How to get a uninterested 3 year old to sit on the potty?

I have one good idea. Before each bath sit on the potty.

By Tklinreston on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 10:43 am:

My pediatrician once suggested to me to read my ds' favorite book on the potty. My ds is the same age as yours and doesn't have a problem with sitting on the potty but he's terrified of going no.2 on the potty. I don't make an issue of it anymore and am just hoping he'll come around on his own. Good luck with yours.

By Tonya on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 03:04 pm:

Are you asking them to sit to pee? I never asked Timmy to sit and pee he was always allowed to pee standing up. He thought that was fun. Also I won't lie Timmy learned to pee outside. He would have a distance contest with my dad. He learned really quickly.

By Feona on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 05:07 pm:

I have not got too much luck getting my husband to help with potty training so we do the sit down pee. Actually now I think about it I should ask how they are letting him do it at school.

By Mommyathome on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 10:42 pm:

Maybe you could try the standing up position and let him aim at fruit loops or something. I haven't had a little boy to train yet (will be coming up in another year or so!) so I don't know how much different it is than w/girls.

Also...what about those little plastic seats you attach to the regular potty? We didn't ever use those, but I'm thinking maybe you could make a big deal about it. That way he would want to sit on it because it's his own special thing. Also maybe a star chart above the toilet where you can attach stars when he does something commendable.

Good luck!

By Tonya on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 08:58 am:

Never try training with things to aim at in the toliet because then they think they can throw anything in there. You do not want them throwing foreign objects into the toilet trust me!!!!

Good luck. Like I said above train them outside if you can or let him run bare butt since it is getting nicer outside then he can go to the bathroom quicker.

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 - 02:57 pm:

My brother and his wife told their little boy that the store didn't sell his size diapers anymore. He was very attached to wearing diapers. He fought tooth and nail till they had one diaper left in that last package. When they told him that it was the last one in his size, he got over it and went on the potty. He was 3 1/2 yrs old.
I hate to tell you this, but i think it is ultimately up to the kid. When he/she makes up their little minds, then they will go.

By Beth on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 11:07 pm:

Its kind of amusing that I would be giving you advice on this when I just posted a question about the same thing. But my ds was completely different in this area then dd. He did not train until he was 3-3.5 but like your ds he went to a specialized preschool. My ds has some learning disabilities due to water on his brain when he was a baby. The school really did all the work I have to admit. But I think it was because all the kids were expected to go as part of the routine. They also called it making bubbles. I know it sounds a little corny but my ds loved that. He thought that was so cool. To bad it can't work for my dd now! But of course she has to pee sitting down! LOL!

By Oliviasmom on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 12:54 pm:

My advice is not to rush it. It will happen. my ds was about 3 yrs when he started asking to sit on the potty. All I did was start the discussions, how big of a boy he's getting, pretty soon he'll be big enough to sit on the potty like real big boys. Emphasized the growing up things in life, dressing himself, drinking out of a cup, eating big peoples food and then just throwing in the potty as a discussion. Seemed to work for us. It was never our idea to actually give it a try, it was his. We just always allowed the opportunity. "Just tell us when you think you're ready." Then it kinda became a "treat".

Note: my son is a #2 so he had his big sister also to watch grow up and inspire. he always wanted to do what she was already doing! That probably helped.

Note 2: He has never peed the bed at night believe it or not. My dd on the other hand is 6 yrs old and still pees the bed (sigh). But we believe that related to her tonsils (another post) which are coming out late summer !

By Jenn32 on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 12:20 am:

Potty training is a parents greatest challenge sometimes. A article that I just read said something along the lines that a child that uses the potty early (age 2 and under) doesn't have a jump on later trained kids because they often have more accidents because their bodies haven't caught up woth the training. With my ds it was a challenge; he doesn't like change due to his sensory perception disorder, we had to stop buying pull-ups and just force him to wear the underwear. We got plastic ones for the nightime and the rest is history. It took sometime but he is doing really well. I tried all the tricks but the one that worked the best was offering him a piece of chocolate if he stayed on the potty. He loves chocolate. With my oldest ds we used a calendar that he put stickers on to earn a reward.
But every child is different and yours will get there when they are ready.
Just one more thought on the subject. My son ( the little one ) has always come into to the bathroom with me (follows everywhere) so he got the idea early on what the potty was for even if he didn't want to use it yet. This is one case where kids need to learn by example. Good Luck

By Feona on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 07:01 am:

We are having great luck with potty chart and stickers. I bought one on ebay. They had a three dollar chart (3 charts) and it works great.

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 09:01 am:

My son doesn't care too much about getting stickers, and i don't rreally want to reward him with food. When he does go on the potty i let hiim call someone and tell them..grandparents or aunts and uncles. they are always happy to hear from him and praise him on the phone. That gets a big smile on his face.

By Feona on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 07:32 am:

That is a great idea. I never thought about that. Usually he loves the potty chart but if he is tired than he could care less about the stickers or potty.

Hopefully when he starts regular camp and isn't going on a bus every day, we will have regular success on the potty.