Potty Training - Stockbridge,GA

My son wasn't interested at all until he was around 3 1/2, and no amount of traditional bribery, sticker charts, etc., would get him interested.

We put him in pullups because he saw Dora pullups and wanted them -- I explained unless he was willing to pee in the potty or little potty, no pullups. Next day, we were in the bathroom. Small bribery...

For #2, it was all about fear and withholding a few weeks in, but I completely pulled back and put him back in pullups all day versus underwear during the day, gave him a little laxative (Fletcher's) and we started being "regular" again (no pain, big gain). Then, I went to "you go poo in your pullup in the bathroom" and went through routine of changing and flushing poo together in that room. Then a few weeks later, he was interested in sitting on his little potty a few times, and then he was suddenly OK with poo in the potty.

I'm sure you're consistently doing all the "traditionals" -- taking him with you and Dad when either of you go, getting the little potty as well as a training seat for toilet that fits his body and stepstool so he can do alone, talking to him about "big kids", getting the cool video or book from library, maybe you know older kids he could "go" with, many little steps over several months.

In the end, he is in control of his body, and you're in charge of finding out what will make him interested -- every kid's "switch" is quite unique:)

It has been awhile since I potty trained (thank goodness!). But I remember very clearly NOT using the pull ups. Regular underwear or those kinda thick ones (not even sure if they make them anymore). We tried using the pull ups but they just kept using them as a diaper. Using underwear was a hassle with a lot of laundry but it went twice as fast and was cheaper and less frustrating than using pull ups. I saw another post on here awhile ago that the mom said she potty trained her boy in the summer. She said he liked to pee outside...lol! Tacky yes...great idea wish I would have thought of it! Good Luck!

If he is not interested try to think of something to get him interested. I told my son one night when he got out of the tub I was going to go pee in his potty. It was about three months before he turned three. He told me no it is my potty. I got him to then go and sit on the potty and pee. Poop was harder. I did have to bribe him. He said,I want a diaper to poop in. I told him no go on the potty. He had a fit but when I told him I would buy him a pillow pet he pooped in the pot. It only got better after that.It is getting warm so let him run around without pants on once the weather gets warmer(of course inside). Good luck. I agree with the one post that pull ups are a waste of time and I feel that are confused with diapers.

We did a potty chart with sticker rewards for my daughter. Smiley for a try, sticker of choice (all princesses and dora characters) for going, and if it was poop - 2 stickers. It took her a few weeks to catch on to the potty chart -- we started in february (she has a July birthday) -- by May she was fully potty trained, day and night, and in underwear (so about 2 months before she turned 3). I created the potty chart myself out of a huge piece of poster board. If she had a good day, she could pick a bigger sticker out of the bag to "have." We would not do candy in our house (my SIL did that with her 4 boys -m & ms) -- my daughter has food allergies and I don't believe in giving that much chocolate and candy to kids...especially as a motivator to potty train. To each their own. My son hasn't needed motivation other than the Thomas underpants he wants to wear (he is 2 yrs 3 mos) -- yesterday he went dry all day wearing underpants (we put Gerber plastic pants over just in case) :) Now if only he would tell us when he needs to go so we don't have to just put him on every 1.5 hours -- it would be golden!

L.,
I wrote a blog about this last year. It was also published here on Mampedia. I hope it helps!
http://www.ontheballparent.com/blog/?p=146
kj