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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

(just turned) 4 year old ds still prefers potty to toilet - worried about reception in january

7 replies

zebramummy · 02/09/2009 20:51

ds seems to have a real emotional attachment to his potty and i cannot see him giving it up without a struggle. my friends ds' only spent a couple of weeks on the potty before graduating to the big toilet and 'weeing like daddy'. ds enjoys sitting on the toilet and going through the motions (flushing, washing hands etc.) but it is as though the 'serious business' happens in the potty when it should really be the other way round. how can i wean him off it??

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Jojohaha · 02/09/2009 21:01

Harsh as it may seem my three and half year old, son, was exactly the same. i bought one of those steps with the seat attached that goes over the toilet seat, took the bull by the horns and said 'right the potty is going tomorrow'. Away it went and he used the toilet. (its now back being used as a step, as it can be but, not used as a potty).

sdr · 02/09/2009 21:45

We had the same situation with DS. Seems to be something about boys and their potty. Will he use a toilet if you're not at home? My DS would, so one day we just "lost" the potties.

choufleur · 02/09/2009 21:48

DS's (3.5) potty has just gone away. he now has to go on the toilet or stand up to pee.

Bribery worked a trick however. Just told him one morning that the potty had gone and he got a sticker for every wee he did standing up or poo on the toilet and when the chart was full we could go to Toysrus and choose something.

Goblinchild · 02/09/2009 21:49

Does he know how little the reception toilets are? Just the right size for him.
Perhaps you could get him to use them a few times before he starts, even if just for a wee, or a sit and swing his feet.

ThingOne · 02/09/2009 21:50

My DS1 loved his potty. We got rid of it overnight the May before he started school in September. He was 4.5. We went away for a long weekend and DH "forgot" the potty. He won't ever have a "bush wee" either so he had to go straight to an unknown big loo. It wasn't a problem at all.

mathanxiety · 03/09/2009 15:38

How about putting a few cheerios or other flushable cereal in the toilet for target practice. My DS loved doing this, and for a long time wanted to be a fireman when I started him dong this (can't imagine what the connection might be.

Original poster

zebramummy · 03/09/2009 20:29

thanks - i suppose i am going to have to be quite ruthless about this one - we are going away for a few days soon so i might plan the removal of the potty around this event. another worry i have is that ds likes to take his boxers right off before using the potty which would obv not go down will in reception though i can appreciate that once we crack the toilet (not literally but you never know!) then he may no longer see the need to do this

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