I have a 2 1/2 year old and am having a very difficult time potty training him - any suggestions?

Question

My son will go to the potty sometimes and will even tell you that he has to go - sometimes, but there are times that he refuses to sit on the potty and screams thoughout the process. If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate them.

He is showing an interest in potty training. I'm trying now because he says he doesn't want to wear diapers - he says he wants to be a big boy.

Answer 1

Potty training is not just about teaching a child to use the potty, but also learning your own style of parenting in the process!

Steps
Don't be too eager to get your little one out of diapers / nappies. While it can be convenient to have a potty-trained child, sometimes it's not so convenient for the child (or the adult).
Wait until you are both ready. To potty train, you need a LOT of time, patience and energy!
Use the weekend to your advantage.
The first day or two can be frustrating. But once your baby does it and you show signs of approval and excitement, baby will want to do it over and over to make you happy.
Try not to get upset or show disappointment if it doesn't happen right away. Each child will learn in his or her own time and place. There is no rush to potty train. Once your child is a big boy or girl, he or she won't be a baby ever again. Enjoy having the baby for a year or two... or three.
After you work through the whole process, sit back and relax! Then remember the squishy little plastic sound of your little guy who didn't care if he pooped in his diaper will be replaced with "I gotta go potty...NOW!" and you running for the nearest bathroom hoping it's free!
Accidents are bound to happen! Be prepared!!
Don't take potty training personally. While some mommies may compare... all good mommies & daddies know that each child, parent and family is different from all the others in the world!
When you have time, reflect on how you handled the potty training situation since it is the first big thing to learn in life - what would you change? Or not change? Would you have been more patient? Spent more parent/baby time practicing? Talked through it some more? Read more books? Brought out the charts and movies? Not rushed yourself or your baby? Take that and use that in the next adventure: ABC's...reading..etc!



Tips
Really take this time to realize how you want to parent. Will you spend more time encouraging your child? Or will you spend more time trying to remember that eventually she will learn on her own? Or are you going to try to get your spouse to do the 'dirty' work? (Yes, even the best of us try to weasel out of some yucky stuff). Will you walk your child through it? Will you gather information or wing it?
Some children have a hard time with doing #2 on the toilet. When potty training, if they do it in their pants, put the feces into the toilet, and say goodbye to it. This can work so that the child understands where it goes and they see it in action.



Warnings
Don't get upset when a month later your little girl or boy wants to wear diapers again. It is very common! It's not in any way meant towards you personally (even if she says she hates her overalls and hours later pees in them).

Answer 2

Personally, I think 2 1/2 is too young to even start with a boy unless HE is showing interest in the potty. Do not pressure him by asking him if he needs to go potty. Around 3 or 3 1/2 he will probably be ready to give it a try. When you are both ready I don't recommend using pull-ups. Put him in regular training pants and he will get the idea faster than if you use pull ups. When he wets have him change out of his wet pants and put on his dry ones. DON'T make a big deal about it either.

Answer 3

My son caught on very quickly, I removed all diapers and pullups from sight and told him he was ready to use the potty like mommy and daddy and every other grown up he knows, and then I let him go around in just his underpants. Encourage him to use the potty when he needs to go but don't push it. If he has an accident have him actively help in the clean up process. If he doesn't catch on in 2-3 days then take underwear off and have him be naked and put many potties around the house when you see him start grab him up and take him to the potty. We did this and never even needed the 2nd part. Although I'm not so sure I would have done this if I had carpet all oover the house...LOL

Answer 4

I am the mother of boy girl twins. My daughter trained at two with no hesitation. My son was a whole different story. don't fret. He will potty train - at his own pace. Don't rush him. He'll let you know when - just be supportive. The Cherrio's idea in the toilet is a good idea but I'd wait till it's time to train aim. Just get him to the point of being comfortable on the toilet first.

Answer 5

This process is messy. Through my experience with three children, you must put him in underware, and take him to the bathroom on a regular basis.

Try to make it fun. Have a small cup of Cheerios on the back of the toilet. He puts one in the tiolet, and tries to "shoot it". I never tried that my my sister did and she said it worked.

Also reward him. Make a chart that he can put stickers on. Every three stickers he gets a small prize: an M&M, a jello pudding cup, a page of spiderman stickers, anything that works for him. Try different things until you find his currency.

My biggest advice is to be consistant. Even at night. First three to seven days (on a weekend if you are a working mom): underware only. pull ups or diapers only at night, or in the car. After that, no pull ups or diapers unless it's a long car ride or he is sick and sleeping. Expect one step forward two steps back. When you get frusterated, hug him, encourage him, then pray your heart out. God will listen and help.

Answer 6

i actually merely have been given executed potty education. and that i asked her each and every hour if she had to circulate, if no longer i could be like enable's attempt and we went while she did in step with or poop i might enable her %. out of a jar which had snacks cookies suckers all that stuff if she threw a greater healthful i might placed her in day out. or merely overlook appropriate to the foot and tell her while she's executed she would be in a position to return see you. tell her no on the diapers remember you are the boss no longer her. And consistently tell her she did a good interest and reward her if she pees or poops. yet while she does not go then dont supply her any snacks. while she sees how good she's doing she'll prefer to do all of it the way by herself. and of direction good success!

Answer 7

It sounds like he isn't quite ready...my son is 2 and is doing well with potty training. I use a reward method. If he goes potty he gets 1/2 agummy worm...works like a charm

Answer 8

Give the kid a break, he is only 2 and1/2. Boys potty train sometimes way later than girls.

Answer 9

This is what I did with my son... toss cheerio's in the toilet and tell him to aim and "shoot" them.. Being a single mom I had to come up with ways to potty train him. That was an idea given to me by a few male friends.. Thanks to all of them.. it worked.. you can even use toilet paper for him to "shoot" at..


Good luck

Answer 10

Tons of loving care, and patience on your part. The more screaming that is involved either by you or him the less likely he'll want to go, then eventually he'll stop all together. Everything should be done in his timing and at his discretion, not yours. Go with his flow of things; no pun intended. It will all fall together eventually.