Potty Training - La Porte,TX

All that I can say is that I thought the same thing. My little boy would not # 2 in the potty until after his 4th birthday. He did it for awhile after his 3rd then he stopped. I tried absolutly EVERYTHING!!!!! Take it from me and all the friends & doctors that have told me their stories. they will NOT do it until they are ready and if you force them it makes it worse. It is a power struggle - they win, if you let it get to a power struggle like I did. I had the same attitude as you. We finally just told him that he should let us know when he was a big enough boy to go to the pottie on his own. We quit talking about it and bugging him for a couple of weeks. Then he began to ask me about the pottie, and I just told him the same. He was to let me know when he was big enough to use it. It finally worked!!! He came to be one morning and said now I am finally abig boy and he tokk me intot he bathroom to show me his SUPRISE!! We partied!!! He has not even had one accident to date. It has now been 3 months. Trust me she will do it when you give her the power!! Good Luck!!

Hello. A month ago, my good friend could have written the same question.. her almost 3 year old was in the same position. She finally stayed home for 3 days.. each day setting an egg timer for 20 min. Every 20 min, her and her daughter would go to the bathroom and do the routine, and sometimes she went, and sometimes not, but was praised for everytime, and after 2 days, she was wanting to go by herself and with reminders has done pretty well.. not there yet myself.. son just turning 2, but loving the advice sent my way.. good luck!

I have done boys and girls.

Start by making it part of the routine every single day at a positive time. For us it was night bath time. They are taking their clothes off anyway. The potty was 2 steps from the tub. The tub was not full of water yet, etc. I simply made it part of the routine. After a week or two of that I made it part of the routine at another time also, such as before nap time or lunch time. Whatever works best for you. But there is no discussion or debate. You just say it as if you fully expect them to do it and then see that they do.

As far as screaming. That sounds more to me like a control issue. She is calling the shots and you are letting her. A child size potty on the floor where she can easily sit down/stand up and has done so before with no fear? I think she is just pulling your leg with screaming. I would not accept that. She can stand there and scream, get her fanny swatted, whatever you think. But I would not put her in the tub, go have lunch or whatever the next activity is without getting this one done. I also would not make it into a contest to see who is more stubborn. I would just say let's do this, then go on to the next thing. Even if she only sits on it for 1 second (enough to touch the seat) she is still doing it. That is your goal first. Just to get her to sit on it and accept this as a stage of life. Just like getting to eat hard candy, getting to drink things other than baby formula/juice. Getting to ride a trike. It is all just stages. Our job is to introduce them to the methods and means.

If you get this as part of your routine for awhile, then you can just go to the next phase, which is like someoone else said. Setting a timer and going to the potty every 30-60 minutes. I was a sahm so I can't tell you exactly how many days we did it. We just did it until we were both comfortable with him/her being able to go sit on the potty alone if need be (a 3 yr old should be supervised but able to say I am going to the potty and get started alone if they have a child size potty).

You also want to make sure she/he is in underwear--let that horrible warm sticky feeling of an accident happen. Then they see what has just happened. they won't learn in a pull-up that draws the moisture away and is so comfortable. ;-)

And make sure he/she is in comfortable clothing that is easy for her to remove. I had one that could not unsnap his pants, but I did not realize the particular pants he had on were a problem until we had an accident and he was embarrassed. I quickly gave away those pants and made sure he had on clothing he could handle alone. Elastic pants, soft shorts, short tops and no big dresses. Anything that they can't hold up, pull up, etc.

Good luck,
ts

I think you got the right question here...What can YOU do??? You are giving her all the resources, other than disciplining her for not using the potty, what other choices do you have?

My first was 2 months shy of 3 and my 2nd was 2 months shy of 4. I really thought #2 would be potty ready earlier to be like big brother...boy was I wrong. I now have a 2 1/2 yr old who will announce she needs to go potty...and then may or may not and then may not mention going potty for another month. I really thought she would be early too!I think most of it is she likes to wash her hands!

So many moms claim potty trained, when actually they are still wearing pull ups at night. To me, that isn't trained. My kids did it when they decided it was time and I NEVER bought pull ups, or changed sheets in the middle of the night.I think different people's ideas of trained can be confusing.

There are so many things our kiddos can't control and this is the one thing they can. We can toss paci's and get rid of bottles, blankies or whatever else. We can't force them to potty. You give them all the resources -we have panties, a potty, and the insert for the big toilet--when my daughter mentions potty, we go, we have fun, YEA..woo hoo, sing a song... but if she doesn't bring it up again...that is ok too. Try reading books and watching videos too. A baby doll that wets is another thing to try. Spend a day potty training the baby. (My little Mommy has a really neat one that the baby will only potty on her seat-)http://www.epinions.com/Little_Mommy_Potty_Training_Doll/...

When her mind is made up she will do it and not look back. Both of mine just woke up one morning and that was the day. How many kindergarteners aren't potty trained? It eventually happens. I have a 1 1/2 year old too, so with 2 in diapers, I am sooo ready! Of course, then we go out and I walk in a public restroom and think EWW>..I am so glad my girls have on diapers! LOL....boys could just stand their and aim, girls almost have to touch it!

Thanks for reminding me I need to get a travel potty too! HA!

Good luck, hang in there, when you least expect it- it will happen! Another milestone to your baby growing up!

My daughter will be 3 next month also. She has been potty trained since about February. I have been trying since she was 1 1/2. She just decided that one day she didn't wanna wear the pullups anymore, she wanted to wear big girl panties. It took consistancy with my taking her to the bathroom and telling her that she couldn't play with the playdoh if she didn't tee tee or not letting her play with the thing she was playing with unless she tee teed in the potty. Rewards didn't work with tee tee it worked with poo poo in the potty. That was where I had the most trouble. She refused she would rather do it in the pull up until I convienced her that it came out alot better and felt better doing it in the potty. It also helps if you have friends with kids a little older or if she has little friends that are potty trained to be around them alot and that helps them to catch on a little better.

my daughter had the same problem me and my husband acctually read her books while she was on the potty it calmed her down and she was potty trained in about three weeks.

My son was also very resistant at that age also. I thought he would never be trained. I had done everything I know, including taking chold psychology class. What worked was allowing my mother to work with him for about a week. We decided it was with me it had become a power struggle. But grandma made it fun. When I just let go of it and did not pressure him, he got the message from others. After he worked with her, I let him do what he was going to do. I did not try anything else. If he chose to go in his pants I did not show any response. And I allowed her to reinforce her training. Children have to come to their own decision - it is what they "want" to do, not for you but for them. Thing is if we do not learn to deal with the child's personality now, it will be a long 18 years. The same strong willed problems will continue throughout the childs life. Good Luck!! Do not stress it!!

I've heard that some children are not able to control their muscles enough to always know when they have to go potty. My daughter is 28 months old and she is not ready yet. Hope you figure it out.

Hmmm, some of the responses are quite unnerving. Honestly, I think the more you make it a power struggle the more your child will resist it. Disciplining your child for not going in the toilet is not a good idea. And restricting toys or snacks probably won't work if the toy chest in the bathroom didn't. Basically, just let it go. Its hard, I know. But once she sees that it doesn't bother you, she will be easier to potty train. I tried with my daughter when she was 2. It didn't work, I was getting frustrated. But hey, she is 2. Only TWO years old. So I let it go. We didn't bring it up again till 5 months later. She did great. And then 2 months later she was fully trained.

Also, did you know the older the child the faster they train? You know your child best. If she absolutely shows no interest in potty training, it is best to forgo it for now. Try again a month or two later. But don't make it a power struggle. Be nonchalant about it. Try not to get frustrated or upset, it may do more damage than good all because she won't potty train when you deem its the right time...

Hi C.! I just wanted to encourage you to keep doing exactly what you are doing!! Continue to praise your daughter when she makes it to the potty! I wasn't sure if your were a stay at home or a working mom, but, I have found that it is much more difficult to train a stay at home child. Children who are in a childcare facility have a consistant routine Monday - Friday with very few diversions and outings. I have three boys ages 7, 6, and 3. I was determined to have them all trained by the age of three as well. It was so discouraging hearing all the other moms (including my own) tell of how their child was potty trained at 18months-2 years! I tried and tried from the time they all turned 2. We tried every ounce of advice we got and read all that we could get our hands on, and nothing worked consistantly! My first child finally caught on 2 weeks before his 3rd birthday, my second was about 2 months after his third birthday. I, being a veteran did not stress about the third child freaking out every time I mentioned the potty. He never even accidentally went potty anywhere other than his pull-ups until 15 days before his 3rd birthday. We did everything under the sun and he made no effort until one day out of the blue he turns to me and screams "I gotta pee, I gotta pee", and he did! It took about 2 weeks before he would try to poop, but he eventually decided to give it a try. He turned three a few weeks ago and is completely potty trained (no pull-ups even at night)! There is not one right way to train a child! All three of mine responded to different enticements! Keep on loving and praising your precious daughter and continue to try new inventive ideas to peek her intrest. She will catch on, I PROMISE! Here are a few ideas that worked for us (on occasion):
3 m&m's for each attempt and 5 for each success
A trip to chucky cheese for a successful day
The potty water color changing tablets
Their own potty chair
Reading a potty book each night before bed
The pottying doll
Letting them set a timer to go and try every 30-45 mins.
My husband made up songs on the guitar
Potty parties (the potty dance)

Best wishes! Hang in there, it will happen!

Hi,

I know it's frustrating but you will save yourself a lot of agony if you wait. I did the same thing with my son-I know boys and girls are different but I thought three was entirely too old to be going in his pants. I got tired of cutting his spider man underwear off off him because I refused to wash it.

It just ended up mad. The minute I stopped letting it bother me and allowed him to do it on his own he did. He was three and I had to giggle and tell people well I've got the brightest kid in class but he's not smart enough to poo in the pot. "He'll be in kindergarten by the time I get this one potty trained". Just have patience. I somehow thought it was a reflection on my mom skills.

My son is now seven and I am trying to have another one.

Good Luck!!!

They all develop differently.

I had the same problem with my 3 yo boy. Nothing made him interested - we tried rewards, we tried punishment, we tried praising him, we tried food coloring and froot loop targets, he just didn't care. Finally I decided it had to stop. It's an awful lot of work, but it worked. I put him on the potty every twenty minutes for a few days - whether he had to go or not. Then after two or three days, we went every thirty minutes. Then forty and so on until he finally caught on and went when he needed to. I think it took me about a week and a half, maybe. But it worked! We also did a sticker chart (because I disn't like giving him so much candy all the time!) so when he went number 1 he got one sticker, if he went number two he got two stickers. When he got 5 stickers he got a treat like candy or pool time or something. Just a thought! Good luck!

Try this.... ignore her,

but when she goes make her clean it up and tell her she cannot have her favorite snack and just give her something else, or tell her she can't play with her fav. toy.

Then take one of her dolls and when she's playing with it say, oh she told me she has to go potty! And take her doll yourself and pay attention to the doll. pretend to wipe her, then wash her hands and then tell the doll, since you've gone she gets to go outside and play or have her fav. snack. And ignore your daughter.

it's hard, I know.... but it works. I tried that with my daughter. She got potty trained but when she spent time at her grandmas house she started peeing on the floor because my grandma would give her more attention. So after a while i found out and i tried this, it worked. my daughter wanted the attention so she went to the potty by herself!!

tell me what happens!
CJR

My son was right at 3 when he started. My daughter was about that too. There is still a little time. It will just happen one day. For my son, all it took was putting him in "big boy underwear". It took longer for him to learn to poop in the toilet, but at least he got down the peeing part. I never used rewards, just lots and lots of praise when the did use the toilet and/or when they were dry all day. My husband was in on this as well and I think praise from him was just as important, maybe more.
Maybe "back off"a little, but when she DOES do anything related to the potty that is desired, give her high praise...call her dad...tell him in front of her, let him talk to her and say yay....anything like that. If you aren't married/ don't have a husband, call a gramma or neighbor.
Best wishes.