no nappy, no potty and can hold it in for hours...

[ShoeSmacking]

DS is 2.9. Has decided he doesn't like his nappies and refuses to wear them. But, he's not interested in using the potty or toilet either. On the plus side, he can hold it in, but he lands up holding it in for hours and hours (we're on 5 hours right now for example) until eventually he's forced to let go. Not sure what to do. Forcing him to wear a nappy seems a bit counter productive, but I worry that too much holding can't be good either.

Any advice?

[HectorVector]

I had a similar problem. My DS could hold it in for ages. My advice. Lose the nappies, when he's desperate he'll go, try to make sure that's in a potty or toilet. Persevere. Bladder control shows he's ready.

[HectorVector]

PS I went to see my Dr after he held it in for 9 hours and gave himself a fever. Dr advised plonk him on the potty or toilet and run a tap - really worked. He also said it's suprise fly difficult for little boys to get bladder/urine infections etc... So not to worry about that.

[HectorVector]

PS I went to see my Dr after he held it in for 9 hours and gave himself a fever. Dr advised plonk him on the potty or toilet and run a tap - really worked. He also said it's suprise fly difficult for little boys to get bladder/urine infections etc... So not to worry about that.

[ShoeSmacking]

Thanks hector. The challenge us that he won't go near the potty or toilet. Screams hysterically. But he has shorn signs of less fear so perhaps we just need to wait. Sigh.

[HectorVector]

:(. It's really tough. It took us just over 2 weeks to crack it, we hated every second of it though. Have you tried buying some stickers of his favourite character eg Thomas the Tabk Engine and let him decorate the outside of the potty with them. Or rewarding every wee with a sticker and when he's done all the stickers he can have a you?

[ShoeSmacking]

Bribery and incentive has no effect. But I do like idea of making his potty more appealing. I see a trip to sticker/craft store in my immediate future what time do shops open tomorrow?

[ShoeSmacking]

Sorry, posted too soon.

He's v strong willed but he DOES live drawing and has had to learn no drawing on furniture. So perhaps we can decorate his potty with him using permanent marker. We were going to go with him to a shop to see if he wants to choose a new potty so that might help too. Thanks again. Two weeks is long, but bearable. I'm hoping that at least once he gets over potty fear he will be quick to be completely dry.

[Honsandrevels]

We're having a v similar problem. Dd2 is almost 3 and decided she wanted to wear knickers. After holding it in overnight (16hrs on total) she proved amazing stubbornness and perseverance. She wanted to wait and use the potty and preschool and she did.

Eventually , after a v bad morning where she refused a nappy/potty and I ended up running her a bath so she's wee in it, she started asking for a nappy to wee in at home, during her two days at preschool she uses the potty.

She won't be bribed either! We've been doing this for 2 weeks and tonight she asked to sit on the potty, no wee but a big improvement.

Not sure how helpful my post is but you are not alone.

[ShoeSmacking]

Knowing we are not alone is a huge help!! So many parents around us with potty training issues but all different to ours!

[HectorVector]

I think that's the thing. When we potty trained I was expecting wee everywhere, accidents left, right and centre... But no not my DS... My DS held it all in for as long as was physically possible! :)
Good luck OP... The permanent marker thing may do the trick!

[BikeRunSki]

DS was the same. I am trying to remember what we did...
I think we did a deal - no wee = no pants. He loved his Thomas pants.... But it was Whitsun bank holiday do we stayed in for three days and DS had nothing on his bottom half.

[eltsihT]

I just popped over here to post a similar thread. Ds has done 3 wees in the last 48 hours.

He has no interest in wearing pants although has some he picked himself. He was on a day out today with GP so put him in a nappy and it came home dry.

He will be doing the "wee dance" and refuse to go on the loo/potty and then go hide somewhere and wee

Surprisingly poos are no problem he does them fine on the loo/potty

[TKKW]

Exact same problem here OP. 2yr 9 month doesnt want nappies but wont wee in potty. Huge waterfall of wee hours later, literally like someone has thrown a cup of water over her trousers.

At my wit's end and need to do it in before DD2 arrives in 11 weeks time.

[TKKW]

bribes of sticker and smarties dont work. She chooses pants. Doesn't want the Ceebeebies magazine that she was promised if she used potty all weekend. screams and kicks if we try to put her on potty and wont go near it herself.

Sorry to barge in OP, we're on day 3 and we've had 8 huge wee wees on floor and only 3 in potty.

This is the absolute of low point of parenting apart from new born phase.