Ok, my son is 3 years old and we are desperately trying to potty train him.

My issue is that he won't peepee in his underware but he'll hold it until nap time and when I put a pull-up on him that's when he does his buisness - same thing at night time. What can I do to make him go to the potty? I'm feeling so frustraited. I mean it's going on the 2nd week and still no sucess! I'm trying really really hard not to give up but gosh it should be getting at least a little better, right??

What can I do or what should I do? :confused:

We trained DS using thick cloth training pants and rubber/plastic pants over those. Did lots of laundry for several weeks. Dreaded going out 'cuz he'd tell us he'd have to go potty, which meant -- RIGHT NOW and we didn't make it, or there was the attraction of going to use the potty in public. Bleah!

DS was waking up dry in the mornings and from naps. I still used a pull up for several months at night, but used the training pants during naps. Prior to nap time, we'd ask him if he wanted to stand up or sit down. I bought a spongebob potty seat to put on the toilet 'cuz he didn't like using the potty chair. Does he refuse to use the potty at all?

We trained DS using thick cloth training pants and rubber/plastic pants over those. Did lots of laundry for several weeks. Dreaded going out 'cuz he'd tell us he'd have to go potty, which meant -- RIGHT NOW and we didn't make it, or there was the attraction of going to use the potty in public. Bleah!

DS was waking up dry in the mornings and from naps. I still used a pull up for several months at night, but used the training pants during naps. Prior to nap time, we'd ask him if he wanted to stand up or sit down. I bought a spongebob potty seat to put on the toilet 'cuz he didn't like using the potty chair. Does he refuse to use the potty at all?
We have a little potty seat too to put on top of the toilet and he likes that ok. He'll sit on there for as long as I keep him on there but when he gets up he didn't pee or poop. He's peed in it maybe twice last week but since then, nothing.
He has a speech delay so he doesn't tell us when he needs to go but that's not an excuse. He tells us very well buy his hands and taking us by the hand if he's hungry or tired or wants to do something or play something, etc... so I don't and won't say he won't go potty because of his delay.

To tell you the truth, I didn't think DS would ever get potty trained. Yes, he'd wake up dry in the morning and after naps most times. But I'd put regular underwear on him and he'd pee or poop on the floor a few minutes later. Trying to get him to use the potty -- wouldn't do it. Except of course those dreaded public restrooms at fast food restaurants, etc. Bleah!

If it weren't for the day care director telling me he was ready, I wouldn't have believed it. Must've been peer pressure or going along with the other kids 'cuz he was totally potty trained after a month or so. Or they just had all the kids go right away when they got to preschool, right after lunch, after nap.... Can he learn by example -- could his dad or older sibling show him?

Well he's the oldest and ya his dad does help out when he's home. And I'm a SAHM so there's really no one else to show him other than he goes to school in the morning for 3 hours and they do take him there too and other kids there go so maybe he'll start to catch on - I 'm praying!

I don't want to sound discouraging to you but it may be that he is just not ready to train yet. Yeah, it sounds like he can control his bladder, perhaps a bit too much! But, he clearly doesn't want to use the potty. I would be afraid of him getting a UTI from holding his urine when he is awake.

I would suggest that you leave the issue alone for a while (a couple of weeks/ maybe a month?). Put a diaper back on him. Maybe leave the training chair out and ask him once a day if he wants to use it. If he says no, let that be good enough. From what I have read, you don't want to turn toilet training into a battle ground.

Good luck,

Jen

You can also try bribery! LOL! I had to do this with DD. She was the same way your son is. So, I ended up buying little bags of M&M's or stickers. When she would pee, I would giver her ONE M&M or sticker. She was more of a chocolate kid, LOL...when she would poop, I gave her 5 M&M's. This worked for awhile. Once she got the hang of it, I would no longer give her the pee award. Only for pooping. Then I did away with it totally. She has reverted some, b/c we had a house fire and are living in an apartment. She is now pooping in her pull up again, but still pees on the potty. So, I need to go back to giving her a treat for pooping again. It is just a suggestion. Some parents don't like doing this. Good luck.

Well I'm going to try to bribe him. He also like chocolate so I'm going to buy a clear container and have it in the bathroom and everytime he goes in the potty I'll give him a choice of stuff in the container.

I don't know if I agree that "he's not ready to potty train". I mean the little guy takes off his pampers when he's wet or dirty and he holds his pee and poop. I just think that he's being very stubborn but hey, I don't care I'm just going to be persistant. I don't get ugly with him when he doesn't go - I don't want him to hate the potty BUT I don't let him know what he's to pee and poop in the potty NOT in his pull-up.

I'm going to stick with it - I'm not giving up!! :)

My son will be 4 in April and still has many accidents although I believe it might be some other issues as he has had a UTI and was almost completely trained before this.
However, in our battle to get to the success we did have we tried one thing that REALLY worked....we trained a teddy to use the potty. It is from a book called 'Toilet training in one day"...or something like that. It has a lot of fluffy stuff put in it but the we modified it abit, had a treat tray for every time we went and by the end of the day he'd pooped in the potty for the first time ever and within a week was completely pee trained and within 3 weeks had almost no poop accidents.
I do believe now though that we pushed him before he was ready and he really wasn't ready till he was 3.5 years old. Every kid is different.

DS wasn't quite 3 when we/daycare started working on potty training. Started about a month before he turned 3. He'd been waking up dry and had been going potty at preschool, but really showed no interest at home. Couldn't convince him to sit on the potty or potty chair. And there was a vast difference between preschool and home. They bribed him with chocolate milk. He claims he doesn't LIKE chocolate milk at home. Toddlers!

But after a month of training pants with the plastic pants over those, he was pretty much potty trained. Lots of accidents -- couldn't quite make it to the potty. When he had to go, it was right then and there. Dreaded going out into public 'cuz it meant numerous trips to the bathroom and a few accidents. Lots of laundry...

He is not ready yet, plain and simple. I would give it up right now and let him tell you when he is ready. And yes, he will tell you when he has to go. Just put the diapers or pull ups back on him and tell him to let you know when he wants to go on the potty like a big boy. Leave it at that. Our ped gave that advice with our first child and it worked like a charm with all three!

Nancy

My son just turned 3 and I feel we have been trying forever. The first try was when he was 2 1/2 and he wasn't interested. We tried again in december and was doing pretty well until he decided enough of that. I have to make him go every couple hours to keep him dry all day. Unfortuantely when he has to poop he will go hide and do it instead of telling me :(

Good Morning,
my DD will be 4 tomorrow and i use to get so frustrated cause she wouldn't use the potty. she would sit on it, wipe, flush the toilet and get down, without going potty. she would get upset with underpants and wanted a pull-up on. she would change her own pull-up also, at home and at daycare.
Then.......all the sudden this past week, she started using the potty ALL the time. when i pick her up at daycare, she's in the same clothes i dropped her off in, having no accidents at all!! Same at home too! i do still put a pull-up on her at bedtime, but other than that......it's underpants! she even makes it through naps.
All's i can say is........don't get your self too over worked. Usually, when they are ready, it happens.

Good luck to ya! :wave: