Hi all,
I’m hoping someone will be able to help me! Currently potty training my 3 year old for the third attempt now in the past year. Previously she has had some successes with a few wee’s on the potty but when doing these had a complete meltdown and was hard to calm down. She would then completely resist the potty from then on. Nursery and myself felt like maybe she wasn’t quite ready so dropped the pressure for a while before trying again. She has recently turned 3 and wanted to wear knickers as she’s now a “big girl”. We are now on day 9 and zero successes on the potty. The most frustrating thing is that she will sit on the potty or toilet happily when she knows she doesn’t need to go. But she knows when she needs to go and will go on and off the potty, even asking to sit on it telling us she needs a wee. She will do this again and again but as soon as she can’t hold her wee in any longer, she will get off or do the wee on the floor seconds later. She just will not release on a potty or toilet. Over the weekend we have had some big emotions as she has found doing a wee on the floor really funny. Today she wore a dress and I said to her let’s not get wee on this as she really wanted to wear it. She went on the toilet and a few minutes later stood next to me and started to wee on the floor. As she did this, she lifted her dress up and said “It’s ok, I’m not getting wee on my dress look”…it’s so hard as we start off positive every morning but by the end of the day everyone is tired and frustrated. She is the same at nursery and will happily sit on the potty throughout the day but won’t have any successes.
When talking about using the toilet/potty she is able to tell us what goes on it, shows how to sit on it, tells us her friends that use it…I just don’t know how to get over her being so reluctant of releasing on a potty or toilet. We feel like we have tried every approach - we reiterate that wee’s and poo’s go on the potty, she undresses her wet clothes and helps clean up the mess even though sometimes she doesn’t want to!
I just don’t know what to do as if you look at readiness, she is completely there but just will not do it on a potty or toilet. Has anyone experienced this? If so, how have you overcome it?
I’m open to any suggestions, thank you!