How do I stop dd pretending she needs the toilet?

[Beanbag222]

Single parent to 3.5 yr old dd. Potty trained for around 6 months.

Whenever I need to do something important she pretends to need the toilet so my attention is back on her and it's getting pretty frustrating. She gets plenty of my attention all other times, it's perhaps once every 3 days when I need to fill in a form, be in the middle of cooking a meal or say talking to the neighbour for five minutes. She'll suddenly say she needs a wee and then as soon as I'm taking her upstairs say she doesn't really.

I can't send her on her own (she has some movement delays and isn't great at climbing stairs/on to the toilet yet)

I've tried making her sit on the toilet for a few minutes anyway to "have a try"

I've spoken to her about what lying is and how it's not a good thing.

We've read the boy who cries wolf a few times.

I don't want to not take her incase she really does need to go and has an accident.

I just want to be able to do something that's not focused on her for five bloody minutes without her shouting I NEED A WEE. Any ideas?

Yes. Keep a potty downstairs (buy one if you’ve got rid of them) and tell her that’s where she goes when she unexpectedly ‘needs a wee’. She gets taken to the toilet upstairs when you think she will need it but when she does this as an attention seeking thing she does not get the attention - you just send her to the potty.

Keep a relaxed approach and a potty downstairs. She can't really understand the boy who cried wolf concept. Toddlers are known for being challenging. If she craves attention give it to her. Do forms etc when she has a nap or in bed.

Mine did this. We'd just say 'do you really or are you just pretending' and he'd say 'just pretending'. It was like he couldn't work out how to lie about a lie

She is 3 and a half you don't need to be dropping everything and running to the toilet with her let her go herself get a step for the bathroom so she can get on or a potty in the living room or wherever. Children will get their attention fix from every source don't feed into it.

Bless him 😃

Lol, mine too
’is that a fib?’
‘Yes’

Take her before you start something 'important'.

Oh now this is good, stop her in her tracks.

Op I'm so sorry I didn't read properly you said she has some delays and can't manage the stairs.

Thank you for the responses, taking her before I start something seems so obvious I don't know why I didn't think of it!

If that doesn't work I'll try a potty downstairs. Physical therapy is working with her movement so hopefully she'll be able to get take herself soon.