Help me potty train my stubborn DS!

[Angelsus]

DS is nearly 3 and has been in nappies up to now. He has used the potty quite a few times over the last 6 months, mostly when he was in the loo with me and asked to use it when he saw it.

However, yesterday I decided to start potty training and he is refusing to sit on the potty or the toilet with a little seat. So far we've had no success on the potty because he hasn't even sat on it yet!

He is very set in his ways and doesnt really like things changing. I've tried all sorts enccouragement, stickers, sweets, new Cars toy but he just won't sit on it. Do you think I just need to stick at it and eventually he'll start using the potty/toilet or do you think he's not ready.

He's DC1 so never been through any potty training before and i'm finding it a lot harder than i expected.

Any advice?

We tried countless times with my DS between 2.5 and 3.5 (he sounds similar to your DS). He simply DID NOT WANT to do it. at 3.7/8 somehting just clicked and he had cracke it within 2 weeks basically. I would wait if he seems really resistant.........

I am in the same position as you Angelus. I watch with interest. I wouldn't mind keeping ds in nappies longer if necessary, but he goes to nursery in August and they won't take him if he is not potty trained.

Thanks Victor

Its good to hear someone else has been through this too! I feel like he can do it he just doesn't want to, and i suppose its something i have no control over so i'll just have to let hime take the lead.

We did have to slightly force him at 3.7/8 but there was MUCH less resistance. Honestly I was TEARING my hair out about it. He is just very very laxy - is the same with so many things - can do them but just cant be arsed...........

Hi Nicky

My DS is starting nursery soon as i'm going back to work. He doesn't have to be potty trained but i was really hoping he would be.

I'm finding it hard to encourage him without forcing him when he is just so stubborn though. I don't want to put him off altogether so maybe we'll just wait another few weeks and start again.

My ds1 is 2.5 and is pretty much the same. Although he will sit on the potty or training seat, he has yet to ever do anything in it. He doesnt care if he has a wet nappy, and is only occasionally bothered by a dirty one. We have decided to leave it for now in the hope that when he is ready it won't take too long. By then hopefully our ds2 might catch on too and we can get 2 done at once!! (he is 17mo younger)

DS2 is only 15 months younger than DS1 so i had thought about leaving it a bit longer and doing both at once too. I get the feeling DS2 will pick it up pretty quickly, so hopefully that may spur DS1 on.

Good Luck to everyone else, lets hope we have some success stories soon!

Have you sat teddy or other favourite toy on the potty and 'praised' it for doing a 'wee' or sat toy on potty or loo while he sits on potty or loo (whichever toy isn't on!) Let him see other children use potties or loos.Talk about all the children you know who don't wear nappies because they are grown-up and use potties and loos instead. Have special toys or books that are only available while on potty or loo. Have a race to see who can get to the loo first. Make it fun. Buy character pants that he has chosen, lots of them. Ditch the bribes. It gets to the point where children will only get on the potty for a treat.

He's used nappies for three years with your approval and now you want him to sit on a hard plastic thing, often interrupting his play, why wouldn't he be resistant? The habit of using nappies is so ingrained after such a long time you virtually have to untrain it and retrain to eliminate in a more appropriate place.

You could go cold turkey, remove nappies and allow him to wear pants or nothing, take him to the potty/loo at regular intervals, or have a potty close to where he's playing, so that he can choose to use it himself. In the garden is favoured by many mums as it saves a lot of cleaning! After he has a few wet feet/legs, he should realise that there is nothing there to soak up the wee and will start to learn when he is about to wee, before it happens. Get dad to show him how to wee standing up this often works well, put a bit of cereal in the loo to aim at.