Another 'should I give up' thread - opinions please!

[lme30005]

Hi

I've read through many of your threads and have similar problems to many of you. I'm at a crossroads with my DS who is 2y 9m. I have been toilet training him for 2 weeks now and things seem to be getting worse not better. I have easily trained my older DS's in 1 week but they were a little older when I did it. I have used the same method but its not working. This is roughly what has happened:
Day 1 - constant accidents
Days 2-5 - fewer accidents, in pants, happy to go to toilet but I have to put him there
Days 6-8 - went to Center Parcs - in pull ups a lot of the time due to out cycling/doing activities but still going on toilet
Days 9-13 - more and more accidents in pants so put in pull ups. Still wouldn't say when he wanted to go
Days 14-15 - caught a tummy bug so wasn't up to being hassled for toilet all the time so in pull ups again
Today - in pull ups for nursery as he got stressed when I put him on toilet there and still won't say when he wants to go. Just put him on toilet and he produced as usual.

He won't say when he wants to go, isn't too bothered when he has an accident and can't go more than about an hour between wees. However he has responded to stickers and is happy to go once he's there.

Should I give up? Have I put him in pull ups too much? I'm starting to lose enthusiasm now and its getting in the way of us going out for the day etc but he has made progress and I don't want to waste the time spent on it, especially when he is still quite keen.

I feel a bit of a failure as friends started the same time and have cracked it but I guess they are all different.

Thanks

Louise

i think you need to wait a bit. Sounds like he isn't ready. And I found it best to be able to stay at home for a few days. Keep watching, you'll see when he's ready

I would take a short break - maybe a couple of weeks in pull ups, still taking him to the loo regularly so he continues to be used to regular weeing in the loo, but without any pressure. Talk constantly about how soon he'll be ready to wear pants again, and then in a couple of weeks when the time is right and you have a clear week in front of you go for it again. I think that he sounds perfectly ready but there has been a bit too much chopping and changing on what's expected of him. You won't undermine the good work you have done by taking a step back for a couple of weeks (as long you keep taking him to the loo regularly and rewarding him for producing a wee) and then starting again in earnest when YOU are ready.

Thanks for your advice. I was about to give up and give it a rest for a while when I decided to resort to chocolate bribery. I told him he could have a mini egg every time he went. Immediately things changed and he decided he wanted to go all the time. Now I've only had one accident in 3 days and trying to lengthen the time between trips. Shows he could do it if he wanted! Hopefully he won't get bored of it and I will gradually reduce the mini egg incentives when he becomes more reliable.

Thanks
Louise