Any Advice on Toilet Training

Hi,

 I've got a problem that I've never had with my other two boys in the fact that my 2yr and 7 month old son refuses to put undies on.  I've tried pull ups, going naked, training pants and his just throw a tamptrum and gets so upset until I put him in a nappy.  I've told him that big boys wear undies and he tells me that he is a bubby and wears nappies, my husband is of the opionion that we should just force the issue but I'm not sure as I dont want to really put him off.  He stll at the moment will not tell me when he had done number 2's and he does not complain when his nappy is wet.  I've bought him a potty that does all this great stuff but he is only intersted in filling it with water.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Stacey

I see that you are 35 weeks pregnant, so a new little one is coming soon, right?  Do you think this has anything to do with his wanting to still be a "bubby"?  I think you should just let him wear a nappy for a bit longer.  I've read many times that toilet training should not be attempted when big life changes are happening, and getting a new sibling might be too distracting and emotionally overwhelming for him right now.  He may decide after the new baby comes that he is ready to be "big" and wear the undies.  The more you can point out all the great things about being "big" (or great things about being the new big brother), may encourage him to wear the underwear, too, because he will be more on-board with the concept of seeing himself as a "big boy". You could also put him in a nappy and put the undies OVER them, to see if that would do anything.  For some kids I suppose it might.

I'm inclined to think he's just not ready.  I didn't even attempt to potty train DS1 until he turned 3.  It was a breeze- took only a few weeks b/c he was ready.  DS2 has pretty much potty trained himself at 2 1/2, but I never pushed anything- it was all self-directed.  Unless you need to get him ready for preschool or something I would just let him be, put the potty away (maybe he'll miss it!) and revisit the idea in a few months.  I'm afraid that if you force it, it will become a battle of wills.

I am in the same boat as you except with my DD2....I've tried everything you have and just like your DS my DD doesnt inform me if she has done a poo or a wee...and she get me a nappy if she needs to go for #2.....I'm just feeling that she isnt ready even though there are times she shows interest.

I'm thinking of waiting for this baby to come and try again in a couple of mths while we are still in summer

my dd is the same way, she is 2 years 6 months so the same age as your ds and she just screams "pamper" until I finally put it on her. When she was 2 years 3 months she was fully day trained and in big girl undies, not even in pull ups anymore, then she regressed and we can't figure out why and though I feel like you that she should be trained, I can't force her to do something she won't do as she is very stubborn and the more I push the more she pushes back.

I agree with everyone else, maybe try waiting until after your next is born and show your ds that is is the big brother and only babies wear nappies, maybe that might help? I really wanted my dd day trained when our next one comes in March since she will be almost 3 at that point but I doubt it's gonna happen.

good luck!!!

 I think he is probably not ready....

...but as a last ditch effort...have you tried to bribe/use treats as incentive/rewards for him to wear them?

My ds3 refused to sit on the potty...He was still young 27months...so i did not really push the issue...but one day i said to him..."sit on the potty and mommy will give you a lollypop". He immediately sat on the potty and then proceeded to potty train himself in 2 days...   Who knew all i had to do was bribe him once I probably could have potty trained him months before if i had bribed him earlier

It only took one lolly. I guess he figured out it was not as bad as he thought it would be. After that i started using stickers.

I tried the suckers, it worked for a short time then she just started sitting for 1 second, jumping off the potty and then screaming "sucker!!" in a full blown tantrum, she knew she had to go potty to get it but she always wants what she wants when she wants it.

the sticker idea is a good one, i'll have to try that thanx!

Hi thanks for all the advice I think I'm just going to leave it for now but I'm still going to talk to him about wearing undies and how big boys go to the toilet, hopfully at the beginning of next year when it is still summer and he is closer to turning three then I will try and get him to wear undies and to use the potty.

Stacey

Here is a suggestion about your 2 yr old. There is a video that you can get called the "potty video" they have them for boys.  My oldest son was 2 1/2 when he was fully potty trained, by the time ds#2 was born he had regressed back and it took another 6 months to re-train him, but he thank god is finally completely potty trained as he better be since he is now 5 yrs old.LOL. As for my youngest son, he watches the video and sings that little song then asks to go potty and sometimes he goes and sometimes he doesnt. We think he will go completelly when he is ready. Let him go at his own pace. Try asking him to pick out his own "big boy" undies, maybe that will give him the insentive to go, but other wise, the more you push him, the more he will push back and refuse.

Good Luck!