My son is 27 months and isn't trained yet. :( Not sure what to do.

Rachel - posted on 10/30/2011

Slow down mom. My boy is also 27 months old and he hasn't asked either, but he does know what the potty is for. I put him on it often and I know that sooner than later he will do his thing. I say don't force it bc my BFF forced her son and he was truly freaked out about it! Boys will almost always take longer than girls. Just try to chill out and give him his space. He'll do eventually. Promise. Also, if it applies, have him watch his father.

Char - posted on 10/30/2011

My daughter is 8 and when she was 3 she wouldn't use the potty, even though she knew how. Then one day some kids at preschool started calling her stinky and she was potty trained within a week!

Tammy - posted on 10/30/2011

my son is 30 months and were having the same problem so i try giving him a treat or try a drink or even read him a book while he is sitting and he will pee usually

Ronnie - posted on 10/30/2011

My girl is the same 27 months........lol I tryed she dosnt want anything to do with her potty lol.... My mom tells me that she'll be ready on her own......when that happens she'll tell me....soo I'm gonna tell u what my mamma told me....he'll tell u when he's ready!!! Don't worry over it!!!

Vickie - posted on 10/30/2011

Little boys are usually at least 3 before they are ready. My daughter made the mistake of trying to potty train her son at 2 and it was frustrating for both of them.I told her to relax, he's not gonna go to kindergarten wearing diapers. They have to learn what the "urge" feels like before they can actually associate it with going to the potty. Back off and wait a little longer. Good luck and enjoy that little guy!

Alia - posted on 10/30/2011

Reading your post was like readingmy own story :)) My lil guy is 34 months old and I have been trying to train him since the past 4 mos or so. He clearly knows how to and also in the morning will go number 2 on the potty and after breakfast also he will go #2 on the toilet and also for peeing. But will never tell and if I am only the slightest bit late in putting him on the toilet he goes in his pull ups. Just this morning he went #2 in his diaper in the early AM coz he was late in waking up and just dilly dallied his way and then went potty in his diaper. He never tells and doesn't even feel the ick factor you know after h has gone he doesnt care if its in there, until I smell somthing funny and figure it out. So please let me know I am waiting for him to fel icky about potty.. hopefully that will do it.

Korene - posted on 10/30/2011

My boy is 39 months and we are only just starting to get somewhere!! I always think that as long as they conquer it by school, don't stress! :)

Amber - posted on 10/30/2011

Don't worry! Three and a half is the magic number in our house. It's when they're ready and it surprises you. I got rid of the tiny potties and bought a seat insert and that was ideal for them. The smaller potty was distracting and turned into ring toss, lol. Just take him in and put him on the potty and ask him if he has to go and if he says, "No," just say, "Ok, maybe next time." It's based on their comfort level, so it's not anything you're doing! I promise! Happy training!

Kathleen - posted on 10/30/2011

First of all I wouldn't worry it could take awhile to get it fully. both my boys were closer to 3 years old before they had it completely and my grandson about 2 1/2. my girls closer to 2 years. every child is different. rewards help. My daughter gave her son Thomas the trains toys when he would go in the potty. She bought ahead of time and had on hand. A favorite treat or toy. Depending on your budget. You could even say if you potty all day today you'll get a treat or a toy or watch a favorite show. I use to reward mine with new real underwear, they would get a favorite character they liked, My daughter tried this but my grandson didn't want to wear them wanted to play with them or store in a toy somewhere. I would let mine wear the real ones at home and then put a diaper or pull up when we would go somewhere and at night, until finally didn't need those anymore. Sometimes just the fell of all that wet going down all over gets them to want to keep the real ones dry! Good luck.

Beth - posted on 10/30/2011

You need to just wait it out. My son is 39 months and his dr told me not to worry about it until 3.5 years. He has known how to potty for a long time, but refuses to go. We keep him in underwear and he will have accidents just because he is stubborn. We clean him up and put on new underwear. I've gotten to the point where it's not going to stress me out. He will go when he is ready, not when I'm ready.

Genevieve - posted on 10/30/2011

It's nice to keep trying but the average age for boys is 38 months so if he is not ready he is not ready! It would be frustrating for everybody to keep pushing. When you feel he might be ready after letting go a little while, you should try what I did with my son, on a 3 day weekend, we didn't plan anything outside the house, and I just took his diaper off Friday morning and let him wet his pants when he didn't make it on time to the potty, on the 3rd day we were able to go to the park by our house with no incident and he by then knew when to say I have to go pee! But remember the more you stress about it the less he will want to go , so if you so no progress on the second day of that trial then just let go :) Good luck!

Jeannie - posted on 10/30/2011

While raising my five children...three girls and two boys...I used my Mother's philosophy..."Don't wear yourself out over potty training. They all get it in their own time. I've never seen a kid in high school who didn't know how to use the bathroom." My girls got the hang of things by two and a half. The boys by three. Of course, back then we didn't buy diapers every week...we washed the cloth ones every other day!!

Jen - posted on 10/30/2011

If you are really confident that he's ready - cold turkey is the best way to go. Put him in underwear (or naked around the house). If you have to go out, bring lots of extra underwear and pants and clean-up supplies. Going back and forth between diaper and underwear is confusing for kids, so it helps if you really commit to the "no diaper" decision even when it's inconvenient.

That said, at 27 mos he may not be ready. I have a girl and 2 boys. I tried with my daughter around 2, but could tell that she just didn't get it at all. We tried again when she was 3, and in about a week she was totally trained. Neither of my boys were ready before 3 1/2. It can be frustrating, especially if you have outsiders telling you your child should be trained by now, but in the end it is least stressful for everyone to wait until your child truly has the understanding and the physical control to use the potty.

Nadine Sadowski - posted on 10/30/2011

Mom chill,, ,he will get to it, and remember,, there are no boys still in daipers when they enter college!! Laugh a little, this is his time to be baby wet daipy and all !!!!

Barbora - posted on 10/30/2011

My girl was traind when she was 21 months old. she didn't need a diaper for nights either. The question is when did you intruduce a potty to your son. My daughter has done first pee on the potty the first day when I bought her potty and she was 8 months old. my suggestion is, take diapers away, don't put a diaper on at all. every time he gets up in the morning put him on the potty or put a ball in the toilet and he can try to hit the boy with a pee pee (works very well), after lunch and after a play take him to a potty. no diapers on him for all the time. he knows he is safe and comfortable with diapers, so he is lazy to go. Does it make a sence? best of luck. btw, my daugter poos on the potty since she was 15 monhts old. It's not that the baby is ready. It's you and you need to intruduce the baby to it. good luck. I think 3 or 4 years old is soooo late. I feel sorry for kids which they need to wear diapers soooooo long.

Alma - posted on 10/30/2011

I agree with cassie. The little ones will let you know when their ready to use the potty. My daughter is also 27 months and is still not ready to use the potty. She knows what the potty is for, but is afraid to use it without a diaper. I dont want to pressure her into using it until shes fully ready to start using it on her own.

Amy - posted on 10/30/2011

My advice is to give it up for right now., The moreyou push the more he will resist. IS there a reason you want him trained so badly? He just isn't ready. He will let you know when he is.

Cassie - posted on 10/30/2011

don't worry about it, he isn't ready. My kids were all closer to 3-3 1/2 when they were potty trained. Keep trying but don't stress over it and don't let someone tell you he should be by now. He is your child, do what you feel is best.

Tonya - posted on 10/30/2011

He is still young. My daughter, who is three and a half just finished her potty training (and it's not perfect by any means) But our pediatrician told us that most kids train around 3-3.5. Something in them just clicks and they put it all together. I would say continue to encourage the potty, but be wary of getting him to the point where he will throw a fit (that may be counter productive to what you are trying to do). They always seem to let us know when they are ready (and it will happen over night-- that's the crazy thing about it)

Kandy - posted on 10/30/2011

boys sometimes take longer to potty train than girls.And all children learn at different times.Maybe hes afraid of the toilet. Try to get and childs seat that fits on top of the regular seat or get one that sits on the floor.And just be patient I promise it will happen eventually. My grandson turned 4 last august and just stopped wearing pull ups at night about 2 months ago, Hang in there

Lisa - posted on 10/30/2011

What is it with everyone who think that most children especially boys), potty train much before the age of 3? They don't folks. Some do, Most DON"T. They are not ready. Leave him alone and stop stressing yourself!! Oh and by the way, don't let anyone tell you he is lazy. He's not, just not ready!!

Catherine - posted on 10/30/2011

He's not ready. He may not have the maturity to control his bladder. Give him a little more time and try again.

Suzan - posted on 10/30/2011

Stop pushing him, he will when he's ready. There is a time 4 everything, so just wait n try from time to time. Don't listen to wat others are saying. Good luck with him.

Michelle - posted on 10/30/2011

Don't ask your son if he wants to go on the potty, wait for him to ask you. if you push, he will resist and it will take you longer. An expert told me most boys are not potty trained until after 3! My son is 31 months and has only asked me about 10 times to go on the big potty, and only went twice. They have no idea where that sensation is coming from, and it can scare them. It scared my son, but I wait for him to ask me. Try waiting for him to ask you! Don't stress, it is not a competition either. Every kid is different!

Bonnie - posted on 10/30/2011

Sherri, you took the words right out of my mouth!

Sherri - posted on 10/29/2011

Amy night and day training are two totally different things. Your daughter is 100% potty trained. She could wet the bed till puberty. Are you going to say at 9 or 10 if she still wets the bed that she isn't trained yet??

Amy - posted on 10/29/2011

My daughter is 4 in February and isn't fully trained. She is dry in the day and clean also but still wears pull ups at night. If she does wake up she'll sit on the potty and treats them like knickers but she sleeps so heavily we're finding that if she doesn't wear one we inevitably end up with a wet bed even if we lift her on the potty as we go to bed. We're not worried and neither is the health visitor who says it'll happen when she's ready and it's more important she gains confidence than focusing too heavily on it.

Cindy - posted on 10/28/2011

I think playing in the garden with a hose pipe help my eldest son get used to aiming. Plus he used to watch his Dad using the toilet leading up to him deciding he was
ready to give it a go. He was three and a half when he decided he'd had enough of nappies and wanted to wear big boy pants and use the toilet and potty. I got a step for him so he could use the toilet.

I also have a three year old who currently has no interest in using either the potty or the toilet. There are a lot of reassuring comments here - thanks. I don't think we need worry, I guess they do take to it in their own time like a duck to water.

Sarah - posted on 10/28/2011

Well most boys don't start potty training until 3. So when he turns 3 i would do the reward system and if he doesn't then he doesn;t get to play with his favorite toy! hope this helps..!

Elizabeth [ Betty ] - posted on 10/27/2011

Candi W's post said it all. Sound advice .

Joy - posted on 10/27/2011

Look, some of you say boys are no harder to train than girls and that's fine. It's YOUR experience. But in my experience, they ARE harder to train. My niece, from the first time she sat on the toilet at about 18 months was trained after that except for diapers at night until she was about two and then it was only an accident here and there. My nephews....one was 3 before he was pee trained, 4 til he was comfortable pooping on the toilet. My youngest nephew was almost 5 before he was both. They ARE different. In MY experience. What everyone needs to remember is that it has nothing necessarily to do with boys vs girls as much as it has to do with each child being individually different. Your son was potty trained at 2.5? Great! Good for YOUUUU! It takes my son longer? That's my problem. And it doesn't mean I'm a lazy parent or that he's got issues. It means that I'm following HIS cues. Those of you who force train your children, IN MY OPINION, aren't doing them any favors.

Melinda - posted on 10/27/2011

Boys can be difficult to train, just try not to stress about it. My son was 4 before he was trained but was still having little accidents at 5, but wee had to push him a bit from 3 as he had almost out grown the largest nappy (diaper) size we could find.

Lyndzie - posted on 10/27/2011

He always runs to toilet for his wee it's just the poo he has a hang up with he started on potty over a yr ago! He prefers to go hide in a quiet corner and poo his pants bless!!

Lyndzie - posted on 10/27/2011

He always runs to toilet for his wee it's just the poo he has a hang up with he started on potty over a yr ago! He prefers to go hide in a quiet corner and poo his pants bless!!

Janna - posted on 10/26/2011

There are a lot of great books out there, but it all boils down to he'll do it when he is ready. The two things that helped my son the most were making sure he could feel wetness and find a reward system that works for him. Diapers are too absorbant now, use the pullups that let him feel wet or training underpants when you can. And my son really wanted to go swimming in "the big pool", so that was what we used as his reward for being potty trained.

Deata - posted on 10/26/2011

I wouldn't be too worried about it, I started training my daughter when she was three. Once I started training her she was instantly trained. She did not want to wear a diaper or pull ups for bed times, she had a few accidents here and there but nothing to be concerned about. I think when he is ready it will be very easy.

I trained my step son because I refused to change his diaper, he was way to big to be in diapers. He would throw fits but I would give him something to drink, sit him on the potty for ten minutes and run the water. He caught on very fast. I think he was around 2 and 1/2 or 3.

Lyndzie - posted on 10/26/2011

My son is 4 this week and soils his pants most days unless I sit him on loo (which he not keen about) when will he decide to poo on his own????? At least he stays clean at pre school !

Candi - posted on 10/26/2011

An important developmental step for every child is potty training. Most children begin using the toilet as toddlers, usually between 18 months and 3 years old. (Note: It usually takes a little longer to potty train boys than girls. Boys, on average, can be successfully potty trained in 12 weeks. Girls, on average, can be successfully potty trained in 10 weeks.)

Signs that your child may be ready to start potty training include:

Staying dry for at least two hours at a time.
Having regular bowel movements.
Being able to follow instructions.
Being uncomfortable with dirty diapers and asking for them to be changed.
Asking to use the potty or saying that they need to urinate or have a bowel movement.
Showing interest in the toilet and/or wearing “big kid” underpants.
When you begin potty training:

Dress your child appropriately for potty training. Garments with elasticized waists, Velcro, and snaps are usually easy for your child to take off and put on.
Choose a potty seat that your child can easily use on their own.
Your child may want to personalize his/her potty: by letting him/her write his/her name on the little potty, a sense of ownership can develop. Your child may be more likely to use a potty if s/he feels it is uniquely his/hers.
Assure your child that s/he will not fall in the potty (many children have fears of falling in a toilet while sitting on it).
Encourage your child to use the potty at regular intervals - or whenever s/he show signs that s/he needs to go.
Use proper terms (urinating and defecating) as well as the terms your child may be more comfortable with (peeing and pooping). Make sure that you define your terms so that your child becomes adept at using the terms him-/herself.
Start with the basics. Both boys and girls should be shown how to potty from a seated position first. Once boys master urinating from a seated position, they can “graduate” to learning how to urinate while standing. The reason boys should learn to urinate while seated first is that bowel movements and urination often occur in the same bathroom visit . . . additionally, the delay in learning to urinate while standing minimizes the likelihood of your son making messes while enthralled with the spray he can create by urinating.
Teach your child to wipe properly. Show him/her how to remove toilet paper from the roll, wipe, and throw the used toilet paper in the toilet. Instruct girls to wipe from front to back, which helps avoid urinary tract infections. (Note: your child may need help to wipe effectively, especially after a bowel movement, until about age 4 or 5.)
Be supportive and use rewards, such as stickers, when your child is successful on the potty.
Use praise, applause, special songs, reading a special book in the bathroom, or whatever else resonates with your child.
Avoid pressure: your child will likely have accidents during the process. Don’t punish him or her for any setbacks.
Be sure that your babysitter understands your approach to potty training and is consistent with rewards, praise, etc.
Let your child pick out new ‘big kid” underpants with his/her favorite characters (Dora, Thomas the Train, etc.) on them.
Use potty-themed books and videos to reinforce key messages.
Don’t begin toilet training during a stressful time (e.g., moving, new baby, starting a new preschool, etc.)
Recognize that your child has control of his/her bodily functions, and you can’t get him/her to “go” on the potty until s/he is ready. Don’t turn this into a power struggle because it’s one that you won’t win. If your child seems to develop a resistance to potty training, don’t continue the potty training. You can resume potty training when you child again expresses an interest in learning to use the potty.
When your child has completed a visit to the potty, show your child how to flush the potty. Some children experience fear of the flushing mechanism: they fear that they themselves may be flushed away. You may need to flush the potty for your child for a period of time, until your child observes no harm resulting from each flush. At that time, your child should naturally develop a desire to try his/her own hand at flushing the potty. Once the potty is flushed, show your child how to wash his/her hands.
Calmly and patiently teaching your child how to use his/her potty can be a trust-building, bonding experience for both of you. Let the potty begin!

Tonya - posted on 10/25/2011

Try a timer for your own information; 20 minutes after eating or a full glass of drink, every hour on the hour other than that for trying. Make a game of it. We did this summer. Pullups has the kit with pullups, a sticker chart, and stickers, and a success potty party dance. Joey had so much fun learning the potty dance he was soon telling me he had to go. No. 2 took a little longer; hard to tell the air from the real pressure I guess. However, he turns 4 in 12 days & we have been very successful with no errors for the past 3 months.

Jocelyn - posted on 10/25/2011

I went through the samething with my son. What worked for him was having his Mama T (grandmother) work with him on sitting on the potty. Once he did that with her he was fine. Standing up was another issue he had to follow his older male cousin to the bathroom but once he got it he was good to go. Your son might need some one else to teach him. It might have to do with wanting some one close to his age to show him how its done.

Sherri - posted on 10/25/2011

I agree with you Kristi 100%.

Elizabeth [ Betty ] - posted on 10/25/2011

Try talking to him about staying dry , when you are tucking him in at night . My baby doctor explained that children absorb things better during that quiet time, better than the hectic daytime activity period . It worked for my toddlers, who were about 2 and 3 1/2 years old - they stopped bedwetting after about a week of my gentle suggestions. I found that this was very helpful for other matters as well .

Kristi - posted on 10/25/2011

I totally disagree with all of the people on here who say that boys are harder to potty train than girls. I found no difference between the two and I have potty trained a lot of kids. I just sounds like an excuse to me. Then again, I am not one who has ever treated my children differently based on their sex. They are people, boy or girl doesn't matter. Good luck! =)

Jenn - posted on 10/25/2011

My son will be 3 in Jan. We've had a potty chair out from about the time he was 18mos (so he would get used to it being around). He did use it a few times from then until about 4 months ago when I started trying to peak his interest with a sticker chart (i got a pack of blank weekday wall calendars & roll of stickers from the dollar store) at first he was excited 2 get a sticker to put on his chart & then lost interest w/in a few weeks. My sister suggested "potty prizes" so now he gets to put a sticker on his chart & get a potty prize (I get lil super cheap gifts from dollar store & oriental trading) from a gift bag I keep in the bathroom. For a month he went 4-6 x's a day & now I'm lucky if he goes 1-2x's. He has 0 interest in going #2 he (like pretty much all boy toddlers) hides in the corner to go in his diaper. He has gone #2 three times in the potty & when he does we make a HUGE celebration about it & take him to the store to pick out a special potty prize. It's definitely harder to train a boy than a girl! lol I know he'll get there~ hopefully sooner rather than later. My goal is have him fully trained by the time pre-school starts until then, he's just too busy doing other fun things to stop & go potty. I'm not going to push it & stress either of us out :)

Denise - posted on 10/25/2011

Don't force it! I stressed out and cried a lot because he was 3 and not potty trained yet. OH WELL!! I listened to everyone else and not what my heart was telling me. I tried to force him, and it just stressed both of us out. At around 3 yrs old, he decided he wanted to use the big potty...and without stressing out, it worked. He was completely daytime potty trained, but still had accidents at night. He was almost 4 before his night time potty training was a success. Now I look back and wonder why I stressed so much. Only you can know what your child is ready for. It will happen...trust me. I thought it never would, but it did. When he is ready, everything will just click and to your amazement, he will be potty trained. Don't worry about what others say, it is your son and you have to both be ready. I have another son who will be 3 yrs old in January, and he isn't showing any interest in using the potty. I figured I will start around December and see if I can get him using the potty...if not, wait a few months and try again. Take a deep breathe and it will happen when HE is ready. Good Luck and have lots of patience, hugs, and kisses.

AmyJo - posted on 10/25/2011

He will train when he is ready, Ive had three boys and each of them did it when they wanted to, around the age of three is when I got all of them, best bet is to start in the summer

Sue - posted on 10/25/2011

Boys are harder to potty train than girls. Like most said, he's just not quite ready yet. Every child is different. Keep trying though, but try to make it fun to go potty in the chair. If he's throwing fits, you need to work on the fit. You may be pushing him a bit too hard which can cause him NOT to want to do it for you. Pay attention to when he goes potty in his pants. My boys weren't potty trained until they were almost 3. Good luck!

Beth - posted on 10/25/2011

Don't worry, he will get past this. Try not to pay any attention to the potty matter, he might have got himself into a bit of an aversion habit. You might be being a little hard on yourself about getting the potting training 'right'. There is always alot of advice going around and other mums whose children have already done this or that, but your little boy is his own person.

I'm not sure if your in the Southern Hemisphere or not but if you are and feel that you'd like to encourage potty training now, sometimes letting them go without a nappy/diaper is a good idea. I said Southern Hemisphere because it's coming into summer down here and prolonged nappy free might be best outdoors. Going without the nappy/diaper will often result in the child becoming more aware of what's happening in that region.

Another way is let him copy daddy. Whatever way you go it will be fine, he'll be toilet trained eventually and this isn't something else you need to stress about. Goodness knows! There's enough to stress about already as a first time mum:)

Kris - posted on 10/25/2011

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a child using diapers even as late as 4 years old! We can't force it on them or it will backfire immensely.
My son had speech problems so I decided to wait until that improved first.At 3 1/2 I decided it was time, and after a couple different tactics, he is done in a couple months.
Best tactic had things straight in under 2 weeks, but whatever you try, the child has to be ready and willing to start trying themselves.

Nadine - posted on 10/25/2011

I say never potty train a child till he/she is totally ready. Potty training is a developmental stage that each child goes through at different ages. There are some experts today that say don't worry even if your child is age 3 or 4 before they are completely trained. Sometimes us parents feel guilty if our child isn't toilet trained by age 2 we feel like a failure, plus society and in-laws put that pressure on us...but when the child is completely ready it will happen and it will happen successfully and fast. To be honest in my sons case because he was the toughest of my children to train (doesn't training sound so dog like) I put fruit loops in the toilet for him to aim at...plus it became a color recognition skill...I would say now aim at the yellow one, the green one...lol. But finally what i think really did it besides age and maturity level was...my husband took my son for a walk in the woods.....their was no restroom around and they both had to go...so they urinated in the woods and from then on my son knew he had a special boy gift...that heck he could pee any where...just as long as he didnt pee in his pants.