6 months on and STILL potty training!!!

[milkybarsrus]

I started potty training DS in July and all went well, probably too well. He would use the potty for a wee and a poo no problem. But, he NEVER asks to go, he has to be asked by me 'do you want a wee/poo?' every 40/60 mins. If he isn't taken to the toilet he will quite happily stand there and do it (with or without an audience)to watch. Very rarely will he say 'i'm wet' or anything so he obviously doesn't mind being wet/soiled. It seems that in the last month he gets up in the morning and does a poo in his nappy which was something he had stopped doing months ago, so it seems we are going backwards not forwards. Tried reward charts, presents,sweets, singing daft songs and doing acrobats when he does go. But, now I am cheesed off with the whole thing, so should I just put him back in nappies at this late stage? He is 2.10months, try when he is 3? any advice gratefully received .

It seems to me like putting him back in nappies would be more work for you than asking him if he needs to go every half hour.

My DS was 3.3 yrs, and it took one day...with hardly any accidents after that. He managed a long haul flight a couple of weeks later with no pull-ups.
I'd wait and try again in the new year.

My ds is 4 in march is still not reliable, so I wouldn't worry too much. We've been battling for about a year. Ds1 who's nearly 7 still has to be reminded at times.

From talking to friends boys tend to take longer to train than girls, and no child will be able to do it until they're ready. Sounds like your lo isn't quite ready yet, so I'd go back to nappies for a bit.

You could put him back in nappies for now, but still sit him on the potty/loo at times throughout the day, on getting up, after meals and mid morning/afternoon, before bath, and bed. You praise a used pot, but casually say 'never mind maybe next time' about an empty one, and put nappy back on. But maybe some form of training pants might be better to minimise mess, than nappies.
It is certainly true that the more anxious mums get, the less likely the child is to make any progress. He will be trained one day, just not right now.

I certainly wouldn't put him back into nappies, he has done it before and he can do it again plus he's nearly 3, not nearly 2. My DD is the same age and we have had exactly the same problem. She never said she needed to go, pooed in her knickers and started wetting again after being dry since july. We went completely back to basics, heart stickers for wees and gold stars for poos and we haven't looked back. We did the chart without exception, took it out with us, took it to nursery and to the CM and went from 6 wet knickers a day to being completely dry and taking herself to the toilet.We haven't had pooey knickers for nearly 3 weeks. I Would persevere but give a sticker chart a couple of days to work and be consistant but never angry, getting angry put her back 3 steps.

Argh you get so much conflicting advice.

Sorry but I would say put him back in nappies for a few months. My DS is 5 1/2, out of nappies for 3 YEARS and he is still not great. Never wants to go himself, always too busy - we STILL have to remind him contantly, its been 3 years of h3ll. Of course he is in full time school now, regularly wets there. He doesnt tell them and they often dont notice (dark trousers you see) so he comes home just wet and smelling of wee at the end of the day. We've had him checked out, nothing medically wrong. Its my one massive regret in life that we started too soon. I then didnt want to go back to nappies as I kept thinking "it can't go on like this forever". If I had a pound for every time someone said to me "well he wont be wetting himself like this when he goes to school" ..... grrr. Put it this way, I have spent tonight shopping for absorbent incontinence style pants for hm as I am fed up batltling it and have decided to give in and go with the flow and make it a fight any more.

sorry to seem negative but if I could go back in time I would have put my son back in nappies for sure. With him I reckon I would have waited til at least 3 1/2.

With my daughter we waited til she was 3 yrs 4 months and she got it in a week and has had about 3 acidents since then (9 months ago). I know girls are generallye asier so its not comparong like for like but it certainly acted as a sharp reminder (as if we needed one!!!) of just how hideous its been with DS.

I have a 15 month so I get to do it all again in a couple of years time hurrah ....... she's a girl though so fingers crossed

Good luck and I wish you all the strength and tolerance in the world to deal with it, its blooming hard going
Jillxxx