Potty training - is this normal?

[Spottypineapple]

DD is 25 months.
I know she is 100% capable of controlling her bladder. (I know this because she'd rather hold it for three hours than sit on the potty)

She understands that wee and poo go in the potty. Not the floor, or the carpet or the bath mat (I know this because she parrots it back to me)

She also talks about mummy's big girl pants and how I don't wee or poo in them and I use the toilet instead. So she understands the concept.

But When she needs a wee she'll hold her crotch and run to me or the potty, and sometimes even say 'oh no, wee wee' but she will not sit on the potty and let it out! Today just when I think she's about to sit on it, she's asked me for cuddles instead (which she never usually does)

Even the prospect of a chocolate button for going isn't doing the trick. I've tried taking turns with her dolly, reading books while she sits on it.

I'm also not pressuring to sit on it at set times (she won't anyway). But trying to take her lead on when she needs it.

What am I doing wrong? Any tips? And is it normal for her to be suddenly so ultra clingy and asking for cuddles?

She may have difficulty releasing. My eldest knew she needed to go, but once I got her on the potty it wouldn't come. She became incredibly frustrated by that and would start screaming until suddenly the wee would come and she'd relax.

It took time. I really had to insist she has to stay sitting until it came, it was not fun... but like yours she could hold it for absolutely hours. The longer she held it, the harder she found it to let go. After nap time was particularly tough.

(My boys are totally different!)

But When she needs a wee she'll hold her crotch and run to me or the potty, and sometimes even say 'oh no, wee wee' but she will not sit on the potty and let it out!

So what happens after this? Does she just hold it?

My DD would literally not wee all day when we started potty training, and then we'd put her night time nappy on her and she'd immediately fill it with wee. I think the only thing that helped was time, and gentle encouragement to sit on the toilet - she never went in the potty, only the toilet with one of those little seat insert things.

@WeWereInParis

Yes exactly that, as soon as the nappy is on for nap or bedtime it's full.

I managed to get a decent amount in the potty today by letting her watch Peppa pig on my phone (lots of praise etc and she was so pleased with herself which was lovely) ...but ten minutes later at bed time the nappy was full, so she obviously didn't fully empty on the potty.

I think maybe it is not understanding what it feels like to release. We shall persist.

It's just worrying me that she's crawling up me for cuddles which makes me think she's very worried about the whole thing.