Some success but lots of accidents - should we keep going?

[mydoorisalwaysopen]

I started potty training DS2 (2yr10m) at the start of half term. He is managing to do one wee a day on the potty but the rest of the time he resists the potty, or if he does sit on it he does nothing and then when he gets off does a wee a couple of minutes later. It is exacerbated by the fact that he withholds poo so his pants are constantly scorched and he's getting through 10+ pairs of pants per day mainly for the scorching (he's on GP prescribed laxatives for the withholding but it is an ongoing problem).

I'm wondering whether to give up but he is so pleased with himself when he does do a wee in his potty it seems a bit cruel to give up now.

He's back to nursery on Monday and I'm not sure how well they will deal with the multiple accidents as it a pre-school type setting where most of the kids seem to arrive already potty trained.

Well done him for the one he's doing in the potty!
But saying that, if the rest of the time its not going too well - what about pull ups? (I'll probably get shot down in flames for suggesting that though...) You could still keep offering him the potty on regular intervals, but if he has an accident its less hassle for you.
All kids seem to potty train differently - my DD was pretty late but then made the switch really easily, but several months later is still refusing to poo in the potty/toilet and waits for night and does it in the nappy.
What do you feel you should do?

Until today I had never even considered pull ups. But have started to see them as a half way measure - especially as he has never sought out the potty - the successes have all been when I've put him on the potty and asked him to try for a wee - which I can still do.

I think we will try pull ups and see how we go on.

I was going to also suggest pull-ups. We tried to start potty training DD at Easter but it all went wrong. Tried again about 3 weeks ago and went wrong again... then suddenly without warning she wanted to do it. We got pull ups becuase I didn't want the PRESSURE and mistakes for her sakes in pants. It has really worked. Today she has had one accident and has mostly been in pants. It has been really gradual for us. Everyone advises going cold turkey but she just couldn't cope with it. Weird but worked well for us.

Good luck.

I have just bought some training pants. Look like knickers but are lined with terry towel and have some plastic in, less nappy like than disposable pull ups. I don't expect them to contain too much liquid but is something and isn't a nappy.

We've got some of those training pants - they hold a little more than ordinary pants - but cost £10 for a pack of two at Mothercare so can't have too many of those.

I found cold turkey did not work and just got DD really upset - I know the theory is that the mistakes help them learn, but my DD got very undermined by them instead.

Cold turkey not going well here either... All hit and miss and DD (2.8) will go quite well on potty or toilet during the early part of the day but when she's a bit tired it's not great.

I'm not convinced that the cold turkey method is best...

I didn't like it at all - gave up after 4 days after tussle with distraught child who didn't want me to take her nappy away. Left it a few months, took it much more gradually - I started leaving the nappy off for a little while and then increasing the time, offering the potty and after a couple of months, she decided one morning that she didn't want the nappy, she wanted knickers and has been more or less dry since - one or two mistakes only. Much happier and less stressful way for us to do it.