Need some help breaking the final stage of potty training.

[confuddledDOTcom]

For the last 6 months Tiny (who is 3 in just over a week) has been using the potty, she's usually pretty good unless she gets distracted and then either panics or gets fascinated by the wee flowing out of her. She's usually dry at night and is managing to do poos into the potty too.

What's the problem then? Well... she'll only use it if she's got nothing on her bum. That means she won't go if she's wearing a nappy, padded pants, normal pants or is commando. You can say "Tiny, do you need to use the potty?" and she'll say no then wee a few minutes later. I've seen her go through 5 pairs of pants in a day but leave her with nothing and she won't use the potty as often as she wets pants. We praise her up, cheer etc when she uses the potty which she loves and even tells us to call people (Mum is a professional and I have to call her on home visits and days she's in court so Tiny can tell Nanny she did a wee - she's good about it though or I'd deflect to someone else)

She's going into preschool room in January so it's more of an issue now.

Do you still put her in a nappy/padded pants? If so this might be confusing for her.

At home she goes without anything because if we don't she won't use the potty - nappies are at night and usually dry and going out. The padded pants don't hold anything, just slow it down. We've tried leaving her in pants and a T-shirt but she wees. It doesn't even seem to bother her most of the time, she just watches it.

I would put her into clothes, but then go back to square one on the training - i.e. no asking her if she needs the potty or expecting her to tell you, but every hour or so say 'right, now it's time to use the potty / loo' and take her. Sure give her some choice, but make it as to whether she wants to use the red or blue potty / the potty or loo / potty upstairs or downstairs/ jellytot or chocolate button or sticker afterwards, but not as to whether she actually goes on the potty. I think that if you really focus on keeping her dry whilst she is wearing clothes for a week or so she will get used to the idea and pick it up.

Do not use any nappies at all (except at night - and even then by the sounds of it you don't really need them any more, but maybe that's the next step!). Nappies have to be totally ditched or it confuses the matter. When going out you have to accept that she will have accidents, make sure you have plenty of spare clothes, wipes and plastic shopping bags to put wet clothes in. Plastic bag under a folded towel in the car seat etc

Dd was in this postition until two days ago at the age of two years and eight months. It drove me nuts as she was 99% accurate when bare bottom from 18 months, but treated knickers as pants.

We cracked it two days ago by using pringles as bribary. I stopped nagging her and everytime she had an accident I said "next time you do a poo poo or a wee wee in the potty you can have a pringle." We completely ditched the nappies except for night time. I think children have to take responsibly if they are going to avoid accidents.

Now the interesting bit will be to wean my daughter off pringles. My son was exactly the same and potty trained at 3 years 3 months with chocolate buttons. We used a don't offer don't refuse with my son.

Please don't worry about pre school. A pre school cannot refuse to put a child up a room because they are in nappies.

Thanks for the advice both I'm going to start trying with her again when her sister is back at school and hopefully that plus going full time at nursery starting next week will help. She has been using it a lot more lately and just in PJ shorts and I've caught her at night with a dry nappy on the floor sat on the potty so she's getting better. Need to stop her sloshing in it now