3 year old girl - just not interested!!!

[gurgaon]

We tried to potty train when my DD was 2.5 yrs. After a good attempt with wees my girl decided she was not interested. She happily comes to the toilet with me, she loves her books and DVD's about potty training BUT she does not care that all other kids in her class are in pants, she never tells us when she poos or is wet and when you ask she lies! She does not seem to care at all about being dirty or wet!!!! In all other areas she is thriving. Should we force it or leave her until she decides to care? Have tried bribery and rewards charts. Any views greatly appreciated.

[CeeUnit]

I think I would be tempted to just go cold turkey in knickers and wait for her to get the message that there's no going back now. Although I don't know how that would work with nursery.

It would probably be hellish to begin with but if you don't give in, and you reward even the smallest inclination not to go in her pants I think she will pick it up.

Also she may care more about being wet and dirty if she does not have the protection of a nappy/pullup, - not suggesting for a minute that you leave her wet or anything, just that she will be more aware of it.

Am in the middle of doing it myself with DD, we are in knickers full stop, I just take a bag full of spare clothes everywhere

[Meds]

I am having difficulty potty traing my son who will turn 3 next Thursday. He no longer wears nappy only at night time. He goes to nursery and there are lot other children at similar age potty training. I noticed that all the girls got potty trained fast and boys don't care. My son understands when he is doing wee and poo but wouldn't go by himself and sit on potty or would ask anyone for the same.If i see signs then i make sure i put him on potty. His verbal skills is very good and he tellms me 'No wee and poo in trousers' We started potty traing in August only improvemnt in him so far is that he now holds it longer sometimes too long.On weeknds when i am busy around house, when he no longer hold it would wait the pants...and when sees me goes and sits on the potty.Then every night he will get up and shout i am doing wee , i want to sit on potty....

I have never been angry with his behaviour but everytime he has accident i assure him that it's ok, next time you have to tell me. He is cheeky if i say to him mummy will put Thomas on DVD if you do wee wee in potty then he goes and does it prompltly.

So all you can do is encourage them and I would advice to reward her with stickers (well done stickers, or if she likes dora or iggle piggle stickers) and she will def come around. i know how you feel because i feel frustated at the moment and i guess more anxious we become they sense it. So relax and let her take her own time. Don't fill pressurize by people around you who will compare her with other children. In the nursery when they told me about some one saying 'oh she just took 4 weeks' i said to them please don't give me anyones example. Each child is diff and you should train him without comparing to other children and don't ever come back to me saying the same thing again.

So good luck.

[Discodolly100]

Gina Ford says you should just switch straight to pants and not use pull ups, to avoid confusion and to ensure they get the message; and I can see where she's coming from. However, if you don't feel brave enough for that right now, a tip I heard was to switch to the cheapest nappy brand you can find.... Pampers and Huggies are just too good at keeping them dry! I'm not sure which are the "worst brands", but it's got to be worth a try! Good luck!

[SophiePloeg]

Hi
I've got a nearly 3 year old boy (3 in december) and he's the same. I know he is very ready and will probably learn fairly quickly but he's just not interested. It sorta interferes with his playing so he cannot be bothered. But I am going to go cold turkey on him soon. I have told him about it and as soon as I've bought another potty (I want one upstairs and downstairs) we're gonna go for it.
Hope it'll work.
I wouldn't bother with pull-ups either, except perhaps when he/she goes out and you know its very early days.

Good luck!!

sophie (sophieploeg-dot-com)

[Northernlurker]

I would just leave it. I've trained dd1 and dd2 - dd1 was not interested at all and we had a solid year of trying, of putting her in pants, of her refusing the potty etc. No accidents at all but nothing in the potty then as soon as she had a nappy on it was wet. It was the most miserable, painful thing - until she was 3.5 when she decided to co-operate and was dry instantly! Dd2 very different, much more eager to get in to it. Dd3 is going to be like dd1 I can see - except this time I'm not sweating it - we're going at her pace not mine. In your shoes I would forget it for a bit.

[Conundrumish]

I'd second what Northernlurker said.