How do I get a 21/2 year old to sit on the potty seat?

Question

I have a two and a half year old son. He is ready to be potty trained. But he wouldn't sit on the potty seat. I have gotten a potty seat of his favourite character, but no luck. He says he is scared of the potty seat.

I have let him run around without a diaper, and he has been peeing all over the place.

I have offered him several incentives to sit on the potty seat - like listen to his favourite song on iPod, buy him his favourite toys, etc. But no luck.

Should I continue persisting? I am afraid I will make him even more scared. I haven't used force, but I am asking him everyday if he would like to sit on the potty seat.

Answer 1

dont force him, if u force, he would be more scared.
keep that potty seat in his living room so that as the time passes he'll feel more comfortable

Answer 2

Patience!!!

Potty learning cannot be forced! Every child needs to go at his own pace. I don't even like the idea of rewards b/c the child should be motivated on his own. It's about your child's readiness to use the potty not your readiness to be done diapering. Sometimes a child might be physically ready but NOT emotionally ready.

I'd recommend pulling back from any pressure tactics, including rewards. Allow the child to set the pace. Leave the potty seat out but also offer access to the big potty. You might try letting him run around nakey in the backyard so you don't have to worry about messes in the house. You can also use thick underwear (like toddler training pants) or a cloth diaper w/o a cover indoors (this allows your toddler to feel the sensation of going w/o getting it on the floor).

Potty learning can take a LOOOOONG time. Sometimes it's 2 steps foward and 1 back for quite a while...then he might surprise you w/ a sudden transition.

Hang in there. He WON'T still be in diapers by high school. LOL.

Answer 3

We are working on it with our daughter, she's 2. We got her a book called "My big girl potty" from the Barnes and Noble, and I know that there's a "My big boy potty" from the same author.

Our daughter uses pull-ups, and I stay at home with her, so I try to "catch" her before she goes, but it's been SO much easier now that she's got this book, she will just sit on the potty so that I'll read the book to her!

You might also try a "golden star" chart with an incentive for milestones reached. Praise praise praise when he DOES go sit on the seat, even if only for a second. But don't worry too much about his age when considering training - he'll go when he's ready. Just do everything you can to assure him he'll be fine, explain the process of using the potty and why, and let him help you work out the star chart - complete with him choosing his rewards for certain milestones.

Answer 4

Boys are slower at most things and I have found toileting to be one of them. Try letting him sit on it whilst holding a favourite toy.

Try you sitting on the toilet and him on the potty at the same time.

Put the potty in front of the TV let him sit on it with clothes etc on and watch TV if that works try taking his pants of and sitting on it in front of the TV when he gets comfortable with that move it to the bathroom. This worked with my daughter.

My 2 1/2 yr boy loves sitting on the potty and will get up on the toilet and sit there for a while get some paper blow his nose like he has seen mum and dad do but he still is yet to do a we on it.

It just takes time he will get there dont force him and dont get upset or cranky it is not worth the angst. If he was 4 and not yet toileting during the day I would be concerned.

Answer 5

He says he is scared of the potty seat? Afraid he will fall in? Offer to hold him as he sits, so that he will not have the feeling that he could fall. Another thought, provide a small step stool that he can put next to the toilet so that his feet don't dangle. Being able to plant his feet may make him feel more secure that he won't fall in. If none of that works, try one of those little 'port-a-pottys' that you can get for toddlers for camping. It is so small and so low to the floor that it should eliminate any of his fears. Good luck.

Answer 6

Perhaps there is a middle ground between 'would you LIKE to sit on the potty seat?' and 'force.'

Let him know that the day is coming when he MUST sit on the toilet, so to prepare himself . . . . and to prepare yourself (and get some potty training skills) you shouldget the book 'Toilet Training in Less Than One Day' (although, being dumb, it took me a week to get my kid trained with this book).

Toilet training is the most important task you will ever have with your kid. It sets the tone for the next 20 years, as to whether you can communicate your wishes effectively and have him comply.

The sense of it is that if it is something you want him to do, he should be more than willing to go along, if for no other reason than that it makes mommy happy . . . .

Good Luck!

Answer 7

Yup, persist. But don't force. Boys train slower than girls (My son was almost 3, daughter right before she was 2!) Gummy bears and stickers worked in my house...and use them as teasers. MMMM...I love gummies. Oh, want one? Try the potty seat? No? MMMM..green ones! I love stickers. Do you want to put one in a book? Yeah? Gotta get on the potty...then I can get the book.

Scared of the potty is a button he's pushing. Kids are manipulative.

Dont worry. He won't go to kindergarten untrained!

Answer 8

Is this the little chair for kids or the kind that sits in the big potty so they don't fall in? The little chair was better for my daughter, until she decided that she wanted to go in the big potty like mommy and daddy, so we had to get a sit-in.

Answer 9

You are doing all the right things. Boys unfortunately are a little slower to potty train than girls are.

Answer 10

Throw the potty seat out and set him on the toilet.