Potty training, HELP!?

Question

My boy joe is about to turn 3, he is ready to potty train because he takes his nappy off if its wet and tells me hes done a poo, but he is terrified of the potty, and the toilet, my husband had a wee and showed him last night and Joe just screamed and said no, any suggestions?

Answer 1

I read one of the answers and noticed that a child minder had commented on how shocked she was that you had left it until now and that you should have introduced it earlier. May i remind her that every child is different and every parent is different. I didnt potty train my daughter until she was nearly 3 because i waited until i was off university for the summer, it took her 2 weeks to be completely dry day and night. I used a SUPRISE BAG!! Filled it with lots of little goodies like crayons etc. She loved it. Child minders are hardly child psychologist are they!! You do what you feel is right, there is no rush. Good luck x

Answer 2

We seem to believe that using a potty is a necessary step to toilet training but actually it isn't. Unless your toilet is a long way from where you spend most of the time in your home it is far more practical to use this, especially if there are no other children in the home on whom your son can model toilet/potty behaviour. Make going to the toilet seem as natural as possible by letting him see you and your husband use one but do buy one of those seats that fits over/under the normal seat to make the whole smaller. Then, it's rewards (or bribery) all the way.
My daughter would get 1 Smartie for a wee and 3 for a poo. This worked as she was not often given sweets, but for your son a star chart with larger reward may be a better option. When my son was ready to toilet train he never considered using a potty as he had never seen anyone else use one and found it quite perplexing.

There aren't many kids who start school who aren't out of nappies so donn't lose your cool. Good luck.

Answer 3

Hiya,

When it was time for my daughter to be potty trained we brought a book called "Potty training in a week" which had lots of cases of other peoples children who the author help with there potty training and then explains how she fixed the problem was a very good book and only cost a couple of pound from savacentre. You could also try putting the potty in the living room while he plays for a couple of weeks so that it is not the unknown and he gets used to it being about. I also brought her a book to read to her in the day called "my potty book" you can get a pink for girls and a blue one for boys and read that to him it explains what a potty is and what you use it for. Hope this all works. p.s Also theres a dvd with bear from the big blue house and he potty trains tutter.

Hope these suggestions help

Answer 4

I feel your pain on this one, I was in a similar stuation and got some great advice. Lay the nappy on the potty when your little boy is using it, every time he 'performs' move the nappy back a little until it's gone altogether. It worked for me, so I hope this helps. Also don't listen to condescending 'experts' who tell you potty training should be well and truly over with at this stage. I was lucky with my eldest and trained her in a few days when she was 2. I struggled with my youngest who didn't want to know about toilet training and wasn't trained until the age of 3. Every child is different and we all get there eventually. Chin up, and keep up the good work.

Answer 5

My son was terrified of pooing. My sister suggested going through a 'we love poo' stage. She said just talk about it show them it all the time, when you and family members use the loo, dogs, babies etc. You just need to remove the fear factor somehow. I would go slowly and just go back to basics looking at wee and poo until he is not scared before you start potty training. Hope that helps, I think it is called 'de-sensitisation', this is often needed because when we change the babies nappy we screw our faces up and comment on it being messy and nasty so they feel it is not nice, you need to undo those fears and attitudes.

Answer 6

x. i am shocked that you have left it so long, the potty should have been introduced earlier so he could get used to it, my children were potty trained by 2 and i am a child minder and i train all my children here at 2, just trained a little girl in three days, after 2 weeks the potty goes and they use the toilet. suggestions are never force him to sit on it, take it to the toilet when you go and take his nappy off you sit on the toilet and try to incourage him to sit on potty as big boys always go on potties it might take a few days as he is older, but good luck. never be cross only make it fun. x

Answer 7

A friend of mine turned it into a game where she threw Fruit Loops in the bowl and told him to aim at them. For every one he hit, he got a sticker or something. My son wasn't as resistant as yours seems to be but it was still difficult. What worked for him was being around other children who were potty trained (namely 2 of his cousins who he adores) and when he saw them go to the bathroom, all of a sudden, he wanted to be a "big boy" just like them and then magically he was potty trained. It was very strange! Another friend of mine after trying everything, committed to staying home for a week, didn't answer the phone, etc. and refused to put a diaper or pull up on her son and made him walk around the house naked. The second she spotted signs of him having to pee or poop, she plopped him on the toilet. She figured, it works for training puppies (grabbing them at the first sign and putting them outside or on a wee-wee pad) so why not her son? He didn't like the embarrassment of having no bottoms on and by the end of the week, was almost fully trained. He still wears pull ups but he will go on his own more often than not. Good luck to you! I know how frustrating it can be!

Answer 8

Why dont you take him everytime you need yourself and in between and show him how you sit on the toilet? and he can sit on his potty at the same time? Make it fun by saying "I'm gonna finish first" for example...? Then reward him when he uses it properly.
My son learnt on a big potty with a lid which has a handle at the side for "flushing" and it played a little song.
Good luck xx

Answer 9

We used the 'cheerio' method, it floats, and can be flushed. Then when he got used that, I let him choose his underwear for when he was potty trained. But he couldn't wear them until then. He tried a little harder so he could wear his Spongebob underwear.

Then one day I told him, 'this is the last pack of diapers, you have to use the toilet now..' He said 'Yea, Spongebob' He tried real hard. So I bribed him. It worked with his sister, too.

Answer 10

first of all don't force the issue, it will only make it worse. Consistency is key. Keep trying the potty, if he gets upset try again later. And watching his dad go potty can help too. They will go when they are ready. In the meantime stay cool and keep your patience!