Does Not like the Potty!

Updated on May 17, 2008
E.A. asks from Round Lake, NY
16 answers

I need help with potty training my 2 ½ year old son. If I put him on the potty in the morning he will go but he will also scream that he does not want to go. I do not want him to dislike going potty. At first he was fine with it now he doesn’t want anything to do with it. Is it too soon for him? He does not like it when I change his diapers and screams when I have to do that. I’ve put him in pull-ups the kind that gets cold and he won’t tell me when he has to go. Any suggestions?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thank to everyone for the advice. I am going to back off-no more potty talk and try again in 4-6 months!
I will let you know how it goes!

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.

answers from New York on

He's not ready yet. Wait a month or so and start again. My son didn't potty train till about 3 1/2.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.G.

answers from New York on

First thing is to remember he is only 2 1/2...my son didn't potty train until 3 1/2..boys take a lot longer...let him have his diapers and don't rush him...he is just not ready. Everyone seems to be so stuck on this potty-training thing and really it does take care of itself...who cares that he doesn't want to use it yet!! He is a baby! Give him time. And don't get fustrated! I promise you he won't be going to kindergarten in diapers!!!

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.F.

answers from New York on

Hi,

My son also started resisting the potty at around 2 1/2. Our pediatrician recommended backing off completely...not even mentioning "potty" unless our son brought it up. We took the advice. For nearly three months we laid off of potty talk. One day, out of nowhere, Jesse announced that he wanted to wear underpants! I let him wear them (training kind), although I was quite uncomfortable with the idea.

Long story short...he's been in underpants for over a month now! There have been a few accidents, but he's mostly dry and is even now wearing underpants to bed at night.

My suggestion is that you lay off and give your son time to decide that he wants to do it. As I was told when I was in YOUR position: nobody goes off to kindergarten in diapers!

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.K.

answers from New York on

Sounds like he just isn't ready,

My son has been pee trained for about 6 months,
and finally just started POOING,
and only upon my encouragement

I had been trying to train him since he turned 2 years old

I also have a 12 year old,

so trust me when i tell you, they will not train until they are good and ready to,and not before then.LOL

Good luck

M

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.I.

answers from New York on

It sounds like he's not ready yet and you don't want to make it a negative thing. I tried to train my daughter at 2 and half and she wasn't ready. I did the same things around her third birthday and it worked fine.
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.H.

answers from Syracuse on

Hi E.,

It sounds like maybe he's just not ready. I'd give it a break for a while and try again.

Another thing that may help is to buy a "Peter Potty"...It's a plastic urinal. My son loved his. And it was so much easier for him than having to try to aim his little "self" down into the big potty. They may have them at WalMart or Target. Check it out online. It worked wonders for us...Joey was basically trained right away. He felt like such a big boy standing to pee like daddy.

HTH,
J.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.O.

answers from New York on

I had a friend who had success when she let her son go standing up on a step stool at the big potty, and put a handful of Cheerios in the bowl. The "Sink the Cheerios" game was a big hit, and made potty time fun.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

W.K.

answers from New York on

Hi E.,

I am certainly no expert on potty training but I have 2 boys (now ages 5 and 7) and I can tell you from my personal experience, they were not ready to train until shortly after their 3rd birthdys. my friends with girls had their children trained much earlier, but boys generally take a little longer to mature and in my opinion, potty training is one of those areas. my friends of boys who started early became very frustrated and then the child became frustrated as well. I tried around 2 1/2 for just a day or two and when he didn't pick up on it right away we stopped and I didn't bring it up for months. about a month or two after their 3rd birthdays they both were completely trained with in 2 or 3 days with no complications, no frustrations and no accidents.... I think they just needed to be completely ready. my suggestion to you, if he is going to cry on the potty, I would just calmly tell him its ok, you must not be ready yet, lets use the diapers /pullups until you are ready. no more potty. and then just let it lie. do not bring it up, do not try it, wait a few months and then try again. I also gave my kids a prize for when they got it right.... something small like a toy they have been wanting. for my second son it was cars underwear that did the trick. for my older son he got the buzz light year toy he wanted and then I told him once he pooped in the potty we would go back and get the woody toy to go with it.

so in summary... my advice... it is not worth you or your son getting worked up about it at age 2 1/2. wait and try again in 4 to 6 months

good luck to you.

W.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.R.

answers from Albany on

Follow his lead. They know when they're ready. If you push him too soon he will regress. Relax. He won't be heading to college in diapers :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.H.

answers from New York on

I have the same issue. My 2 1/2 year old wanted to sit on the potty a few months back, but now wants nothing to do with it. I just decided to let it go, and to change diapers for a few more months and let him tell me when he is ready. I KNOW my son, he would just totally rebel if I pushed him.

He absolutely hates to have his diaper changed (like he is embarrassed!) but he doesn't get the relationship between using the potty and getting out of diapers!

It sounds like you guy is a little too young, even though he showed intreest earlier. I hear that's pretty comoon.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.F.

answers from New York on

Hi. I would say that it may be too soon for him. With my two sons, I just sort of let them tell me when they were ready. If it got to be too much, we took a break from it. I made it as non-stressful as possible. Pooping was another issue; it took them much longer for that! They would pee fine and wear underwear all day, but if they had to poop they asked for a diaper. I allowed this because if I tried to force them to poop on potty, they would hold it for three days!!! They eventually got trained. My youngest just turned 4 and he's been completely trained (night time too) for a good 6 months or so and trained for pee for about a year. Just go with the flow and remember they won't be going to college in diapers!!! LOL good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.T.

answers from New York on

Let him tell you when he is ready. I do not believe in forcing it. My son trained late, Lord knows I tried early but he would not budge. Even let him run around naked , didn't matter. He was fully trained just before he turned 4 and has NEVER had an accident. He is 6 now. Hope that helps. A.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.L.

answers from Elmira on

Sounds like my 2 1/2 year old daughter. She will go on the potty like 2 or 3 times a week. She tells me when she is wet but hates to have her diaper changed as well. I did leave her diaper off her a couple times and she would just pee where ever she was standing. I mention it to her all the time and she'll respond with "no potty" so I decided not to pressure her with it. We are in the same boat with our children lol. She can count to 10 and knows most of her colors but just won't use the potty.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

W.O.

answers from New York on

Dear E.,
A great toilet training trick for boys going #1 is to place a step stool in front of the toilet. Take one sheet of toilet paper and float in on the water. Tell them that it is a battleship and their mission is to sink it. My son loved this game and couldn't wait til he had to go again. It also helps them aim. Once the mission was accomplished, he was told to close the hatch (the toilet seat cover). Teach them young!
Bowel movements were another story. He could face the toilet, but not sit on it. We noticed at what time of day his movements occurred. We bought him his own potty seat. Every afternoon at the same time, we would put him on the potty seat up to the coffee table where he could play with matchbox cars and watch TV. Within 10 minutes or so he would announce that he had done his business. Mission accomplished. It didn't take long before he graduated to the toilet seat.
When teaching children, make it fun. It's easier on them, and on you.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.D.

answers from New York on

I had trouble with my son as well. I'll tell you what did work though. I threw some cherrios in the toilet and made a game of it. He had to aim for the cherrios. A little messy at times but he did get the hang of it. For my daughers...I had a calendar on the wall in the bathroom with stickers and they got a sticker for every day they went on the potty then got a prize for a weeks worth or a couple of days of stickers. In general though I think boys do take longer than girls to get potty trained. I was very worried that he wouldn't stop having accidents by the time he entered Kindergarten. He had one in school but that was it. I think it has alot to do with when HE is ready also. GOOD LUCK! Hope that helps.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.H.

answers from Albany on

Aaw, L, I'm sorry Gavin is being won'tful when it comes to potty training. They so want to be treated as "big kids" and we tend to forget just how young they can be.

Gavin is exceptionally bright but, like the rest of our family, hard-headed. When he's ready he'll latch on and not look back! (And I'm sure you'll be telling me this when it's E's turn and I'm frustrated :)

If it helps, Harry is barely over three and is just now getting to 100% confidence in using the potty.

Hang in there. No one said this Mommy stuff was easy. Someday we'll be laughing over this!

Hugs,
R.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches