Potty training

[FFSparenting]

I have an almost 3 year old and have tried 3 times to potty train and in that time I've only got two wees in the potty. Each time he seems kind of interested at first and will sit on the potty and actively try to wee. He often says things like "It's too hard" but each time I've offered lots of reassurance that it's OK and we are just learning, accidents are OK etc. The first time I tried for a week spending lots of time with no nappy on and naked from waist down with potty at the ready. He was about 2 and half then. He had quite a few accidents on the floor and just one wee in the potty. I was really proud and made a big fuss and gave him a treat for the wee in the potty. Then the next day he turned against it and started getting upset and moving the potty away into another room etc. He kept saying it was too hard and he didn't want to be a big boy. I decided to drop it as I didn't feel pushing him was the right thing to do.

The other two times were similar kind of interested at first but losing interest rapidly and then being actively against it to the point of crying asking for nappies, kicking the potty over. Now any talk of wearing pants, being a big boy or potties is met with "no I don't want to" and absolutely no interest at all.

Any ideas for a child who isn't interested in being a big boy or wearing pants?!

He will be 3 in a month and I really want to make progress on this. I read the Oh Crap book and I know it's now late for potty training according to that method. Last time I tried about a month ago, he seemed to have no bladder control yet and just wee-ed his trousers whilst playing even with the potty right there. But maybe letting him have the accidents helps him to learn? Anyone had this situation - what helped?

Have you read any potty training books with him?
no more nappies was a hit with mine as well as the Bing toilet train book. Also Steve and Maggie song- put your botty on the potty.

he wore nappy pants and then had pants on over them to get used to having pants on. Then made it his idea to try just pants- an hour here and there then built up further.
it took a while but gradually more and more wees were in the potty- well the potty that looked like a toilet- then poos followed.
started around 2 yrs 10 months then by 3 yrs 2 months he was fully in control.

lots of praise- i never asked if he needed a wee because he’d say no. I’d just tell him “time to go toilet” regularly and he got it.

Patience is the key.

It also helped he was full time at nursery so we worked together with encouraging him and the children would go the loo together regularly.
There’s also an elmo potty training app that you could play together.

Thanks for your reply @Danikm151. Yes I've read those books and he seems interested in the books and pottys and pants when reading but it doesn't then translate to him wanting to try. That seems to be the issue that he actively doesn't want to and so I'm unsure where to go from this point. Not heard of the Steve and Maggie song, will look it up!

How did you manage to make it his idea to wear just the pants? I think I've made too much of a big deal about it all and perhaps inadvertently added pressure or he has sensed my stress!

Do you think a potty that looks like a toilet helped? I am wondering whether to go straight to the toilet with a step and insert. But will buy a toilet potty if it will help us move forward.

He is with a childminder 3 days a week but she seems to want us to potty train at home and then he comes in wearing pants but I think my son will need a more gentle/gradual approach.

I'm going to try and get him to wear pants for an hour here and there. Maybe if he knows it's not all the time that will help.

@FFSparenting honestly I was winging it most of the time.
”i’m wearing pants… do you want to?” Ok let’s try.

i probably would have gone straight to the toilet but the stairs in our house are steep so potty downstairs helped! Then going to the toilet together.