2.9 and no sign of potty training.... what can I do?

[JennerOSity]

We have been reading all sorts of books about potty training (Piaret Pete etc) for some time, many of his class mates at his nursery are toilet trained but my ds remains resolutely happy with his nappies.

He does not mind being in a dirty nappy, tho this isn't normal it sometimes gets full and he doesn't care if so.

I talk about and encourage the whole idea when I can without hammering on about it all the time, and we have a toilet seat and a potty he can use.

At his behest we tried big boy pants this week but he made no attempt whatsoever to flag up a wee/poo and just went as tho his nappies were on, we cleaned it up and talked about how pants are different to nappies and what to feel and do when a wee/poo is coming. However, he now says he doesn't want the toilet and wants his nappies so we have shelved the initiative for now while we regroup and he absorbs the experience.

Should I be very concerned that at 2 yrs 9 months this is the state of play? Any suggestions?

Will be very grateful!!

bump. :)

I tried potty training with my DS at about 2.6 months and it was a complete disaster - as you say perfectly happy being wet/dirty and no inclination to use potty/toilet. I was 6 months pg at the time and the stress was not doing either of us any good at all so I stopped. We didn't even think about it again for a long time. He was due to start the school nursery in the September and I was determined he would be out of nappies by then so we attempted it in the May half term (he was 3.6 by then) - it worked like a dream. Hardly any accidents and onto the loo from the potty within days. Some are just ready later.
My DD decided she was going to wear big girl pants at 2.5 and that was it - dry day and night straight off.
Don't worry - go back to nappies for a good while and try again in the summer (if it ever arrives) - it's much easier then

I don't have any advice apart from to reassure you that I think that's pretty normal... My ds is 2y10m and has zero interest. Loves the idea of big boy pants but wants to wear them over his nappy!! He's a bright little boy, so I'm not particularly worried, I'm hoping that he'll just "get it" in his own sweet time! He attends nursery and many of his peers are pottying but that hasn't seemed to have spurred him on! At this stage though I'm thinking he might skip the potty altogether (as he never wants to go near it) and try a loo seat- mind you we have one of those too and he's never shown any interest! He loves his pirate Pete book, but it doesn't particularly spur him on!! Not read much about it but all I hear time and time again is don't force the issue, he'll do it when he's ready... So that's the stance I'm taking! Planning on having him run about with no nappy on in the garden in the summer months if he hasn't cottoned on by then to see if that helps!

Just thought I'd post in solidarity and tell you you're not alone!! Also out of my friends with similarly aged tots, about 50% are potty trained, 50% not. Maybe we're all a bit too relaxed, but it works for us!

Sorry, I'm no help whatsoever but I'm eager to here reply's. I have 4 DC, the eldest is 15 and was dry by night at 23 months. Similar to the next 2, however DC4, 2.8years is not interested in the slightest. I have a fun filled easter weekend of going nowhere and doing very little as I want to do everything within my power to get this potty training started! Good luck

Invite a friend with a small boy who is happy to use the potty.

Telling small DCs they can do things doesn't always work. Noticing little people like them doing it makes it much less scary. He may have seen children do it at nursery, but in his own environment may make it feel much more natural.

DD1 hardly bothered with the potty or the baby seat because her BF just jumped straight on the loo. Best friend is actually a year older, but that's never really registered as DD1 is probably more confident.

She just saw small person just getting on with the job no fuss.

Likewise, I've had DD2 point blank refuse to go down a slide until she saw another child do it (the child was actually several years older, but it didn't matter he was still 'small'.

My boy loves to watch his little friends use his potty over at our house, after they're gone he'll sit on it, even tucks his willy in (!) but never does a wee, and loses interest soon after they're gone! I am sure he'll do it when good and ready!

I wouldn't worry about it!

My ds1 trained at 18mths but ds2 and ds3 were almost three and ds4 didn't train till 3yrs 4mths but when he did it was done in two days.

Have a potty available, give him nappy free time and don't stress.

I would wait and try again in a couple of months summer would be perfect. But your ds is young yet . My ds tryed him 2yrs 10 months was not ready tryed just weeks before 3rd birthday and came right away just put him in proper pants and a month lat put proper pants on and went all night great. Sometimes i think pullups can hold them back to much like a nappy my ds never wanted them on always said he wanted big boy pants. Another tip go to asda, tesco with your ds let him pick his own pants and have reward chart when he goes it will work wonders . But do not worry he will pick it soon.good luck

dd is 2.10 and seems understand the concept of toilet training very well; just doesn't seem to believe it applies to her! She usually loves to copy ds, who is 6, but not on this issue.

It is frustrating and her key worker keeps asking what we are going to do about it - grrr - anyway we went through the same things with ds and in the end told him he would get big boy pants on his third birthday, and that his nappies would be taken away. He had two accidents the first day, two on the second, and then was completely clean and dry at home (poos at nursery took another couple of weeks to sort!). I am hoping the same trick will work with dd.

Both of mine were six weeks off 3 when they tried. DS1 was a bit of a nightmare, took 8 days to do anything on the potty, but after that he made good progress and was dry at night within a month or two. DS2 took to it pretty much straightaway, just had three wees on the floor on the first day. He woke me up in the night when he needed the potty and after a couple of weeks he was dry at night so I took him out of pull ups. I definitely think that when you leave it longer, they get it more quickly as they realise for themselves when they need to go.

dd1 didn't show any signs of being ready until 2.11
we were done and dusted by 3 - I can't remember any accidents from then on.
dd2 is 2.6 and refuses to even glance in the direction of the potty. we'll give her a bit of a nudge over the summer I think...

Wow!!!!

Fantastic guys - what a great collection of experiences and words of wisdom - quite exceeded my expectations folks!

I feel quite buoyed up by my newly gained insight from all of you - thank you so much for taking the time to help me.

I have bought him a collection of really fab stickers and an album to put them in - when the album is full he gets to go to the zoo - he has won one sticker so far just for trying the toilet seat out, we'll have another go soon and hopefully we'll be pulling faces at chimps very soon. :)