How do I get son to ask to go to toilet?

[suzy77]

Started potty training over week ago. He can do a wee and occasionally a poo when i ask him or take him to the toilet. But if I don't ask he does it where ever he is on sofa, at table. He has a potty in lounge but never uses it. I reward him with sticker and chocolate. But he nver asks to go. How do I get him to tell me he wants to go. He is 3yr in sept. Any advice please.

You have to tell him first before he;ll get the message. Visit to loo every 30 minutes is a good start.

it was a few weeks before my lo's would tell me they needed to go. I just took them regularly to the toilet up until then.

Will have to take him more regularly then. We practice what to say, in the morning and he knows what he is supposed to say, just never asks. My first son did it all himself, took himself to potty and he ws 2yrs. So bit harder this time.

We potty trained DS1 back in April - he's 3 also. He will go to the loo if we tell him to - which we do before leaving the house for playgroup etc but isnt great at telling us when he wants to go. The things I've found help are:

• giving him smiley face stickers every time he tells us he wants to go do a wee or poo and when he gets a certain number he gets to pick a magazine to buy

• forbidding tv in the morning (which he only gets 20 minutes of) until he's had his first wee of the day (the boy is a camel and will go for hours before doing a wee - this works well as he will do a wee generally around 2 hours after waking as a result of this rule)

• really watching him and asking him if he needs the loo if he's holding his willy and explaining what the sensation means to him

No wet patches today but probably a fluck, was shopping all day so had him in pull up and took him to the toilet few times but he kept pull ups dry. Told him would give him stickers if asked for the toilet, didn't ask once and no poo so far. Will have to watch him more see if I can catch him before he goes.

Amazing how siblings can be so different. My daughter will be 3 in October and we are in week 3 of potty training. She rarely says she wants a wee or poo and we take her to the potty at regular times e.g. the minute I hear her get out of bed, after meals, before going out and when coming back and if she hasn't gone for 2-3 hours. She is doing OK, some friends think I should let her initiate things but my instinct is that she needs gentle encouragement to learn what to do. She is a cautious child by nature and gets heaps of praise and a choice of stickers when she is successful. We don't use pull-ups as I thought they might confuse her and just take spare clothes on trips out, I have to wash her little brother's nappies each night so any accidents are not a problem. We have stone flooring and spend a lot of time outdoors so no carpet to worry about cleaning! Keep positive, hard I know but you know how your son learns, each child is different and he will ge there eventually. Will be watching your posts and hoping all goes well.

Welsummer

Thanks for your post, it is encouraging, number 2 son is so different from number 1 son who at age 2 kept taking his nappies off so thought would have a go at potty training, wee everywhere for 2 weeks then started using the potty all by himself. yes must remember they are different.So wish we didn't have so much carpet in the house.Well maybe will get my new lounge carpet after we have cracked it, husband thinks there nothing wrong with it, but it will be heading out the door on its own soon.

success DS has used the toilet twice today on his own, had bit mess 2nd time had been waiting all day for no 2's, and nearly didn't make it. Had left him with DH and told him keep eye on him 5 min thinking he may need go soon, I came back where is DS, DH is I don't know. Lucky he not on brothers bed. Although he didn't ask to go he knew he needed to go so think this is progress. Must remember to give him more time to pick up new things up, think I expect him to get new things quicker and then think he is never going to get it, when really its not been that long, think I am bit too impatient. Well see what tomorrow brings.

Progress DS used toilet on his own, just took himself all day sun. MOnday out all day, only problem was at the park tried to get him wee in bushes didn't like that, but had pull ups on so wee in there. Think prob should stop using them, may be bit confusing.