Potty Training - Greensburg, PA

Updated on February 26, 2007
M.L. asks from Greensburg, PA
14 answers

Our 2 1\2 yr old little boy refuses to get on the potty. He totally knows what to do. He see's me and my husband go and says "Mom pee in the potty". I'll ask him on numerous occasions and he'll refuse but when he goes poop he'll hide and then tell me after he's already gone to change him. He will never go on either his own little potty or the big boy potty. Any suggestions?

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R.Z.

answers from Harrisburg on

I got my son potty trained in about 2 weeks. (even at night) It took a little help, but we did it. I just took the diapers away all together. and just put him on the potty every 2 hrs or so. I also heard, if you put one of his favorite toys on the potty, and when he goes, thats helps too.
My daughter on the other hand, she was a little harder... it took me nearly 2 mths. and she did the same thing, she would hide, i just had to keep an eye on her. and if i noticed she would look like she was pooping, i would just take her.

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N.R.

answers from Washington DC on

I wouldn't worry too much about it right now. Boys tend to take longer to potty train and he'll go when he's ready. I thought my son would never go on the potty, then when he was almost 4 he just started going on his own, almost overnight. My best advice to you would be to let him do it in his own time. Keep encouraging him, but don't get discouraged if he doesn't. Like I said, he'll do it when he's ready.

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K.F.

answers from Greenville on

My suggestion is to give it a break for a while. The more you push the worse the situation will become. Let him lead. No child go to school peeing their pants. Try to be patient, I had the same thing happen with my daughter and she just finally started to go in the potty. She is now three and a half. They usually do things when they are ready.

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M.I.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I wouldn't stress it. Our son is just about a year older than yours, and we are still working out the kinks with potty training. He has really good days, and some really bad days, but it took us awhile to get to this point. He knew what to do by the time he was 2 1/2, but he didn't really follow through with it until after he turned 3. Luckily, his daycare does preschool right there, so we weren't concerned about being trained for preschool, so we didn't pressure him. Just keep offering it, and when he does use it, reinforce how good he was and what a big boy he's getting to be. We also found that something he really wants to do (play some video games with daddy for a little bit) was a good incentive to get him into the underpants and using the potty in the evenings after dinner.

Just be patient, boys tend to train later, so I wouldn't get worried just yet. Good luck!

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K.W.

answers from Washington DC on

I know you may not want to hear this, but I think the best thing for you to do is to give your son some time. He sounds a lot like my now 3 1/2 year old son was just one year ago. Kids, especially 2 year olds, don't like to feel pressured into doing anything. They like to do things in their own time and the more us parents push, the more they resist. My son was the same way. I was convinced that he was capable of using the toilet at least a month before he actually started doing it consistently. But he decided when he was ready and when he was, he literally woke up one day and just started telling us when he had to pee. He was potty-trained from that day on!(Having a BM was a different story, but I won't go into that now.) Maybe he's just a strong-willed kid who just needs a little more time. I would back off for a little bit, act like it's no big deal and see how he responds. You might be surprised. I know I was! Good luck and remember it's just a phase that will pass.

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J.H.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi M.,
I have an 8 year old son and I remember those days like it was yesterday. I thought he wouldn't be potty trained in time for school! What I've found is that the more you push the more he'll refuse. Try to not push the subject. He'll do it when he's ready. I assure you it won't be long!
Good luck!
Jen

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M.A.

answers from Allentown on

He is only 2 1/2, maybe give it a break for a little while. Also, just a suggestion, I trained my daughter in the summer, and it was MUCH easier with less clothes. Hopefully, spring is around the corner. lol

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S.L.

answers from Reading on

ALL CHILDREN GO AT DIFFERENT AGES. I WOULD SUGGEST TO KEEP ENCOURAGING HIM BUT DONT MAKE HIM FEEL BAD HE DIDNT GO POTTY. WILL HE SIT ON THE POTTY WHILE YOU ARE ON YOURS HAVE HIM SIT ON HIS EVEN IF THE ONLY WAY HE WILL SIT IS IN HIS DIAPER GIVE HIM LOTS OF PRAISE FOR TRYING. ALOT OF CHILDREN HAVE A FEAR OF THE POTTY. HE WILL GO SOON DONT WORRY GOOD LUCK STEPH

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T.Y.

answers from Philadelphia on

I wouldn't stress out about it. If you push it now it will only make things worse. Make a special day to start wearing big boy underpants and wait until he turns 3. It will make life so much easier. My son had no desire to go on the potty and then we set a date for his birthday. We talked about how special it was going to be, that he was going to be a big boy, etc. Then a couple weeks before his 3rd birthday he told me he wanted to wear his big boy underpants. I warned him that once he put them on there was no going back to diapers, under any circumstances and he assured me he was ready. It was a tough week but by his 3rd birthday he was accident free, even overnight. Be consistent and don't give up, it will take alot of patience but if he's not ready you are only setting yourself up for failure. Good luck.

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J.D.

answers from Washington DC on

It will be a strong temptation to push him.....I learned the hard way - the more you push (even bringing the subject up at times is pushing) the longer he will take to learn. It has been suggested, though, by pediatricians that each time you clean him up that you do it in the bathroom and deposit as much of it as you can in the toilet so he sees what happens. Potty books and videos may help. There is one book in Wal Mart where you push the button and hear a toilet flush. He may get a kick out of that. Good luck-

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M.J.

answers from Philadelphia on

He's not ready...give him time and he will go potty on the pot. Be patient and give it time....

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L.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

Don't rush him and definitely don't pressure him. The fact that he is talking about the potty and recognizing when he poops are all excellent signs that he is getting ready. When he poops, just gently tell him that one day he will poop in the potty like a Big Boy. Put him on the potty for short periods of time throughout the day, like 5 minutes, or however long he will stay and praise the fact that he sat. If you do catch some pee while he's there, praise him and tell him good job. Potty training takes a lot of time and patience. If you pressure him too much or make it an unpleasant experience, he will take even longer. I just went through this with my daughter. I always encouraged but followed her lead and she is doing great now. Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from Washington DC on

I hate to say it, patience! My 3 year old girl just got fully potty trained...she did the same thing. I tried rewards, I tried making her clean her dirty pants.(it didn't phase her...before I knew she had done anything, she would be in the bathroom, cleaning them herself!) I don't know what finally did it. I think she knew how much it mattered to us, and it was a control thing, although my pediatrician said that fear was involved...there were times she would sit to try and then cry like she was afraid. Then one day, she just did it...inconsistently for the first couple weeks. We took her out for her ice cream reward, finally. I thought the day would never come...yours will too!

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S.

answers from York on

I have the same problem. My doc has told me not to pressure him because the only thing it will do will make him not want to do it. So I have backed off and now that he has turned three we are making small steps. It's beginnig but he is starting to use the potty.

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