My son will be 3 in September. He is smart and sweet, and I think ready to be potty trained. We started using Pull-ups (they have cars on them, which he loves). We talk up being a big boy, going to the bathroom like Daddy, etc. He even helped make a potty chart, and picked out stickers for it. When he goes, we all make a huge deal, clapping and cheering, and he gets a Hershey Kiss and a sticker for his potty chart. He also goes to pre-school three half days a week, and they take them to the potty at school. The problem is, he isn't terribly motivated. He'll pee in the toilet, accept the treats and praise, and then not do it again for weeks. We'll leave him with no diaper on at home, and keep taking him to the potty. He'll hold it for hours, and then go as soon as we put a diaper on him. He'll even go sneak a Pull-up on in his room. He never uses the potty at school. So... Any advice? I know my little guy is ready. He talks up a storm, and can't stand poop/pee in his diaper. When he goes, he brings me the diaper and wipes to change him!!! Thank you!!!
Cheerios! Cheerios! Works like a charm every time!
I am not a big fan of pull ups because they really are
like diapers. I think once he is successful peeing he
will begin pooping. Good luck.
P.S. Throw cheerios in the bowl and let him aim.
I have to disagree with some moms that say that boys take longer. I don't believe it at all. My daughter was 2.5 when she was trained in a week and my first son was trained completely, including overnight by the time he was 2 yrs 2months old. It depends on the child and the commitment you make to training them. If they knew what to do, it wouldn't be called training. I would use regular underwear and save pull-ups/diapers at night. You have to start somewhere. I'm in the process of doing this with my 2nd son who is 2 yrs 2months. Consistency is the key. Good luck.
I trained my son in a day using Toilet Training in Less Than a Day, by Nathan Azrin.
The book dates back to the 70's, and is written in English English, which makes for some weird/interesting bouts of reading, but the method is extremely effective. My boy was trained in a day, going to the potty for pee every time, asking for a diaper for poo every time (he was a little afraid of going potty, it took him 1-2 weeks to also do it in the potty), and needing a diaper for the night for only 2 more months. All this with just one day of effort on my part, fun on his.
Other friends of mine have used it too and had the very same results. Don't understand why it's not in all pediatricians offices, it would save so much angst to so many parents.
Have fun with it!
Hi Tricia,
He's not motivated because he doesn't really know what it's like to be wet. Disaposable diapers and pullups suck the moisture away from his skin. Pullups are a huge waste of money, if you're going to use a diaper, regular diapers are cheaper. If you're using training pants, go for cloth. When my son was a month or so away from 3, I put him in the multi layer cloth traiing pants with waterproof outer layer. I took him to the bathroom every hour and a half through the day, diapering for naps and bedtime only. It took a 2-3 weeks for him to hold his pee and poop til I took him to the toilet rather than using the training pants like diapers, but then he had it. It was still 4-6 weeks more before he'd say that he needed to use the bathroom. I wouldn't do a lot of talking without action. I never did sticker charts or rewards - I just treated using the toilet like expected behavior and not something to do to please me. I also didn't treat it like an option. When it was training time, I didn't ask if he had to or wanted to go, I made those mistakes with my daughter, I simply took him consistently throughout the day. Hide those diapers or pullups. Use cloth for naps and bedtime, so if he's withholding, that may cure him of waiting to pee til he's diapered if he knows he'll be in for his nap in a soaking wet diaper.
Good luck
Maybe he is more "almost" ready than ready. ;) Under 3 is not the norm for boys I don't think. Both my older sons were over 3 when they were trained and the one made me think he was ready a good 6 months before he actually was. He would do the same thing. The more he was inconsistent though, the more I got a little frustrated because I thought the fact he had gone the times he had meant he was ready. Nope. So I let it go for a while and when we revisited it, he really WAS ready then and he was trained in a week.
I also trained my 3 1/2 years old son in a day using Toilet Training in Less Than a Day, by Nathan Azrin. He had no interest in potty training whatsoever. After the first day he was about 80% trained and after two more weeks, fully trained. I did it on a Saturday on a three day weekend (I work full time). It was an exhausting day for me, fun for him at the beginning, at the end of the training he was getting tired and frustrated/bored. On the second day we had some setbacks, I was disappointed but I kept at it Sunday and Monday and like I said two weeks later he was trained. I still put pull ups on at night, most of the time he is totally dry in the morning, once in a while he'll get up in the middle of the night telling me he has to go.
Good luck.
Hey Tricia...I agree with the previous post, pull ups are in a sense a diaper. My son was 2 1/2 and we did the 3-day potty training method after it was recommended to us. It worked in 5 days and then we used pull ups at night until he woke up dry for two weeks in a row, now just underwear all the time. 3-day potty training is throwing away all diapers and putting on underwear and reminding the child to keep it dry...check out the website, we were delighted with the results and plan to use it on our second son when he's 2 1/2. It was an intense few days, but I would highly recommend it. Good luck!
Give it time.
My son did the same thing. He said he would go wee wee on the potty "on my birthday when I'm 3" 3 came and went. Then he said "I'll go when I'm 4 no 5".
ANYWAY- he was essentially potty trained in pull ups. He would change them himself when he wet them. If he was naked, he'd ask for a pull up to go and then take it off when it was soiled. Eventually he agreed to use the toilet at 3 yrs 4 months. He has only rarely had accidents in the last 2 months. His reward was starbursts(a reward they started at school) 1 for wee wee, 2 for poopy and 3 for wee wee standing. The rewards lasted for about 1 month. He is fine now. This evening he said to me "Mommy I don't need pull ups anymore. I am a big boy":-)
My twins are four and a half now -we potty trained at 3 --my way was to do no day time pull ups --I felt it sent mixed messages --the training went very quickly -I think because it's uncomfortable to be in a wet or dirty pair of underwear --I did pull ups at night -and are still using Good Nites for my son at night --the night time seems to take a while for boys from many people I've spoken to.
Good luck!
first off.. is pull ups are diapers... get rid of them for now. Only use for long car rides or going out somewhere long. Try reg. underwear.. yes, they will get wet and dirty but they work best when training. Just be patient.. put him on the potty (or the big toilet every hour..and good luck.. just use diapers in the night. Make sure they are out of reach to your son.. tell him they are all gone to a baby. Good luck
I don't think he is ready, maybe close, but not ready. When is truly ready, it won't take long at all. It will still take some reminding, but he will go to the potty and do his business not problem. My guy was just over three and one day he was at my mothers and she took off his pullup we all went out together with him in his underpants and that was it! He is not quite three, so I don't see the rush right now. Back off a little, let him think about it over the summer and try again in a few months.
