Potty Training My 31 Month Old

First of all, you are doing great. Many kids go through this resistant stage with potty training. Nothing is certain to work, but here are some ideas:

Stickers or treasure box - prizes for using the potty

They make little disolvable tablets that turn water one color and when they potty in it, it changes colors again.

Make up a cheer or song for celebrating them using the potty. - my kids loved to see me act silly.

In my experience it was easier to concentrate on popping in the potty first.

If all else fails, (with my youngest it did) put them on the potty every hour or so for five minutes. If they go to the potty, they can get right up. (This sounds kind of gross, but if they won't try to potty have them growl or grunt, make it to be a game of animal sounds or something. They tighten up their abdomen and usually will pee or at least trickle if their bldders are full.)

Hope some of this helps.

I have been there! I know it can be challenging - but don't give up! There is a potty watch that you can buy online which my son thought was WAY cool. You can set it for whatever interval you want it to go off. Also, don't go the Pull-Up route. Kids just treat it like a diaper. I put him in big boy pants and spent a week with him like I would have a new puppy! Online at Chuck E Cheese there is a potty training reward chart that you can download - my son had never been before but after seeing commercials REALLY wanted to go. This was his incentive! Also, I stopped reprimanding him when he had an accident and ONLY rewarded the good behavior - telling me when he needed to go potty. Stickers just didn't work for him - I tried, but it does for some kids. Find out what is really important to him - a day at the jump house, Chuck E Cheese - whatever the currency for your child is - use it! I would NEVER punish a child for an accident. I can't imagine having my 3 year old rinsing out his poopy pants - I just don't think that it is a good idea to punish when trying to potty train - then it becomes a battle of the wills. Plus, I really don't think that is age appropriate.
My son brushes his teeth every day - I let him brush first then I brush afterwards. Brushing was a battle for us until I let him pick out his Dora and Diego electric toothbrush - then he LOVED it! At this age it seems to be about them having control over themselves - so if you make teeth brushing a battle by holding him down then it will be a battle - and you probably won't win! If you simply give him some choices (choosing his toothbrush and toothpaste) then they feel like THEY made the decision. We have started doing that with a lot of things - picking out bowls and plates, or deciding between two shirts, etc. It seems to be working for us, but I know that every child is different! I wish you lots of luck with it all! I know it can push you to the edge some days! I have the number of a GREAT reasonable carpet cleaning company once you have success!!

Good luck! Potty training can be very difficult. None of mine so far have trained before 3, unfortunately. I know there are kids out there that can, I just didn't get any. It sounds like your son is just not ready. Rather than making this a power struggle that is miserable for everyone, you should consider just taking a break. He knows what you want from him, but is not ready to do that. When he is actually ready it should go much more smoothly. I know it is hard to do this (my oldest was actually 4 1/2!!!! before she trained) but it is easier in the long run. After the torture of trying for over a year with my oldest, I realized it was best to let the child lead in this area. Training my son was much easier when I waited for him to get excited about learning. You might go back and try every few weeks or so, but if he is really resisting right now I think it is best just to wait.
Good luck! You will get tons of different opinions, so do what seems to work for you and your son.

Many moms out there may laugh....but my little guy - who turned 3 in July - was struggling - we went with the potty train - to put stickers on when we go in the big boy potty. Then quickly discovered treasures are the best! I go to the dollar store - and he picks out treasures - then at home they are in a big basket - when he goes - he gets a sticker and a treasure. We been doing this now for the past 2-3 weeks - he's almost fully trained now! I'm so happy and proud of him...

Keeping my fingers crossed that it stays this way!
Good luck!

I had the same problem with my son who turned three two weeks ago! He is EXTREMELY stubborn and strong willed. He would go in his pullup and tell me while or shortly after he did it! It was SO frustrating. I'd sit him on the potty ever 30 minutes to an hour and he would pee his pants the second he got off. One thing I know is that pull ups are just as absorbent as a diaper so they never really feel uncomfortable if they go in them. I switched to regular underwear (with cartoons on them!) full time the day after his birthday. I also bought a ribbon that has a boy sitting on the potty and says Potty Training Award on it while shopping for his birthday party decor. I hung it on the fridge and told him that when he kept dry pants for a week (excluding night time) that he could have the ribbon. He has only been having one accident a day since then, if that! Oh, I also resorted to making him rinse his poopy underwear out in the sink himself and getting in the tub and rinsing himself off when he kept pooping in his pants and that has stopped now too.

I know it is so hard but consistency is key. And if you have to stay home every day for two weeks to work on it constantly then do it. It will be worth it!!

Good luck!

Oh! And on the teeth brushing.... My son is not good at it either and fights it so I still hold him down and do it. He'll occasionally do it himself but not good enough. My five year old brushes his teeth himself but if he's had much sugar during the day then I go over them myself to make sure... We don't want any cavities!