Potty Training 2 1/2 Year Old Strong Willed Girl

I am laugh out loud because my girl is the same age and doing the EXACT same thing. We got the "Once upon a potty" DVD and she sings the song and it makes her want to go, but she has only peed once. I think I'm going to wait a while until she is a little bit older. I don't have any good advice except to tell you that you are not alone.

I have a 2 1/2 year old son and I draed potty training. I am with you. If you are frustrated. Take a break.

I am wondering what would happen if you turn it around on her. Tell her that you are sorry, she is just not ready for panties yet, you thought she might be, but clearly she is not. I would put them away..but in a place where she can see them you know. Along with maybe some other big girl items that she is allowed to have after she is potty trained. Chapstick (lip gloss), a special toy, or whatever she likes. Maybe you could make a little chart for 5 stickers, and then leave it all up to her. Make her think this is her doing and not yours. Let her know that whenever she decided to really go pee pee on the potty, she gets to put up a sticker, and to let you know when it is full and she gets one of the prizes and her panties. Strong willed in my house means that they have to think they are the decision makers. It always makes me think of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" when the mom comes up with the idea, but makes the dad think he did!! :) Hope it works for you! ~A.~

sounds like she's plain old not ready, i'd stop completely for two months and try again. it's MUCH easier to do it at their pace and not yours. it's not the end of the world having two in diapers, it's MUCH easier than cleaning up a ton of accidents in your "potty trained" child. good luck!

I read on one of the responses for a similar request that a mom had her son pick out his favorite underwear (with spiderman or something) on it. Then she told him not to get Spiderman (or whatever) wet, or he couldn't wear that underwear. She said it worked. Maybe that would work with your daughter? I'll try it with my son when it comes time to potty train him!

I potty trained in the child care setting for YEARS. These are some ideas I shared with my moms.

Have you SHOWN her how to go (you go while she is in the room). Let her see the water before and after. You might even put blue food color in the water and show her that it turns GREEN when you pee in it (just hide it so she doesn't try to do it without help).

If she will not sit still on the potty, I recommend that you get a TV tray and a bin of washable toys to play with on the tray (books, wooden puzzles, coloring books). Also, set a timer. Tell her that when the timer goes off she is done sitting. You can add time if she is not relaxing enough to go. Don't put her panties back on her right away so she can SEE the pee come out (it looks different when not blocked by the panties). Just keep her on the tiled floor until she goes.

If you have the doll, you can use tootsie rolls for poops when she is ready for that.

You sound like you are very patient with her. Keep up the good work. :o)

Blessings,

P. <><

I potty trained my then 29 month old girl who is very strong willed using the 3 day potty guide. You need to let her wear her big girl panties everytime she wets the rush her to potty. After 3 days something just clicks and they start going. I didn't believe it and on day 2 wanted to give up (tired of cleaning up pee), but I stuck it out and she was potty trained in 3 days. You have to keep the panties on at night as well. It is a mess to clean up and you do get fustrated, but hang in there she will get it just give her alittle more than one day to learn.

If you can handle being outside for a while in the heat, have a little potty outside and have her naked. Praise her a lot when she does go, and never make it a stressful situation for her. This is how I got my 2 1/2 year old to start using the potty early this summer. We did this for several hours every day for a week. Then I let him be naked inside too. I would always be repeating, "if you have to pee or poop, use the potty". He had two pee and two poop accidents inside on days 2 & 3, but none since, and he has been naked all summer inside and out. He loves his "Potty Stool", go check it out online at www.thepottystool.com. We just got him some real underwear last week, and he will wear them sometimes, but still loves to be naked most of the time. We even went on our first outing last week with the real underwear and he did great since he had been keeping his pullups dry lately when we go out, and I would take him to public restrooms while we are out. I just need him to like clothes before it gets cold out. So, if you don't mind a little naked one running about, this worked for us! :)

C.,
I had the same problem with my 3 1/2 year old son. He has just recently became potty trained, but of course, he still has "accidents". A friend of mine suggested making a chart and each time that the child goes pee, they get a sticker on their chart. IF they go poo, they get two stickers. This made a world of difference for his son and he was potty trained in no time. Luckily, before I had a chance to make the chart, my day care had already started doing this same thing, only they gave HIM the stickers. It seems that was the only thing that prompted him to go pee and poo in the potty. Now he tells me when he needs to go potty and he almost always goes when I take him. I know you want to have your daughter trained by the time the new baby gets here, but keep in mind, sometimes kids regress when they know or see a baby around. That is what happened with us. My son was doing good on trying to potty train when he was around 2, then I found out I was pregnant, and he stopped all together for a year. Just be patient, and dont rush it. Good luck!

I would hold off until she seems more interested. Maybe if you put her back in diapers or even pull-ups, she'll get the feeling of being wet all the time and will want to go on the potty. I have a 2 1/2 year old son, and he shows interest here and there. I'm starting to push it more and more. I waited because I just had a baby in April, and with all the changes I knew even if he was interested, once the baby got here, it would be a nightmare.
I would just take a break from it, since she is so stronged willed she might be acting this way just to despite you. It's that idea of you want me to do this, well I'm not going to because you want me to.
Good Luck! You get used to having 2 in diapers. It gets expensive, but I at least know my son will be out of them soon.

I am right where you are! Just yesterday I told my 2 1/2 yr old son that if he pottied in the potty, he could have 2 M&M's. He tried a few times but didn't go. After he finally went once, he was hooked. I bet he squeezed a little out five times last night, just to get some candy. I dont really condone bribary, and I won't continue it for long, but just to get him jump started it worked great for us. Like you I had tried everything also. He got up and pottied this morning also. I say find what they like most, and run with it. Good luck to you.

I'm with you. My 2 1/2 y.o. won't use the potty either. Honestly, I am feeling social pressure to get him trained. It's not that anyone has said anything. My friends are wonderful an supportive. I just feel that since his pals (even younger ones) are all at least sometimes successful then he should be too. However, in the grand scheme of things - some kids are just not ready. Mine is one of those, yours may be too. I also understand the new baby thing. My son has just turned 2 when his little sis came along. Like someone else said, having 2 in diapers is certainly a lot easier than cleaning up accidents or even rushing to the potty the moment your child mentions it. It isn't bad. You have got further than we ever had. My son refuses to even wear a pull up. Give up for now and I wouldn't be surprised if she tells you she's ready one day.

She is not ready, try again later...tell her if she wants to wear her panties she has to be a big girl and go pee pee and poo poo on the potty...

HTH
A. J

I agree with the others who have said she is not ready. When she is it won't be so difficult. Give her another 2 month break. If you start again in October you will still have plenty of time to have her trained before the new baby arrives.

When potty training my child after several trys we asked our physician. He said that we need to have potty chair ready and discuss it often but not to try and force the issue. That in time they will decide it is time. At 2yrs 2 mon I got a tug on my pants and a "I want to potty." That was the last diaper and pull ups were used for only a very short time. No bed wetting or any accidents. (8yrs) However, with the new baby coming in. Set backs may be a problem. Feeling that the baby is getting more attention could make the child not want to give up diapers or pull ups.

Signed - S. B.

Try having her look at a little book while she is on the potty chair, and she may (accidently go) being engrossed in the book, and then you can reward her with a rasin, a chocolate chip, whatever, and tell her she can wear big girl panties now. Also some times a touch of luke warm water poured down there, like a 1/4 of a cup helps them go and then they are proud.HOpe one of these hints helps.

Hi C., with my 2 kids I found the easiest time for them to be succesful at potty was as soon as they got out of bed in the morning. I would sit them on their potty chair while I went on the big potty. After just a couple of days they were actually succesfull with urinating which made the whole idea of pottying make sense to them. For pooping, it might sound gross, but I would encourage my kids to try to fart on the potty. They thought it was a funny game but it definitely helped get things moving. Once a child is successful on the potty a time or two things get much easier because they know what you expect them to do while sitting there. Another idea is to read her a book, blow her some bubbles, etc while she sits on the potty. This will allow her to relax and will also keep her sitting still for a few minutes each time. When she potties succesfully you should do a potty dance, clap your hands, let HER flush the toilet when you empty the potty chair, and maybe even give her a small treat such as a sticker or jelly bean.

C.,

We are currently training as well and have a potty that sounds. Our dd LOVES it, but I think she likes the m&m reward too! :)

Just a thought though, SOMETIMES, a child reverts once a new one is brought in because of wanting attention and wanting the new one to not take his/her place. So you MIGHT consider finishing the training once the new little one comes so she can feel even more special and get more attention then.

Just a thought.