My 2 1/2 yr old DS is terrified of using the toilet. He hates even just sitting on it..with or without clothes on. He knows when he needs to go and he runs to a room where he is alone to do his "business". He LOVES his diapers and doesnt really like being naked. I can't think of a way to train him. My DD trained when she was 2 1/2-3 and basically we just let her run around bottom-less a lot (which she loved lol)...but with my DS that is not an option because he doesnt like not having bottoms on. Ive tried "bribing" him with M&Ms and other faves, Ive tried sticker charts, we've tried letting his big sister show him how, he goes into the bathroom with daddy so he can see a boy using the potty...all with no success. Should I just stop and wait until he lets me know hes ready? Or should I try something new? Any suggestions are so appreciated!
TIA!
He's not ready. Period. Wait until he's not afraid and is interested. Don't force it... he's told you repeatedly that he's not ready. Take your cues from him otherwise this will take forever.
How about using a potty and not the toilet? Let him pick one out at the store, maybe put some stickers of his choice on it etc, make it his own and maybe let him use it in another room until he gets over his fear of the toilet for now. My son was the opposite, we never used a potty, he prefered the toilet but loved to be naked. They are all different, he'll get there:-)
Good luck.
i agree with krista P. we are trying to get our almost 3 yr old son to use the potty so we bought a "potty training for dummies" book. It says DONT force it or you will get resistance for a lot longer and kind of taint them to the idea of the potty. They will tell you when they are ready, and even though it may not be when you want, it doesnt matter- its when they want it! the book wasnt expensive and it has a lot of different methods in it- you should pick it up if you want to read up on it, even though you have a daughter trained already- we all know no two are alike! good luck
You are right to have the potty out so that he can see it and explore in his own time. But I would NOT force it at all. You will shoot yourself in the foot by doing that. Just let him take the lead and it will go so much more smooth. If he's looking at the potty, just act like you don't notice it and let him figure out that the potty is nothing to be scared of. Once each of my 3 kids figured this out, potty training really took off. Good luck! :)
we got that free video from pull-ups.com and watched that. They have a part on it that says, "potties aren't scary, just loud". I know it's not the noise that is the difficulty but maybe watching this video will help. it's worth a try. good luck!
Put the potty in the living room and let him use it as a seat or a stool. Let him play with it for a while.
Maybe in another few months you can move it into the bathroom and open it. Let him sit on it when it's open.
Just be patient. At 18 he will not be in diapers, guaranteed. :o)
I agree that he's not ready. My son will be 3 this month and is just getting over his EXTREME Potty phobia. I will try after his birthday mid-month, but he's just not ready. Pushing them before then won't work. My daughter (now 4) trained before 2.... they are all very different. Give him a break and he'll come around.
