So I have a 2 1/2 yr. old son named Grant... He is my first and my only. The potty training thing isn't working out for us. He really likes to play with his little potty it has been sitting in the bathroom for a year now, just waiting for some interest. He will sit on it with his pants on and gets toilet paper wipes and throws it in. He flushes and washes his hands. While that has been really cute the problem is, now he refuses to take his pants down and acctually try to go. When I have suggested it he says no. I have tried to put him on it before bath time when his diaper is already off and he gets really scared and cries and shakes. I don't push it, and I have stopped trying because it just seems so tramatic. I thought he would just let me know when hes ready, but thats not happening. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Most little boys aren't trained until an average age of 3 1/2. If they are trained before that it's usually because the parents are trained. I've learned with my kids that you are better off to just wait until they are ready and just do it themselves because they won't do it until then anyways and it's just stressful.
Best Wishes,
J.
I speak from experience here. Stop even mentioning or suggesting the potty ofr at least 3 months. If he wants to experiment with it, fine, but no mention from you. Boys generally do not get the potty connection until later than girls If you turn it into any sort of struggle now, it will just blow-up in your face. You know your child better than anyone, so relax and follow his lead. Support him in his efforts even if they don't fit your idea of where he should be in the potty learning stages. There is a huge variation of when kids are physically and mentally ready.
My own experiences: My son was very interested in the potty at 22 months, but his interest would wax and wane depending on his success rate. Then at age 2.5 he refused to have anything to do with it. I had to completely back away. Later we experimented with various incentives like stickers or treats, but nothing worked until he was ready. Now at almost 4 years old, he uses the potty on his own for peeing, is always dry at night and only has a few accidents a week during the day. However, he has trouble sensing when #2 is coming and is only starting to be able feel when he needs to sit on the potty for that.
Hang in there :)
K.
Sounds like he's just not ready. I know it stinks for you more diaper changes and more money on diapers.
To know if he's ready he should do some of the following
Be interested
Talk about it
Express interest in going on the potty
Waking up in the AM or from nap dry (that's a good time to let him try he would obviously really need to urinate)
I don't think bribing works I always hear how it doesn't and it did absolutely nothing for me, cheering and singing and being all happy didn't work either.LOL ....
When he is ready which may be closer to age 3 you can try putting cotton underpants on him and letting him feel uncomfortable and miserable for a short amt. of time or making him help with the accidents and cleaning up.
My daughter was very very stubborn, and she knew she had complete control over potty training. It was a huge power struggle and drove me nuts. I'm also a single parent and my daughter showed interest at 15mos. and starting using the potty then but wasn't fully trained til 2.5 years old. I've learned that pull up are waste of money and make it so amazingly comfortable for them to urinate in that they don't mind. What worked for me was I told her she couldn't go to preschool in the following months which was the truth she needed to be trained and I was potty training 2 other boys at the same time and it became very competative and huge deal at daycare. They would fight over who got to go first and push and shove to be first in line. I also put our potty chair outside on our patio when she going regularily because she would never make it inside and up the stairs to our only restroom. I'm sure it looked funny but my neighbors didn't care.
Potty training has been the most difficult thing I've had to deal with as a parent and I know what your going through. Just try and be patient and when you least expect it he'll be ready and trained.
You could just stop talking about for awhile and just drop it and then in a few weeks start out having races. Have a race to see who can get in the bathroom and wash their hands the fastest before dinner, do that for awhile and then out of the blue just blurt out who can go potty the fastest and just run in there and go to the bathroom he might be shocked and so excited to join in... My daughter is 5 and loves to still do that. If I even mention that I have to go she runs in there before I can blink and hogs up our only toliet on purpose. Oh well I can always wait.
T.,
I can relate to your frustration. My son is 3 1/2 and is just now finally potty trained. So please don't get discouraged!!! I did like you and tried to put my son on the potty all of the time and we would ocassionally have a success but he would always loose interest or refuse for weeks in between. I would stop trying for awhile and he will regain interest when he is ready. I have noticed that boys tend to potty train later then girls and it is normal and ok. My peditritan told me that as long as he was trained before Kindergarten he was just fine so I am extending that advise to you. Also what worked for my son was being around other boys that used the potty all the time. This made him want to be a "big boy" just like they were and in one months time he needed diapers no more.
I hope this helps and if you would like any more help please email me anytime at ____@____.com Luck!
G.
Have you tried showing him how to go standing up? I know it seems like a hard thing to do as a single mom but he may respond better to it. If you have anyone male who wouldn't mind taking him in the restroom a few times it just might do the trick.
A very close friend had the same problem and she forced her boyfriend into it. It worked great (minus the grumbling from the boyfriend).
Good luck!
2 1/2 is really young for a boy to be potty trained!! Most boys aren't potty trained until they are over age three. One of my twin boys was trained at age three. On his birthday I told him "no more diapers." I put him on the toilet every hour for one week and then he was done. I also had to wake him up at midnight to pee for about a week until he started to naturally wake up to pee in the night. My second son, the first one's twin, wasn't potty trained until he was four. I tried everything, but he just wasn't ready. Pushing him not only frustrated me, but frustrated him. I wish now that I hadn't pushed my second son as much and just let him take his own time. Four seemed really old, but it is actually not uncommen for boys to be trained that late.
T. -
I have a 4 year old boy and a 2 1/2 year old boy. You really have to follow his lead - if he isn't ready, he's just not going to do it. I would back off totally for a while - put the potty seat away and don't even talk about it unless he brings it up. Here is the really frustrating part - he may show some interest and you will think 'this is it!', but a few days later, back to no interest at all - this is pretty normal - even my pediatrician told me to expect it. Boys, in general, seem to be a little slower at wanting to be potty trained. My 4 year old showed a lot of interest around 2 1/2, but actually didn't get to be potty trained until after 3 years old. My 2 1/2 year old started sitting AND peeing on the potty just before his 2nd birthday - but it ended quickly, and 6 months later we are still in diapers all the time. Also, check out some different potty chairs/seats. My 4 y/o loves Dora and things went much better when he got to pick out a Dora seat for 'the big boy' toilet. My 2 1/2 y/o prefers the little potty chairs that sit on the floor. Make it a big event - letting him pick it out and he may be more comfortable. Good luck - and remember, he WILL eventually get there.
T.
I would just wait until he IS ready. He is still young, if you push a child real hard to use the potty sometimes it will backfire on you. You still have plenty of time.
2 1/2 is still on the early end for a boy. He WILL let you know when he's ready.
My son was the same way I found that just grit your teeth and ditch the diapers use the thick cotton trainers he will not like getting dirty/wet and will hopefully go on the potty. Main thing though is get rid of the diapers, I know that it sucks cuz i did it, but in the end it was worth it as Ty now goes on the potty. Good Luck =)
