[Erin_1712]

My son is almost 3 and we have tried potty training before but after a day or two he refuses. H eknows the fellings and control because he will pee everytime we put him on the potty he just feels like it is too much of a hassle for everyday. We have tried cloth undies and he will do good for a couple of days and then just spread his legs and pee and then run away and play. Where he lived before she left him in a wet diaper that had leaked onto his clothes for hours. She used 2 diapers a day which means he is used to having wet pants we are teaching him the feeling of wet clothes by touchig with our hand and saying dry or wet.

Today I bought pull ups but we still call them big boy undies and put them in a drawer. He likes being able to pull them up and down so he is independant in the bathroom. I send him ever hour he has a kitchen timer that when he hears it he goes and then gets a sticker. Pooping is about 1/3 of the time it goes inthe potty and then we get a big shiny sticker. Today in between his hourly potty breaks he wet himself and I did not know because it got absorbed and when we were at the potty we talked about the peed pants and to throw them away. And reinforced pee potty.

My question is will the reminders and the rewards of going eventually make him understand to go even if the timer has not gone off? Especially because it absorbs. He does not get anything from feeling wet because he is used to his clothes being wet and Pull Up website says children learn from being wet and feeling uncomfortable. Something that does not really work in this situation.

Will he just learn to go or realize they are sorta like diapers. We do not treat them at all like diapers and even store them in a different way. I am out of ideas so I tried this. Has anyone else had success with this? Just reminding and using the pullups to catch accidents? He has great bladder control he can even go all night without wetting.

[McNally720]

I think you are approaching it well--it's sort of a unique situation since your son isn't bothered by the wetness/has been deconditioned to it, I guess.

I wonder if putting on undies under the pullup would reinforce the whole wet/dry thing. This way the undies would be wet, but there wouldn't be a huge mess to clean up.

My daughter struggles with the concept of wet/dry with the pull ups too--they are so absorbent she doesn't really feel it. I have to show her that it's "squishy" or that the design has disappeared....

I keep reading that at some point, just like every other milestone, kids will just "get" it. And that most kids "get it" with the potty around three.

Good luck--it won't last forever!!

[SchmennaLeigh]

Reminders and rewards do help but the Pull Ups just didn't cut it for Nick in the end. We eventually had to make the full switch to regular underwear. Perhaps this phase of Pull Ups will help him get there since the wetness doesn't faze him at all!

Best of luck! You sound like you're doing great!

[Erin_1712]

yesterday we had no accidents with the pull ups but I know fromthe past he can do a few good days and then get stubborn. But the stickers is something he looks forward to and we got larger stickers so he can stick them easier and he seems to like them better. We bought a special book and plain stickers for when he goes pee and shiney stickers for poops. He loves it and we count them everytime and celebrate 3 times today yay. And he is liking it. I hope this time the learning takes. It is frustrating trying to undo something someone else has taught by being lazy. But it is a work in progress and I will see how it goes.

[kelceesmom]

I stopped using pull ups all together because Kelcee didn't care either that she has pottied in her pants because she could barely feel it. You situation is a little different and you sound like you are doing what you can to make the transition.

[coachmur]

the only thing i would suggest to do different would be to set the timer for every 20 to 30 minutes rather than an hour. i know it seems like a huge pain but after awhile you can lengthen it out. it just seems that there are less accidents when you sit them down more often.

[bajj]

Pull ups didn't work for me, either.

Sometimes boys really are a bit slower and my son's pediatrician said not to worry if they don't get it consistantly until 3 1/2. My little man is 3 1/2 now and he does great, except at night. I don't use pull ups then because he is very thin and they just aren't tight enough. I did buy more diapers because we have just moved and he has wet his bed EVERY night since we left. I think it's stress induced and have decided to try not making a big deal out of it. He may just be one of those kids that will wet the bed for several years (but let's hope not!).

My oldest, he was easy to train. he trained before he was 2 1/2 and he never had accidents (unless he was sick). He's always been one to be dry waking up.

Good luck. Potty training is such a, well, interesting experience!

[Shai's Mom]

my little guy will be 3 in July. I'm sooo ready for potty training. With a little baby, diapers aren't so bad, but with a toddler, who eats the same as an adult, the resulting "output" is at times rated toxic and well, not much fun to change.

For him it's a control issue. He'll do it when HE's ready. I accept that, and I don't pressure him. In the evenings and during the weekend he gets to wear underwear instead of diapers, frequently reminding him to go to the bathroom, and putting dry underwear on him when he wets himself.

Since he loves stories, I can get him to sit on the toilet if I read him a book.

It's going to be a long process, but eventually he'll get it.

(Oh, his little buns look so cute in underwear!!)

[sadiegirl]

Gah, my lil man just turned 3 on Tues and he could give a rat's patootie about PT.

He shows no clues of going (grunting, squatting, etc), doesn't tell me that he's gone, etc. He HATES diaper changes and I'll agree with the PP, diapers now are getting TOXIC.

I am unsure what to do...

[pingaa3]

Hi,

I'm a mom of a 4 year old daughter and an in-home daycare provider. I have seen children potty trained at 2 years and children (boys & girls) barely potty trained at 4 years old.

One boy in my care just became potty trained at age four. We tried everything: stickers, m&m's, using pullups, using underwear, wearing only underwear for easy potty trips, potty songs, potty videos, parent provided rewards (bribes), showing him that others were trained, using other kids as models, two-day intense every 15 minute potty visits with tons of liquid, etc., etc., etc.

You name it we tried it. Nothing worked. Two weeks ago he decided that since two other new daycare younger girls weren't using diapers that, "Only babies use diapers"... and he "Wasn't a baby anymore"... and he needed to use the potty. Now he uses the potty exclusively.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that every child has his/her own timing. No matter how much it frustrates you, eventually your child will be potty trained. (Unless special needs, and even they make it!) I say relax the pressure and resign yourself to accidents/lotsa laundry for the time being. Lots of praise helps as well as wearing only underpants at home. But when he's ready it will happen with no help from you.

Good Luck,
Inga