How do I get my 3 yr old to use the potty? He's already potty trained.

Anita - posted on 09/27/2012

Good luck big boy, I know you can train Mom. This is one thing they can control, mom so that will have to be be noted by you. They have to give in on most every thing , this is in their time. Be patient. Let us know if it works. Patience and choosing a time of the day before school and when he comes home. Try even if he does nothing. He will eventually then reward him with a little fun time with Dad or you.Praise him for trying.

Anita - posted on 09/27/2012

Everyone is getting stressed. Make it a fun time for him, do not fuss at him simply talk in a low voice and make a game of it. Rather than saying use the potty now, put some money in a bowl etc. and let him know when he has a BM he can choose so many coins, let him put them in a jar or bank etc. and when he saves up enough to buy something take him to the store and let him buy something. This will have to be thought out by you as to what to let him choose. Possibly a small treat. If he pees in the commode, put 2 or 3 cheerios in the commode and see if he can hit the center of the cheerios if so give him a quarter. This can be done and be fun for him, you might get a tablet and pencil and write it down and let him check it off each time, This works if you will stick with it. He is old enough to know what to do and understand so should not upset him. Sometimes they are trained and revert back, for a short period. It will work out, just be patient. Both my son and grandson did that, they had accidents in KG because they did not want to use it for anyone they did not know. He may have anxiety because this is a time in his life where he is being separated from what he knows. and his Mommy. If he does not sit long enough to have a BM it could be because he is not getting enough liquids during the day, and is a little constipated, they do not have time to sit like they did at home. This is a problem for older children as well. Reading to them while they sit on the potty and look at the pictures and talk about it as you go through. Good time spent with him and you, he is reassured and so are you. If it does not work the first time do not give up. Good Luck.

Jess - posted on 09/25/2012

Be a nag. Honestly, I had been having the toughest time with my lazy 3 year old, and one day (just last week) it was as if he had enough of my constant nagging and just decided to start going himself!

Nothing worked except 14 months of constant nagging. Long and tiring but it really paid off.

I tried every other avenue and he knew what to do but was just too lazy! Gosh, im so glad he doesnt pee on my carpet anymore!



GOOD LUCK

Lisa - posted on 09/23/2012

My little boy is 3, he will be 4 in feburary, he knows how to use the potty, but he don't, he would rather go in his pull-up. and if he don't have a pull up on he will pee where ever he is, whether its on the floor or whatever, so i leave a pull up on him at all times, there are times he will actually go to potty, and wont even tell us hes going, but he will do it every time soon enough, hes only 3 and he will know when he had enough of the pull ups and when he wants to start wearing underwear, which we have tried already, they all do it at their own pace, they know when they are ready, we really shouldn't force it.

Shannon - posted on 09/21/2012

Okay some of the moms have great points. He needs to learn to go but sometimes punishing is not the answer. All kids respond to different things. i have 3 kids and my oldest two did the same thing both a boy and a girl so its not just a boy thing. I tried the making them change themselves I even made them stay in there wet clothes for a few mins to try to make them realize its yucky. I even tried time out but they were not responding to the negative actions. So i came up with another idea and decided that just like potty training . Use the reward system. make it a positive thing. I went to the dollar store and got a pack of lil cars and told my son that if he went potty without having an accident that he would get a car. Within two weeks he was not having accidents anymore. Same thing with my daughter i gave her a treat with it and she started goin on potty. So good luck hope you find something that works for you.

Amanda - posted on 09/21/2012

Every morning sit him on the potty. Before you leave sit him on the Potty. When you get home sit him on the potty. Keep him there as long as you can. When he is home with you all day, he doesn't start to play tell he goes on the potty, and every hour you make him stop what he is doing and go to the bathroom. He has to see that he needs to do it. He may put up a fuss about being taken away from his toys, but he will catch on that they will be there when he comes back. Also make it fun. Put some Fruit Loops or cheerios in the toilet and try to aim at them and pee on them. My son would not use the potty at three either until his grandpa taught him to pee on bush. From that point on he stood to pee and never had an accident again. I know daycare may ask them to sit, but if you talk to them and say he doesn't like to they should understand. Good luck!

Alisha - posted on 09/20/2012

i am having the same problem but mine is a girl i keepon having 2 remind her 2 go 2 the loo

Marina - posted on 09/20/2012

My 3 year old ONLY goes potty at school, not at home at all. My older son wasn't using the potty until one day at 3 years 8 months he started and that was that. He KNEW how to use it from age 2 he just wasn't ready. We thought we'd be sending him to college in diapers, but in reality you just have to give it time and they will get it when they're ready. I know that's not going to be helpful rightthisminute but they're kids, they do things in their own schedule and its easier to just relax a bit and worry less, enjoy them being little while they still are. Best of luck!

Molly - posted on 09/20/2012

Sounds like he is either lazy and couldn't bother going to the bathroom or he is looking for attention?

If he pees in his pants then get him to change himself. When he pees it's his responsibility to go get his change of clothes, go to the bathroom and change into clean clothes. After a few times of this he will realize that it's just easier to go on the potty.

If its for attention then zero reaction and changing himself will work too. Then you have to figure out why he is looking for the negative reactions/attention.

Your daycare provider needs to be more patient and work with you and him to figure this out not just put him back to pull ups.

Jenna - posted on 09/20/2012

I wouldn't worry about it. He's only 3. So, leave him in pull ups for awhile and just ignore the situation. He'll get tired of pull ups or feel that they're yucky to him and he'll want to transition to underwear for good, and then he'll start going potty.



I know it's extremely frustrating when you want him to do what you want him to do and what he knows how to, but really, he's just 3 and it doesn't matter if he's in pull ups or not at this point. Our son at 3 just wouldn't pee on the potty for so long we thought he'd never get potty trained, but then it just happened -- he decided on his own to do it. And now he hates it if he ever has to wear a pull up, so he works very hard to not pee in his pants even if he's doing something very interesting.

S. - posted on 09/19/2012

I'v heard that a lot especially With boys, try reminding him evey 20 minuets, maybe encourage him to stay there by putting some wipe clean books in the bathroom. It must be really frustrating knowing he can do it.

Diana - posted on 09/19/2012

We have and they worked when we were first potty training him. Now he could care less. He goes when he wants to. I think a big part of the problem is that he doesn't want to take time out from what he's doing to go to the bathroom. When he has to go at bed time or at school, he does it.

S. - posted on 09/19/2012

The only thing I could Sugest is taking a week of work to keep him of day care whilst you get bk on track with the training.( easier said then done, I know) Pull ups are just like nappies so no wonder he thinks he's ok. Have you done sticker charts and rewards for staying dry.