I'm going to go crazy if this continues

[2muchtimeonmyhands]

Help me, has anyone got any advice who has been there got the t-shirt because it is starting to get obsessional now and I don't know how to go about this.

My DS is 3 and a half, he is potty trained but won't sit on the toilet. He screams if I so much as mention him using it.

BUT this is where I have a dilemma, he won't stop going on about the toilet, the 1st thing he says when he wakes up is "I want to flush the toilet," he does at school, his grandas, we also have an outside loo and he's obsessed about that one aswell.

He plays imagination games with his toys using toilets, I can't sit on the loo without him repeatedly trying to flush it.

It is literally 1 extreme to the other, hysterically scared to sit on it but obsessed with it, I don't know what to do anymore as I don't want to encourage the fear as he holds his bladder the 3 hrs he's at nursery and we have to take a potty if we are out and about, as I typd he's away upstairs to flush it again and is refusing to come down.

Help please!!

If you ask him what is frightening about sitting on the toilet, is he able to explain? Maybe he thinks he will disappear. I presume you have tried a trainer seat inside the toilet?

I would ignore the flushing as best you can and gradually work on the fear of sitting on it. You need to work towards desensitising him. Start by sitting him down near the toilet or looking at pictures of a boy sitting on the toilet. Then next sitting on with the lid down. Do whatever you can to get him relaxed at each stage. And reward at each stage. Then start to gradually work towards him sitting with the lid raised, then pulling down his pants etc. disclaimer - I don't have experience of this but just trying to think of the right approach. I expect if you can crack this, then he will ease up on the flushing eventually.

Thanks Nimpy, like the disclaimer bit, had a giggle.
I've just got in from work there and upto now he hasn't been to bad, he's been upstairs looking at it but no flushing.
As his dad went out the door for work he said that his teacher told him that they were talking about houses in class and that DS enjoyed talking about his bedroom and the bathroom, so maybes a bit of explaining from someone other than me and his dad, it might make more sense to him without feeling he's being told to use it perhaps.
I don't know, maybes it's just going to take a little bit longer.

Could the flushing not be used as a reward for using the toilet, or at least graduating towards that? Could you keep the bathroom door shut and only allow him in when you want?

Hey Nimpy you will never guess, he took himself up and had a wee standing like his dad, monumental acheivement, loads of high fives, even his teacher gave him a cuddle and a star sticker when he told her.
Then when he got home from school he took himself up and did it again. I'm so bloody proud!!
Next time mr poop then tackle the obsession with flushing it. What a difference in just 2 days. Phew!!
Thanks for the help and advise though, greatly apreciate it!

That's great - well done.
I had a less good day, my DD stood up from the potty, pooed on the floor, stood in it, then ran round the house. Oh happy days

Oh dear, yeah, thats a bit of a bad day alright. Not so bad if you have laminate but it's a bummer to get off carpets.