Hello all
Your advice would be much appreciated.
My daughter is 2 yrs 10 months old. We had a couple of abortive starts at potty training from 2.5 onwards, but she never seemed to be ready (we never stuck at it for long).
Nappies finally came off on Sunday afternoon, she has had a potty for ages and definitely understands exactly what it's for. She is an articulate little girl and plays with her toys on the potty, making them wee and poo, she has a book "Lulu's Loo" and the Little Princess potty one which she loves, she even made up a little song about how you mustn't wee wee on the floor!
All sounds great - until it comes to actually going on the potty. She hates it. I know this because she says "I don't like my potty, I don't want my potty, I won't sit on the potty no no no". She sometimes throws it or kicks it. Since Sunday we have had one or two wees in the potty, both under protest, and countless wees on the floor.
She knows when she's going to go as she'll start getting agitated and saying "no I don't need to wee" before leaving the room to wee on the floor somewhere else. She also is able to hold it, as she has twice wet herself immediately on coming back home.
She only poos when she has her nappy on at night - so she can control it, but just outright refuses to go on the potty. We've tried bribes and incentives (5 mins telly, chocolate, etc.) and sometimes she'll sit on the potty for a bit but she generally freaks out when she actually needs to wee and stands up!
I've read a bit online about resistance and I definitely think there's an element of power struggle/refusal for the sake of it, maybe we've talked about it too much, plus I think she is a bit scared about weeing/pooing on the potty - not sure why. If you ask her she says "it's scary" and "it hurts me" but I'm sure it doesn't really. She will sit on the potty wearing a nappy.
The advice re resistance is to stop and come back in a few weeks once the power struggle has faded away, but I really feel like she is ready in so many ways and she understands exactly what needs doing, and that it would be a mistake to give up now.
I really really don't want to go back to nappies. Am 17 weeks pregnant with DC2 and want her safely trained before the baby comes along and she starts preschool.
On the other hand we're on day 5 and it feels like no progress at all. It doesn't help people who say "oh my daughter was dry in 2 days" or "you were potty trained by the age of 2".
Please, can anyone advise what we should do - keep going? will it get better or is this doomed to failure?! Thank you 
Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.
Potty training
Keep going or give up? She understands totally but refuses to use potty - please help!
eccentrica · 25/07/2013 11:35
Hello elles
Good to know it's not just us! I know exactly what you mean about stubbornness, I can't see it getting any better if we wait another month or two. my daughter also didn't walk until 18 months and that was only with great persuasion!
We had a small success today, another wee on the potty. Knew she needed to as she started saying "I don't need to wee" which means the exact opposite 
I coaxed her on to potty with lots of hugs, kisses, support and also putting Abadas on the laptop. She sat down (with me cuddling her throughout) and did a wee on the potty - reluctantly but successfully.
I feel quite encouraged by this. We're unfortunately going to stay with my in laws this weekend, who will have a houseful of people, but think we will stick with it for the time being. At least we haven't had a repeat of the poo on bedroom carpet incident from Monday (touch wood)
tyger and elles I have a positive update! We've just got back from a weekend away with in-laws. When we left on Sat I was feeling very gloomy about it and starting to wonder if we should give up. Then I went out with friends on Sat night, my DP looked after her, and DD did a wee and a poo in the potty (at her request!)
This morning there were a couple of accidents but then we had a looong motorway drive home. DD announced that she needed a wee, we asked her to hold on as long as she could, we finally got to services, jumped out and put her on potty next to the car. She wee'd straight away!
A while later, on the road again, she said that she now needed a poo. A bit sceptical but we took her at her word and pulled over. Within a minute or two she did a poo in the potty (by the side of main road ) and was delighted with herself.
really happy that she was able, and chose, to tell us, and of course really happy that we avoided accidents in the car seat. I'm sure there will be setbacks but I am really glad we've stuck with it so far. I can believe now that it will succeed eventually, it will just take time.
Incidentally we also bought a new potty today, at her request. The old one was from the pound shop and compared to the new one (from Mothercare) is quite small and uncomfortable. I think that might have played a role too. elles maybe you could get your daughter to pick out a new potty for herself??
Diolch proudNeathgirl
We do have a little toilet seat, and she quite likes sitting on it, but will panic at the crucial moment, freak out and get up. We had a poo disaster this afternoon for that reason. 
Julia
Well we have had progress today. Sort of.
After weeks of refusing to wee on the potty she suddenly decided that she really wanted to with the promise of a haribo once she'd done it
Progress!
However she sat on the potty for about 10 mins, produced nothing and then cried hysterically when the timer bleeped and it was time to get off.
So we have progressed from crying hysterically at the thought of weeing on the potty to crying hysterically at not being permitted to wee on the potty ...
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