. So really it's just an idea and it could not work at all. But it may be worth a try.

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D.E.

answers from Tuscaloosa on

I had the same problem with my youngest son. My oldest son was a piece of cake and my daughter was a TOUGH one to get trained. Because of the drama that happened with pushing my daughter to learn we decided to just let him go until he was ready. He had his 3rd birthday in October and still didn't want to go potty so when Christmas came "Santa Claus" left some big boy undies in his stocking. Since Santa left them especially for him it took about a week before he decided he wanted to use the potty so that he could get out of his pull-up and into his undies. He has been going ever since, with very few accidents during the day.

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R.F.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi there,

My experience with potty training, specifically with my son (I have 2 older daughters), has been that 3 is the magic number. Both my girls were trained by 2-1/2. My son too seemed "ready". He would have days where he would be dry all day, even nights, but those days required that I did all the initiating to make sure the day went smoothly by constant reminders. Basically, I had figured out to some degree when to "catch" it. It seemed that I was actually the one trained. Several of my friends kept telling me that 3 was the magic number for boys. After frustration with the process, I decided to wait until the day after his 3rd birthday. That day he had one accident and was trained with number 1 within a couple of days, but number 2 took a little longer. But he was telling me when he had to go and there was no drama or stress. Dora also helped. "Go pee pee in the potty, then you can watch Dora" worked like a charm.

That's just my 2-cents. I hope it helps.

Take care.

R.

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M.D.

answers from Nashville on

This sounds very familiar. We tried potty training our son, now 4, around the same age. Had the same struggles. Finally we just decided he wasn't as ready as we anticipated and as he approached his 3rd birthday he told us, "when I'm 3 I'll potty in the big potty." Sure enough we started the week of us birthday and it took less than a week. I've heard lots of stories about boys taking a little longer or just having to be ready. Don't get discouraged!

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P.

answers from Nashville on

Hi there, I am a 28 yr old mom of one who works full time with a wonderful little boy who is 30 months old, I am in the same boat as you, i just wanted to wish you luck also.

P.

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K.M.

answers from Huntsville on

Thanks so much to everyone for all of this information. My son just turned two and I have been trying to get him to use the potty and he just wont go on it. He knows when he's going like you all said and tells me but just doesnt want to do it on the potty yet. I will just take a break for a bit and try again later on. Glad to hear that it's just not my son!! Thanks and best of luck!!!

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D.C.

answers from Birmingham on

HI, My daughter is 3yrs old, and very hard headed. She decided that SHE wanted to be potty trained three weeks before her third birthday. from that day on she never had another accident, she does not even wear pullups. She had to do it on her own and the more I pressured her the more she refused. I hope that my experience helps you.

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T.

answers from Chattanooga on

My son told me he would do it when he was 3. A couple of weeks after his bday, he was on fall break. We just threw away the pull-ups and went for it. We stayed home from Saturday-Tuesday without leaving the house. We had a few accidents, which I made him help clean up. If he pooped in his pants, he had to help empty it into the potty. When he went back to school a week later he was potty trained. When he went poopy on the potty 10 times (this was what we had the most trouble with) he got to get a toy at the toystore. You might want to wait a little longer. I have heard boys take longer. My dgt is 34 months and we just got her trained this week ( a couple of months earlier than her brother did)

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J.M.

answers from Atlanta on

I have a 3 year old son and I know what you are going through. I tried everything as you have and nothing seemed to work. Then he started taking interest in his piggy bank (that he has always had) so we started giving him money (pennies) EVERY TIME he went to the potty! Then, if he went poo-poo in the potty he would get a dollar!!!!! It took a few months but then all of a sudden, seemed like overnight, he started wearing underware and not having any accidents! I am also a working mom and my daycare also helped with the potty training!

Hope this helps!

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C.

answers from Nashville on

My experience has been that boys are not usually ready to start until around 24 months. My son is 33 months old. We introduced him to potty chair at 24 months. He looked at it as a new toy, but wanted nothing to do with using it as a potty. We made several attempts over the last year, with no sucess. He started pre-school 3 months ago and they jumped right on potty training the first day. He has made great progress, but we still have a long way to go. My advice is not to push it because he may regress further and longer. Ours still has accidents and we tell him it is ok; that sometimes that happens when you are learning new things. He is however very proud and excited when he is successful and we share with him in that pride and excitement. We have foud that we have to support whatever his readiness level is. I do have to say though, that I don't think we would be this far along in the process of potty training had it not been for his pre-school. Good luck to you and remember to be patient and understanding.

C.
Nashville

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K.S.

answers from Atlanta on

What worked for us.... He watched Daddy going potty and Daddy was making bubbles. Then he learned to stand on a step and kinda direct it, but he started making bubbles too. We did let him shoot the gold fish or fruit loop.

I did realize that for us, those potty's don't work very well because it's too hard for them to keep their pee pee's down. The ones that go on the seat, the ones with the handles, tend to work much better.

What I have been told, is they have to be ready. I tried when my son was 25 months, but he wasn't ready. He knew what to do, but he just wasn't ready. I was also pregnant and told to wait till after his brother was born. I started when he was 28 months, and it took. It has taken us about 6 weeks to get fully there, and we do have accidents, but he is potty trained.

I hope this helps.

K.
SAHM to 2 boys

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A.

answers from Memphis on

Hello,

I am a mother of 6 and I just wanted to let you know that that is normal for boys. With my children I found that the boys were harder to potty train. One way I found that helped was when they were doing in the diaper to immediately tell them to stop and run them to the toilet. It might be a little messy a few times, but after a couple of times they realized what the toilet was for. Another thing you could try is letting him go into the bathroom when you are in there and explaining to him that you are going potty. Also, keep in mind that some children fell scared when going in the toilet because they fell like they are losing a part of them and may need you to explain (in terms they can understand) what is happening and why they should do it in the potty.
I know this is long, but I hope it helps.
Angela

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S.W.

answers from Atlanta on

27 months is pretty young to be trained...my only advice is to say maybe he really isn't ready... I'd back off and take a very low pressure approach (i.e. just leave the potty in sight and casually suggest trying it once in a while). Good luck!

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C.H.

answers from Columbus on

I started potty training my son when he was 2 1/2. As some of the other moms already mentioned I just stopped putting diapers on him, so I did have a bit of a mess every now and then, plus I bought a big box of toycars, since he loved them, and whenever he went to the bathroom I let him pick one. First he got to pick one, when he went after I put him on the potty, later he got to pick one, when he told me he had to go. I thought he was through with it when we had a major backlash after we traveled to see my parents in Germany over the summer, but once we got back home, he soon settled back into his potty training. (Every now and then I picked up the cars he had forgotten somewhere and put them away for a day or two and then put them back into the pot for him to chose, that saved me a lot of money, but actually those cars are not really that expensive...)

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A.A.

answers from Atlanta on

Hello.

I (like others) dealt with the SAME issues with my 3 year old daughter. She was almost 3, and I was nervous that she was just lazy, or just being defiant. Of course, many strong willed children will be defiant in the potty training ordeal. Only because they want to keep some control. HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!
My strong willed daughter was ready to be using the big girl potty, and everytime I said "OOH" are you ready to potty? SHE WOULD FREAK OUT! Cry, scream, etc. She just didn't want to be "TOLD" to potty!

A friend told me about setting a TIMER! For 30 minute interverls. So, you the Mommy are not telling your son to potty. THE BEEP is saying it's time to go potty. So for about 2 weeks we used the 30 minute timer... and everytime she heard the beep, my daughter got excited and sat on the potty. I told her "ok, there's the beep... time to sit on the potty" Finally when it got to the point that when the beep came, she would say "well, i don't have to potty" and we'd wait another 30 minutes. She has to date, been potty trained about 4 months now and she's only had about 2 or 3 accidents. Also, putting away the potty seat once they get the potty training done helps. We still put a pull up on at night for "just in case" But she has been told that it's important not to get her pull up wet, and she tries not to. The most important thing in potty training is that they cannot feel pressured, or get in trouble when they have an accident. My daughter during the 2 week timer ordeal would pee in her panties and put them in the basket and get another pair. I did NOT change her pants for her, nor did I get her another pair of panties. It was her accident and her job to change. I was very calm, and I'd say "uh oh,., you had an accident.. put your wet clothes in the basket and go get some more".... if they are old enough to pee in the potty, they are old enough to take their wet clothes off and get new ones :)

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A.

answers from Knoxville on

Don't sweat it! It's a control issue. Drop it and once he realizes it's no big deal to you, he will go. I went throught this and wanted to call Dr. Phil, etc. My doctor, said to drop it and it will happen. No child goes to kindergarten in pull ups, she said. Your child may be on the older end of the spectrum and when that happens it's easy to feel some pressure. It's all good and will happen in good time. Good luck!

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L.

answers from Atlanta on

I have to young boys, 3 and 2. Both of them were potty trained before two years old. One--the babysitter was great about getting them to go to the potty. Two--I have a huge back yard. I taught my kids to just go when they needed to go while out there playing. This taught them to go on their own and to act on the urge. They actually enjoyed doing it. With my oldest, I would sit with him in the bathroom and play with him while he sat on the toilet. We would play with toys and even play with the styrofoam letters from bathtime. He would stay on the toilet a lot longer if he was entertained. Also, let them run around naked a lot and be consistent with taking them to the bathroom. My second did not like to sit on the potty unless he had to go #2. He will only stand if he doesn't have to do any other business.

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D.N.

answers from Memphis on

my sister has a little boy and when she began potty training him she would reward him with a sticker. each time he peed in the potty he got a sticker. once he got three stickers he got a hot wheel. if he made a poop in the potty he got a hot wheel automatically as that was a greater challenge. once it became more regular she went to five stickers for a car, then to seven to eventually fading it out.

good luck.

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S.

answers from Jackson on

If he won't go in the potty then he is not ready. If there is a male in the house they he can show him. I potty trained my son in three days just by every 15 min taking him to the potty, but he wanted to go like daddy, and he was three years old. My thoughts are don't rush and don't punish for it.

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L.T.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi,

My daughter was the same way - she refused to use the potty until she was 3! My pediatrician suggested that we focus on keeping her panties dry instead of talking about using the potty - a subtle difference but it seemed to help. It was definitely a control issue with her.

Good luck!

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J.

answers from Chattanooga on

Hi, I have twin 3 1/2 yr old boys and tried almost everything for potty training. I tried the out side with no bottoms on. They were great at peeing and pooping in the yard but when I put underwear on they peed or pooped in their underwear.
I also tried letting them wear their underwear all day and constantly checked if they were wet or dry. If they were dry I did a lot of praise and if wet I changed them right away so they wouldn't get used to being wet. That didn't work either.
Finally I tried a reward chart. My boys love Thomas the train so each time they went on the potty they got a sticker, A little thomas sticker for pee and a big one for poop. It worked. I told them once they had 10 stickers they could get a potty prize( thomas train) as a reward. They were so excited to get a sticker. I also used a reward of one chocolate chip for each successfull pee and poop. This also worked but I hated using food as a reward. Hope this gives you some ideas.

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J.

answers from Savannah on

I also have a 27-month-old son. It sounds like you have put a lot of energy into helping your little guy 'take the next step'! My thought about the situation is this: Maybe your son has his own timetable for using the "big boy potty". Although to you it seems that he has been ready for 5 months, maybe his getting ready process is very long. I know that with my son, when I try to offer the potty he runs the other way! I try not to worry about what anyone else thinks is the 'right' time to potty train. I am choosing to listen to his wants and needs about his body, and I trust that he will use the potty when he is ready. I realize this is not the kind of advice you were probably looking for, but I thought I'd offer a little different perspective. Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from Little Rock on

usually boys are about 3 or right before when they're totally ready. don't stress out, it will be bad for both of you, try just waiting until he's a little more ready, he'll get it, i promise.

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M.

answers from Atlanta on

My advice is to stay at home one Saturday and let him walk around with no diaper or underwear on. If he has an accident, at least he feels it on his legs, feet, etc. I've had friends that did this with their sons and it worked great.

Or...he just may not be ready. I tried to potty train my son shortly after his 2nd birthday and he would not have anything to do with it. Then about three months later, he decided on his own that it was time to start using the big potty. He started telling us that he had to go and has been doing it ever since.

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S.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi there,

I know exactly how you feel! I was so stressed out when I was trying to potty train my son b/c he is a smart child, and I knew he understood very early. To be quite honest, don't stress, when your son is ready, he will do it. One day my son just decided he had enough of diapers and he just did it all at once. He didn't even have ____@____.com was great!

I realized that no matter how much I stressed or what I did, he had to feel comfortable and confident. The best thing to do is let him learn and do it when he is ready. Otherwise, you will stress yourself silly.

Hope this helps!

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E.L.

answers from Clarksville on

My son didn't potty train until he was almost three. And he still isn't at night time. I found that the Pull Ups confused him more than anything, so I would advise staying away from them. We went straight to underwear (made a big deal out of picking them out, etc.) We also took advice from a friend and started giving him "prizes" when he peed/pooped in the potty. (one smarty candy or small cookie) I was worried at first that the treats wouldn't end, but he eventually forgot about them! We also went out and bought him the "Kandoo" products so he had his own "things" in the bathroom. Also, him seeing his friends go in the potty was encouraging. Don't worry it will happen ...there aren't too many 15 year olds with diapers on! :)

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E.

answers from Knoxville on

As a mother of a 3 year old, I tried all that you did when he was about 25 months. Unfortunately nothing worked until he turned 3. During the summer we visited my parents in Texas and was scorching hot so I told my little one....it is too hot to use Pull Up so you will have to wear big boy underwear. You will have to be a big boy and go potty all the time.

For the first 2 days, he had accidents. On the third day, my older nephew asked him to go potty like a big boy and he has been going potty ever since. He still has an occassional accident at night, but overall he is potty trained. Sometimes encouragement from someone he may look up to gives them that little extra push.

Good luck..........

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J.

answers from Atlanta on

Something that worked for me we set up an award chart... keep it simple. Make a copy of a calendar, each time he goes make a big deal, give him a sticker on the date... he may have one, he may have five. At the end of a week, reward him with something he wants.... keep it small, because it may become expensive each week. Before you know it, he will be doing it on his own.... you said he is in preschool? Ask them what type of potty training they do, you want to make sure you and his child care provider are consistent. It isn't uncommon for little boys to wait until 3 to be trained. Good luck.

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A.

answers from Biloxi on

The average age for potty training is between 2 1/2 to 3 years. One idea is to go to the dollar store and buy a bunch of $1 things and wrap them like presents. Put them in a basket next to the potty and every time he uses the potty let him pick a present. I have a 30 month old and he uses the potty sitting down all the time. In my eyes, he is just too little to be able to handle the whole standing thing on his own just yet.

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A.S.

answers from Raleigh on

My son was the exact same way. Nothing... I do mean nothing worked. I tried the target game, the treats, the promises, sitting, standing like daddy but....when he was ready he was ready. I would put the potty in the living room and while he watched his daily show there he would sit. I would tell him he needed to try and he told me 'youre crazy.' My son was three before he started using the big boy potty, and then one weekend that was it, he had on his big boy undies and has ever since;not even a nighttime wetting. Don't fret...he'll let you know.

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S.E.

answers from Atlanta on

I wouldn't get to discrouraged they say boys are harder to train. I have a little boy who just turned 3 and he is just know starting to get trained. Have you tried getting a chart and stickers and everytime he goes he gets to put a sticker on then a reward with so many stickers. I tried when he was 2 and wasn't consistent enough because I didn't think he was quit ready. Also he has to be wearing big boy underwear not pullups or he won't go in the potty or tell me when he has to go. Hope this helps!

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K.

answers from Atlanta on

I am in the same boat. The only thing that showed a glimmer of hope was allowing him to run around without a diaper, but he still refused the potty. I haven't found anything that works for my son either and he's 30 months! If anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate finding out something new to try also. Good luck!

K.

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J.P.

answers from Memphis on

What about making a game out of it. I trained my kids by setting the timer for 45 minutes and everytime it went off it was time to potty. They liked that. My son was tougher on the pooing. We had to bribe him with any toy he wanted at the store. Cost us $80 for a backhoe. But it did work. Reward system has always worked for me.

Good luck.
jen

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K.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi,

I have a 23 month old boy(will be 2 Sept 10th) that is potty trained. A lot of the praise goes out to my sitter that has him all day however, she says that the best way to potty train is to put underware on him and let him feel it when he has accidents. I have one of those kids who hates to be wet or hated to have poop on him so this method worked the best for me.

I have also heard that it is easier to potty train in the summer than in the winter due to them not having to wear as many clothes in the summer time.

Reading all of the responses I think I got lucky with TJ as we took the diaper off of him on August 2nd and have not had any accidents as of yet. He still wears a diaper at night however he continues to wake me if he has to pee pee in the night and his diaper is always dry in the morning.

Good Luck!

K.
TJ's Mommy 23 months

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B.H.

answers from Memphis on

i wish i had some words of advise but both my kids potty trained themselves. when they started being able to walk on their own i would leave the bathroom door open and they would come in and talk to me while i was going eventually they asked me what i was doing and i told them so that when they were finally able to climb onto the adult potty by themselves (i always left the lid closed) they began telling me they had to go potty so i would help them with their diaper (i never used pullups), lift the lid for them, they would climb on, and go while i puttered around the bathroom. When they were done i would ask if they wanted a diaper or underwear, after the first time, both my kids choose the underwear. all i can say is whatever you choose to do be consistant and stick to your guns. my mom had told me how she potty trained me and i did it with my kids it worked every time so... just stick with it and good luck. Oh i forgot once they are potty trained you can teach them to close the door just by telling them when they try to follow you in that you need some privacy. it never fails they quickly learn to close it and go on their own.

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E.W.

answers from Chattanooga on

Hi, If he doesn't like the big boy potty, they have potty seats that also can be used as step stools for the child to reach the sink. Then try putting him on the potty every hour. If that doesn't work, then every 1/2 hour and reward him with a sticker. My daughter loved stickers. I made a poster and she got a star for every time she went on the potty. She got a frown face if she went in her pants. I kept it on the bathroom wall and when she was on there every 1/2 hour, I pointed out all the good stars that she had and encouraged her to go. Plus I got a potty book and let her read that on the potty. It is tiring and if you work it is hard but it can be done. It took us about 8 months to get her trained but with repitition it did finally work. Good luck.

E.

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L.W.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi!

I gave my grandson "potty treats" and had a chart on the bathroom door that I would let him pick out different colored stars each time he used the potty. It worked like a charm. He has been using the "grown up potty" now for well over a year.
Hope this helps and good luck!

Mom again-L.

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A.S.

answers from Huntsville on

My little guy liked the Kandoo method. They supply a booklet which lets you put frog hand prints on each accomplishment (hand washing, wiping, using the toilet, etc). He liked it because it had stickers. I think that he also enjoyed each little part as an accomplishment instead of a lot of pressure on one big chore. When he filled up the booklet, I made a chart (same categories as Kandoo) and put it up on the wall. I drew smiley/sad faces instead of using stickers on the chart. Then, he'd get a sheet of stickers if he could go (most of the week) in the potty. He used his stickers to decorate the potty chair.

My mom said she kept easy reading/picture books by the potty chair and that was enough to make me want to sit there and use the potty. (A CD/cassette player might also be fun for him.)

Be proud of your little guy! Staying dry all night and even being able to recognize he has to go is quite an accomplishment! You know what they say, the child will do it when he/she is ready, not when you are or think the child is. I think as long as you provide the opportunity, constantly, and offer a gentle reminder each day, he will suddenly realize it's no big deal and just do it!

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D.M.

answers from Columbus on

As a mom and grandmother of 2 guys, he just isn't ready. Even though he can tell you when he is going or has gone, the time isn't right. Both of my little men were between 3 & 3 1/2 before they made that big leap. He will do it in his own time. Just make the potty available to him but don't force the issue or make a big deal when he goes in his diaper.

Funny but my 3 daughters and my 1 grandaughter were wearing panties much earlier.....at 2 1/2. Boys are just different.

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T.B.

answers from Atlanta on

When I was potty training, (I have 2 girls though) my pediatrician told me that if you want them to not use diapers don't put them on them. I made a big deal about "no more diapers" and we threw them away! My oldest did really well, she had a few accidents but only for about 1 month! My youngest daughter took about 2 months. It really sounds like he is ready. Good Luck!

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L.H.

answers from Knoxville on

I personally would just chill and let him work it out on his own. My son was exacty the same way, then bam! He decided one day to use the potty, and he does, every time. It cut out tons of battle to just let him go at his own pace. You make think he's ready, and physically he may be ready, but emotionally he is not, or he would be going. Good luck.

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J.B.

answers from Birmingham on

My first son was about that age when he potty-trained, and we had a similar experience. If there's any advice I could offer, it's to continue doing what you're doing, and one day, poof!, he'll decide he's ready, and there'll be no turning back.

I have heard that many childhood experts recommend taking a day to just spend pottytraining. Load your son up with liquid and place him on the potty every few minutes. Then, when inevitable success happens, throw a big party, complete with a call from his favorite personality (a friend of yours pretending).

We never did that, but if our son hadn't pottytrained soon, we might have resorted to that strategy.

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T.W.

answers from Florence on

Hello, I am a 43 y/o mother of 2 girls ages 7 & 14. When they were potty training, I had heard from somewhere else, that if I put the potty chair in the room they liked to stay in the most(!), that it would help. It worked. One day on her own she started going by herself. Then we worked on putting it back in the bathroom.
Now with little boys I am sure that it is different, but I had a friend several years earlier that had 4 boys. She took a large wide-mouth food jar and placed it beside the toliet, they would use it to pee into, because it was naturally shorter than they were, besides they also went in with their daddy when he did (standing side by side). I hope these ideas help. Good Luck.

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K.

answers from Memphis on

Hi, I have recently bought a "Peter Potty" that is a toddler size portable urinal after seeing a toddler real urinal at my son's daycare-- he absolutely loves it and has been very encouraged to use the big boy potty!!

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L.L.

answers from Augusta on

Hi, Potty Training Mom! I am in the same boat! My son is 22 months old and he is talking about going to the potty. He knows when he is peeing or pooping, but he doesn't have the desire to use the potty! I am trying to find a book that another mom suggested... where it rewards the children for using the potty with some M&M's. Not sure what its called... I also found a great book at the library called Toilet Training by Vicki Lansky. It gave me a lot of insight. I hope this helped! I sometimes get overwhelmed to get my son potty trained, but I know it'll happen eventually. How long have you been at it?

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K.A.

answers from Clarksville on

I feel your pain! My daughter will be 3 in Nov, and we have finally turned the corner. We read lots of books and made a big deal when mommy would use the potty. She was rewarded with stickers for pee, and stickers plus jelly beans for poop. What seemed to really help was just letting her run around naked- all day. No diapers until bedtime. It took about 3 days and lots of patience and carpet cleaner :), but it seemed to do the trick! As soon as she would start to go I would whisk her to the potty.
Good luck! I know it can be frustrating, but he too will get it.

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A.E.

answers from Memphis on

I didn't even begin training until my sons were 3 years old. I knew they had the ability but no interest. I wasn't willing to fight. What about rewards/bribery? I used M&M's for everytime they made it to the potty. Then a reward for being dry all day; then all week; etc. I also tried those sponge capsules -- my son would sit on the potty and watch the capsule (in warm water) slowly turn in to a sponge shape (animals, vehicles, aircraft, etc.).

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E.R.

answers from Mobile on

don't worry about it! i got so frustrated with my daughter when she was in that stage --forever! she got it and is great now,he'll get it, he's already on his way! my mom always says the summer b4 their third birthday. ( or after if it's in fall or spring) the main thing with me was once you wear panties, don't go back to the diaper, ever. clean up the accident and move on. i put panties over the diaper at night until she got the hang of it. if he keeps having accidents, as in going in the potty is a miracle, just back off for a few weeks and try again. also, i had my daughter wear sundresses the whole time so that she could go on her own, no pants to pull up.i know a boy is different, but maybe keep him in shirts or something.

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D.

answers from Atlanta on

Unfortunately sometimes little ones (especially little boys) will potty train in their own time. If he is cared for by a private caregiver, he probably has no other little boys around to see that they no longer do this. If he is in a daycare situation, then he will just quit when he is ready because he apparently isn't intimidated by the other children, which can also be a blessing in other ways. The more he sees other little boys and girls too to some extent, and he sees that they no longer wear diapers, the sooner he will more likely decide it is time to quit wearing diapers.

Good luck.

D.

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A.

answers from Atlanta on

I know it's frustrating, but your son really will potty train when he is ready. You might want to take a break for at least a few months. 27 months is still young, and neither of you needs the stress of trying to potty train if he's not ready. I took a break after failed attempts at 27 months, and the 2nd try at potty training was much more pleasant. Like your son, my daughter was telling me when she was peeing in her diaper, but by then it was too late to get to the potty. I set a timer (for every 30 min in the beginning) and had my daughter sit on the potty every time it went off. We gradually increased the time until she was able to tell me own her own when she needed to go. I had a lot less accidents to clean up, and she felt more successful!

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K.

answers from Knoxville on

I know how you feel. My son was the same way. I just stopped pushing it & he finally decided he was ready to use the big potty. We tried stickers, candy, etc. but it didn't really help. He was into Thomas the Train so we bribed him with a new Thomas toy if he went all day on the potty. That worked a few times then he lost interest in that too. He was 3 1/2 when he was totally potty-trained, but we didn't really have any accidents. One day he just started using the potty & never went back. He still wears a pull-up at nap & bedtime, but wakes up dry a majority of the time. I've heard you have to let them do it on their own time & that worked for us. Good Luck!

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S.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Hello! Be patient. 27 months is a bit on the young side. Boys don't potty train as soon as girls and I don't think that my daughter was trained at 27 mnths. My son didn't show an interest in potty training until he was 3 yrs old. But when he decided it was time, he never had an accident - day or night - and switched immediately to big boy underwear. All of our prompting and rewarding didn't help him. He had to decide he was ready. It helped him to see that his friends were moving up to the "Big 3 Yr Old Class" because they could use the potty. He decided he wanted to move up with them and then made the choice to use the potty.

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J.M.

answers from Memphis on

I have two boys and two girls.
Boys don't like to go potty!-Even better has he rubbed it all over the place yet? Both mine did.
The girls did want to be "big girls" and trained effortlessly.
Boys don't care, and it takes longer because they are not interested. I actually took my boy to see Santa Claus, and had already told the santa what to say.
Santa asked him if he had been going potty and that he needed to be a big boy and use it. Coincedence or not.... That did the trick!

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K.M.

answers from Memphis on

As frustrating as it is, he might just not be ready. It is alot easier to get kids to do things when they are allowed to do things at their own pace. At least that has been the case with my daughter. Not to say I didn't nudge her a little. With my daughter peeing in the potty was easy but pooping was a different story. What I did with her was whenever she pooped in the potty she got to pick out a small treat. It was just the push she needed. She has used the potty consistently ever since.

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C.W.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I am jut beginning potty training with my son, but I have been told a few things that have encouraged me. One, I was told that since boys go slower, to not worry about it until they reach three, so you still have some time. Also, when they are ready- introducing him teaching a doll first. I have seen one day parties that start with them teaching the doll, giving a party to the doll when they "go" and the day ends witha big party for him when he "goes" (balloons and everything). If none of that interests him- maybe he needs a little more time (?). Anyways, like I said, I am just beginning but thought I'd pass along what I was told. Good luck!
C.

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C.B.

answers from Atlanta on

My son and my nephew both were around 2 1/2 before they were potty trained. But it's because around age 2, they both started attending daycare. And I think daycare uses a set routine, which I just continued to follow at home. Having set times to go and even just SIT on the potty if you didn't have to go helped them both to just get used to it (and probably seeing all the other boys in class do it too). But for whatever reason, my nephew would still poop in his pull up. It took FOREVER (it seemed) before he would go poop in the "potty". He would even come and say "I'm done now, change me." Boys just take LOTS OF PATIENCE. Best wishes!!!

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K.C.

answers from Nashville on

My daughter who is 3 1/2 now did the exact same thing. She would tell me when she had to go potty, but when she was actually on the potty, refused to go at all costs! She's a very quick learner, so I took one weekend and we had a crash course. We stayed home all weekend, and she was only in a diaper at night. All day she had no diaper or underwear on. We did have a few accidents, but she decided that it was better to use the potty than have to help mommy clean. I also used dum dum suckers as a treat every time she went potty. It worked like a charm!

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T.M.

answers from Atlanta on

I know exactly how you feel. I have a 34 month old little boy and he just won't go. I might get lucky once in a blue moon and he will use the potty but those times are few and far between. I've been told don't push it or it will take even longer. I even had a Potty Party. I had balloons and streamer in the the bathroom, I had candy, stickers, and small toys as a reward and a little book to fill up with stickers each time he did go to the potty and told him once the book was full we would go to the zoo. He did not care, still would not go.
Sounds like yours is not ready yet either, he'll let you know when he is. Most moms I talk to say it usually not until they're 3 to 3 1/2. I've pretty much have given it a break for now, I still ask every now and again if he needs to go potty, but his reply is always no. He'll be 3 in two months and I'll start trying again. Don't give up he'll eventually do it, just don't push to hard right now. Also seeing other males using the potty might help too, mine did not like the little potty, so we got one of the kiddie seats you attach to the big toilet. Good Luck!

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M.D.

answers from Atlanta on

My guess would be that he is not ready...I have 4 boys and they were not potty trained until between 3 and 3 1/2. I stressed about it a lot at the time but I just think each child is different and boys especially train later. The more you push them the more they resist. I would let it go for a while.....

M., mother of 6

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