My 3 and almost half year old will NOT use the potty what so ever!!!

Lisa - posted on 09/10/2012

I am having the same problem with my 3 year old. She has just started nursery school (preschool) too, and it makes you feel so discouraged when you see other kids the same age in pants. I have tried everything, stickers, toys, regular potty, potty with a lid, toilet seat, seats with steps. She will use it maybe once then flat out refuses. I have even tried just putting her in pants and telling her its time to use the potty. This works for a bit too, until she has an accident, then she will totally freak out and ask for a nappy. The one thing that bothers her though is she has a 2 year old sister, which wants to follow what she does. If i let her, she will try for an hour to get to the potty, then she loses interest and pee's on the carpet. This freaks out my 3 year old then. I am so lost what to do :(

It also doesn't help when your mother tells you all the time, she should be in pants by now and that we were out of nappies long before now!

Antwanette - posted on 08/07/2012

My son is pretty good with using the toilet. My frustration comes during nap hour and bedtime. As a single working parent its hard on me waking up every hour or so just to run him to the bathroom and still be awake and alert for work. I never bought pull ups but I still use diapers at night. We go a few dry nights and then back to wetting everything up. HELP!!!!!!

Michelle - posted on 05/06/2012

hi camilla im in the exact same situation you were in, my son is 3 years and 5 months old and he also is a type 1 diabetic, stickers dont work with him either or toys, i have to leave him with nothing on so he can go to the potty but if i put him in his pants he just does it in them, its so frustrating, can u give me any tips please :)

Martha - posted on 02/26/2009

Quoting Marie:

I'm tryin to train my 3 year old twins..havin no luck whatsoever !!

They seem to hate the potty... plus they copy each other so if one doesnt do it, the other follows !!  Any tips ...

I have twin boys too. I am feeling like a failure. I tried focusing on one and the other follows. I tried the three days of potty training. He did really well but when it was back to daycare it went out the door. Ugghh.

Camilla - posted on 02/26/2009

So it's official! My kiddo is finally completly potty trained!!! It didn't take as long as I thought. She hasn't had an accident in about 2 weeks, sleeps in and goes to school in her big girl panties and also does #2 in the potty too! Good luck to you all, and keep your chin up!!!

Camilla - posted on 02/05/2009

Here's a little update about my kid! She's useing the potty all the time now during the day and sometimes she will wake me up during the night so she can go. And she is waking up every other morning with a dry pull-up. When I mentioned that she would soon be able to wear her big girl panties to school she got excited instead of crying!

Cassey - posted on 02/03/2009

Quoting Nancy:

I'm in the same boat as you but I have twins (boy/girl) .. they are 3 years 7 months and believe me I know how you feel. Everyone in my life tells me that their kids were potty trained while still in the womb and I feel like a failure. Please let me know if you have any success .. Good luck

Just saw this and it made me chuckle.  I wouldn't let other people's comments get you down...it's not a competition.  I definitely know the type of parent you are probably referring to.  Be patient, it'll happen.

Camilla - posted on 02/02/2009

We live with my Mother as well, but to her it doesn't fase her. But she hasn't had an accident in 2 days but when she does it's usually one or maybe two a day (knock on wood). I thought I'd throw in there that I just started a new group for Mommy's who have diabetic "Super Kid's". If any of you are a mom or know someone who is a mom with diabetic children please feel free to join my group. And if you dont have diabetic kids still feel free to join!

Ali - posted on 02/02/2009

Maybe it's not the tactics that aren't working, maybe he just needs one consistent tactic, but for a much longer period of time. My 2 (almost 3) year-old is still training but our options are limited because we live with his grandparents (so we don't have our own floors to let him have accidents on). I figured we'd stick with the sticker method and give it a really good, persistent shot for a month solid and see how he does at the end of it. Maybe this will help with your little girl?



Good luck :)



(and thanks for checking back to give reviews and updates)

Camilla - posted on 02/02/2009

Thanks! Still working on her wearing big girl undies to school.....all in good time.

Melissa - posted on 02/02/2009

I think I have the answer!  Wait, wait, wait.  Certainly they'll all be using the toilet by age 5??? haha  Good job in the waiting area to you Camilla!

Camilla - posted on 02/01/2009

Oh I forgot to add, good luck! And I'm more than happy to answer any questions, not that I'm a certified potty traing expert or anything!

Camilla - posted on 02/01/2009

So here is a little update about how my kiddo is doing with her potty training! She is doing surprisingly well! She has had hardly any accidents, and is now going poop in the potty as well! I feel so impowered and proud of her!!! It just took some EXTREME patients and consistancy with her. When she does well during the day she get's some sugar free gum (her favorite candy) for a little treat!

User - posted on 02/01/2009

I have a 4 year old son that stays dry during the day but is wet everynight, so I put him in diapers at night.  I know, if have to tough it out a few nights, I'm sure he will get sick of being wet and try to stay dry.  I also have a 2 year old daughter, that tells me when she is peeing, pooping and even tells me that I have to change her, but she refuses to sit on the potty.  If she is not trained by spring, I am going to take a week of and do nothing but undies.  I think the biggest problem is that the diapers keep them too dry so they don't even know they are wet.   Also I am a working mom, so I see them an hour in the morning and 2 hours at night before bed.    More time and not giving up, I'm sure will do the trick.     

Fabiana - posted on 01/30/2009

Hi all,
im also with the same problem, of course, thats why im here...my boy is nearly 3 and only goes in the potty if he's naked. As soon as he's on undies, he'l pee himself. Also tried charts, treats, a good "big boy" talk and nothing worked. But I'd like to hear same solutions, if there's any! I sympathize with all these stories, but anyone know what could solve the problem?
thanks

Nancy - posted on 01/30/2009

I'm in the same boat as you but I have twins (boy/girl) .. they are 3 years 7 months and believe me I know how you feel. Everyone in my life tells me that their kids were potty trained while still in the womb and I feel like a failure. Please let me know if you have any success .. Good luck

Camilla - posted on 01/30/2009

Well I would just let him be naked, maybe see what he does wearing nothing under his jeans or pants and see what he does.

Noelle - posted on 01/30/2009

Oliver, my son, doesnt like to ask for help, doesnt like to go sit on the potty when i ask, hes such a stubborn little mr. independant.  He goes on the potty all by himself if hes naked, no questions asked, but once yu get those undies on him..or try n make him go when i want him to...game over...ugh

Camilla - posted on 01/29/2009

I think you just set a timer every so often and when it goes off then you take them to go potty. But I did try it and it didn't work for me.

Noelle - posted on 01/29/2009

whats this timer thing i hear about?  My son does AWESOME during the day, if hes naked, but i put undies on him, and he'll just pee in them, stand there and watch himself pee....so frustrating.  When hes naked he will just go over to the potty and do his thing, no big deal.  So he definitely know what hes doing.  ugh...and night time...he pee's all over, theres no dry nights. 

Camilla - posted on 01/29/2009

Well yesterday my daughter had an amazing day of going potty. She olny had one accident and it was later in the night, after dinner but befor bath time, I was so proud of her! But today didn't go so well. She had 3 accidents before lunch time!

Tammy - posted on 01/29/2009

I never had a prob with my girls..I sat them on the potty, and after awhile it became a routine, they would sit...I would read withthem, or they would watch their shows....my son who is gonna be 2...REFUSES to go...I am at my wits end!!! Lol..I dont know what to do!!!

Jolene - posted on 01/28/2009

i need help with my alomst 4 yr old son. He needs consisent remimnders about going pepe on the potty.IF you can help with anything  I would like all the help i can get. I have tried the timers and he goes sometimes. in the past day he poo in the potty for the first time. We have tried stickers and having him pick out his onw undeies

Denice - posted on 01/28/2009

Wow....not feeling so bad after all. DS turned 3 in November and will not potty! We're doing the timer thing in the evening when we come home from daycare. Maybe if we can just stay consistent with it, it'll begin to click. I'm tired of paying for diapers and our daycare tuition goes down when he potty trains and moves rooms!!!! Come on kiddo!

Melissa - posted on 01/28/2009

Sorry.  Can't help.  My 3-yr-old is great with everything but the poo.  Needs to stand up to poo, so diapers are the only option.  I am resigned to wait for my stubborn little girl to realize that poo plopping clean away in the toilet is SO much nicer than poo smeared on the bum.  Until then, LOADS of patience to all of you in a similar boat.  Thanks to all for posting and making the situation feel more normal!

Camilla - posted on 01/28/2009

She is! But we've already bought a few million packs of Hannah Montana undies for her, and I've let her pick some out as well.

Angela - posted on 01/28/2009

After reading all the others I don't feel as badly!  My youngest just turned 3 and has no desire to even try the potty and like one of the others on here, when I put regular underwear on him, he will just go in them.   Doesn't faze him a bit. 

Sarah - posted on 01/28/2009

Hi Camilla, my daughter is 3 years and 3 months and has just self-instigated toilet training. I tried for a week back in September/October thinking that at her age she should be ready but she's a stubborn little thing and the more I pushed, the worse it got, more accidents than success so after that I gave up. I'm expecting my 2nd child in February so decided we'd just have to wait until he arrived and we were in a routine. Having made that decision, however, she returned from her gran's 2 weeks ago with some Disney princess knickers that she was over the moon with and insisted on wearing them from then on! The first day or two we had a couple of accidents but now she's getting there every time. We've not tackled night-times yet but to be honest I'm just thrilled with the fact that she can now use the potty/toilet without constant reminding. Is your little girl really into any theme that you could try the knickers with?



Good luck!

Narjis - posted on 01/27/2009

Quoting Camilla:

My 3 and almost half year old will NOT use the potty what so ever!!!

I have a 3 year old little girl and she refuses to use the potty! She will sometimes use it if she isn't wearing a pull-up in between changing or getting in the bath tub. I can't do sugary treat's because she is a type one diabetic, I've tried stickers, charts,books, toys, you name it!!!!! It's very frustrating because she is now in pre-school and her teachers have to change her sometimes because she pee's so much due to the diabetes!! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi,

i have a son ahwo'se 3.4 years old and he also refuses to use the Potty, he goes to pre school in a diaper which is very frustrating for the teachers.. i have tried to read a lot of available literature on potty training, but nothing seems to work, the peadiatrician that we go to also says that boys take longer than girls.. i don't know how long this can go on..I am as desperate as you on this one...

Camilla - posted on 01/27/2009

After she pee's I just put a new pair of undie's on her and I make her clean it up, hoping that that would get her thinking that cleaning up her own pee is gross, but it doesn't seem to fase her at all!

Melissa - posted on 01/27/2009

i am having the same problem with my 3 and a half year old son. i am completely frustrated. i have four older children who i did not have so much difficulty with. i hate buying diapers and just want to be done with the whole thing. eveyone says he will go when he is ready.

Marie - posted on 01/27/2009

I'm tryin to train my 3 year old twins..havin no luck whatsoever !!

They seem to hate the potty... plus they copy each other so if one doesnt do it, the other follows !!  Any tips ...

Heather - posted on 01/27/2009

How long do you keep her in underwear after she has an accident? Does she pee on the floor so then you run and put a diaper on her? I don' t like the mess at all so that is what I did the first few attempts. Finally one day I just decided this is it...and I didn' t worry about the mess...I stuck to my guns and kept putting undies on him. The second day was much easier.

Camilla - posted on 01/26/2009

Ok, so today I hid her pull-ups and told her that they we're all gone and so she HAD to wear big girl panties. She did pretty good when I was around, but if I left the room or turned my back, she would pee all over the carpet!

Joanne - posted on 01/26/2009

We did 2 weeks of panties, she would tell me she had to go but it was already to late and then she would panic, I will not torment her if she is not ready, hearing her cry and panic because she peed her panties is not the way I want to go. I will try and be patient a little longer and will see. Using a timer is out, I use it for bedtime and she hates the thing, lol....

Camilla - posted on 01/26/2009

I tried doing the whole "wear big girl panties or nothing at all" and she just pee's on the carpet. lol!!

Heather - posted on 01/26/2009

I totally understand! I am now in the potty training phase with my third child and I think that he is the most difficult! I had to make him think that it was HIS idea! The first day I told him that he had to wear underwear, because he was a big boy! At first he wasn't too open to the idea, but I kept telling him how all the big kids wear underwear and I made a big deal about him picking out his own cool underwear.

For all of the kids, I set a "potty timer" for every 20 minutes and they had to sit on the potty when it went off. We would read 1 story or talk for about 5 mins.  If tey go, then I set the timer for 20 minutes again, if not, 5 minutes. It takes about a weekend of doing this, very consistently. It is a great bonding time!

I also DO NOT believe in pull ups! It is all or nothing I believe that it only confuses them!

The first day there were a lot of accidents, the second day there were none and he even slept with underwear on!  No accidents at night! And none so far!

Good Luck to you!

Joanne - posted on 01/26/2009

Your not alone, I am so discouraged it's not funny. I did realize something about my daughter though, she is the kind of child who won't do anything until she is sure it is right, she was like that with her words also; so I figure it must be the same here. Unless there is something physically wrong I guess we will have to wait it out. Patience be with us....

Camilla - posted on 01/25/2009

It does! Glad to know that it's just not my kid who is having a hard time adjusting to a new thing. I'll give it a try!

Joanne - posted on 01/25/2009

I am having the same problem, spoke to my doctor and he told me if they have everything they need in the washroom, ex:: potty, seat for the toilet, pull up or panties on hand.., to let them be they will go when they are ready. I was also told not to make a big deal of it when they go or don't. It is hard, but I have had a success once in a while. Hope to reassure you.