Day 4 Potty training - when do they start to get it?

[BathToysEverywhere]

On day 4 and DS is just weeing everywhere. Refusing to use the potty or toilet. He’s 3.4 so I really don’t want to give up and go back to nappies (was a battle to get him to accept they’re gone) but it’s exhausting cleaning up mess all day! He dances around like he’s trying to hold it but insists he doesn’t need to go. I’m waiting for the moment it clicks with him and trying to trust the learning process but he doesn’t seem to be getting it. He’s incredibly stubborn which really doesn’t help! Stickers or bribes are having no effect either. Any advice at all would be very welcome!

If it's Day 4 I'd be tempted to give up and try again next month but put him in a nappy where he can feel that he's wet.

What method/approach are you following?

When i did it the first couple of days you take them to the toilet every 30mins or so, and you watch them for what their signs are of needing a wee. Lots of water so lots of chances to practice

From his perspective, he'll be thinking what's in it for him - he's been quite happy having you take care of it until now and why shouldn't that continue?

You can incentivise by making him join in the clean up. Not guilt tripping or being passive aggressive about it but he can help to wipe and mop, put trousers in machine, cleaning up etc. make it boring and laborious and he has to stop playing for a while to do it. He needs to click that going to the loo is quicker and easier for him than the alternative.

It might also help to use a bit of peer pressure - if he has a toilet trained friend whose mum you get on with, can they come round and you make a big fuss of the friend being able to use the potty/loo?

Don't know if you're using a potty or loo at that age - we did the oh crap method where they're bare bummed and you watch closely and get them on the pot as soon as they start weeing, then move on to loose trousers with the same, then eventually go to pants and leaving the house.

We also had a few picture books explaining about it that seemed to help

We did too

Thanks everyone for your replies and advice! Yesterday something seemed to click and he managed to get lots of wees on the potty and has started saying when he needs a wee. So I’m feeling much happier that we’re making progress!

How's it going now? I'm about to start

@c307 its going great! Since my last post he’s barely had any accidents. He’s been great at telling me when he needs the toilet, even when we’re out and about. So it only really took a few days of accidents everywhere and then he got it! As I said in my original post, the cleaning up
mess was exhausting but if someone could have told me beforehand that I’d only have to endure 2/3 days of it, I would’ve said that was manageable!

Good luck with it! My advice would be to keep going, no matter how hard it seems in the beginning! I never thought we’d get there but it feels like a lot of worry about nothing now. They really do all get there eventually! How old is your little one?

Ahhh brilliant! That's so good to hear, gives me some hope 😂 my son is 2 years 10 months now so really needs sorting as he approaches 3 I think. He sits on the potty a bit but hasn't yet done anything on it...

Hi, was just wondering if you did anything differently to see progress or did your son just suddenly click?
My daughter is 2.11 and we are on day 3. Will sit on the potty for a few seconds a few times a day, but will not sit on potty and sometimes have a meltdown if encouraging her to sit on the potty when she needs to go.
Any tips?

So reassuring to read! I’m on day 3 with my almost 3yo and starting to wonder should I give up or keep going. So glad to read how others are finding the constant clean up exhausting too!

I'm currently trying to train my daughter who's 3 next month and experiencing the same thing. She will sit on the potty for a few minutes, get up then wee 😳 do you have any tips? Thanks x