My son is three and I can NOT get him anywhere near a toilet!! He won't even consider a pull up!! Any hints, I am definitly willing to try!!

Molly - posted on 01/08/2009

I've potty trained 3 boys and the thing that has absolutely worked to get them started is to have them go without underwear for awhile until they decide they want some.  At night over their diapers, they would start by putting underwear over the top of their diaper to get used to them (and remember to let them pick out their own underwear).  The bribery also works well. I buy little matchbox cars and tractors, or farm animals (since we live on a farm).  That has worked very well, but I will give out my best secret.  Remember that I am a stay at home Mom and we live on a farm though.  I let them go outside to potty.  It's part of being a boy, face it and let them embrace it.  We make potty fun by finding a bug, or one of my flowers to pee on.  Gets them interested every time.  And when they are inside, then they just have to go on the toilet and that's understood.  Hope this helps.  Don't think I'm too crazy please?  I know I may sound that way:)

Angelique - posted on 01/07/2009

I so understand.  My oldest was completely potty trained and then one day he turned on me and would not go near the potty. 

Here are a couple of things that have worked for us:

-Use a small reward .  We used mini marshmallows.  One for pee and two for poop.

-Take one week where your can stay around the house.  Let him wear underwear or nothing. Just let him go when he goes.  Remind him that it is his job to go to the potty when he needs to.  (I would pull up rugs if you do this.)

-Relax and don't pressure.  The pressuring makes them pull back.

Good Luck!

Karen - posted on 01/07/2009

I have potty trained TONZ of kids as I run a daycare and in my opinion and the advise I give to my parents is

1)  NO PULL-UP's unless it's to run to the store

Pull-ups are the same feeling as diapers when they are wet.  They absorb the wetness so they know they have gone but they do not feel wet.  They are learning that they can control their bladders-so when they release-they are not feeling it come out-as it's absorbed in the pull-ups.  They have to learn that this action of releasing the pee....is when they need to goto the bathroom.

2) you have to build up excitement-whatever works for your child.  (candy,stickers,charts-call to Daddy)

Potty training someone else kids are so much easier than potty training your own (I know)...my oldest son was tough.  I did the underwear in Jeans for a week....each time he made a mistake-he had to help mommy clean it up (he handed me paper towels) and than we have to remove a sticker from his potty chart (which was very upseting from him because Dad would come to see how many stickers he got that day-if he got more than 5 he got a special treat at night)......some catch on fast-some don't.  If they scream and will not get on the potty at all-it's just not time.  I had one girl actually bite me when I tried to put her on the potty.....

Therese - posted on 01/07/2009

What I did the second time around, with my daughter is, just let them do it when they are ready.  It's less stressful for them and us.  It seems I was crazy about it when my son was being potty trained and he had alot of accidents.  Now, with my daughter, I let her tell me when she was ready and she rarely has accidents.  I hope this helps.  

Erin - posted on 01/07/2009

I had trouble training the second boy. We put a big mirror by the potty! It sounds strange, but it worked. He made funny faces while he was sitting and loved to look at his feet dangling. We gradually put smaller mirrors in bathroom, and after about a month and a half he was a pro! (that was two years ago, and we haven't noticed and residual mirror issues!:))

Keri - posted on 01/06/2009

two things that I have read about or been advised to try are 1) having him clean up the mess himself ie. changing his own diaper (I myself balked at having my son change his own poopy diaper, but at least you can let him change the pee ones) and 2) just putting the child in underwear and pants like sweats or pajama bottoms and letting him get the feel of being wet.  Again the mess made me balk at this advice myself, but if you live in an area where he can be outside most of the day this might work for you.  I lucked out and my son responded to being rewarded with M&Ms.  However, he is 4 now and we still have a few kinks - he will poop on the potty except in the morning when he wakes up with a pull-up on and he doesn't wake up to pee at night. So it is a process and it may take some time, but as everyone likes to remind me (sometime I get sick of everyone telling me this...) he won't be going to college in pull-ups!  :-)  Hope this helps!  Just be patient and encouraging and eventually it will happen.

Tiffany - posted on 01/06/2009

This has worked for several moms I know throw a few fruit loops in the toliet and let him practice aiming at them. Its like target practice. Good luck!!!!!

Lisa - posted on 01/06/2009

I'm sure that you have heard this but the 2 things i tried and worked were rewards (candy (small pieces like m&m, or smarties) and stickers) the stickers were for peeing and candy for pooping.

Also if you read to him there are tons of books just for kids.