Sorry it's so long...
I am so at my wits end with this...I am literally out of ideas or direction of what to do next! My son turned 2 in September. Some would say he's still too young to be potty-trained, like his Doctor that says it's not a 'true concern' for her until he's 3. Others say, if he's ready he can be trained in 3 days, like other parents saying they trained their children at 18 months. My son has to be showing all the signs...he comes to us and tells us he's peed or poo-poo'd. He brings US the diapers and wipes to change him. Someone suggested we try sitting him on it every hour or so for 15 min until he goes in it, so we can praise him and do the big celebration. But all he does is fight and scream like he hates it. So people told us not to force it on him because then he'd see sitting on it like a punishment and rebel against it even more. Okay...there have been so many times that we've had to clean poop off his bed, off the walls, off our clothes, because he will go in his diaper and then take it off and hide it and then come running to us with poop all over his hands or legs...sorry if this is TMI but I'm told this is apparently normal for his age. This tells me that he is starting to become irritated with sitting in a soiled diaper...sometimes immediately because there will be times I change a wet diaper, let him go play and less than 10 minutes later he comes running in, covered in a mess. I've tried keeping pants on him so I can get to him before he makes a mess and try to explain to tell Mommy and Daddy when he has to go but, nothing. There was actually a time he got up at 3 am and did this and I was up cleaning poop from around the house until 4 in the morning. He knows what his potty is for, because sometimes he will poop, yank off his diaper, make various messes and THEN be eager to sit on it..just to fight and scream to get off it 5 minutes later. I don't have any more ideas. But things can't seriously continue this way until next September! If he can ask to be changed, he hates his soiled diapers, he knows the feeling of going to the bathroom because he tells us when it happens and he knows what his potty is for, how can he NOT be ready?
Re: Potty Training will be the death of me..
give it some more time. it's very frustrating indeed, but cut both you and him some slack and wait another couple months or so.
in the meantime pick up and read some potty books if you haven't already. also, i've recently been made aware of some DVD that's supposed to be amazing for them to feel like they're big kids and in control.
my daughter will be three at the end of the month and while she was doing really great, she totally refuses now. no sense in getting either of us worked up about it; it'll happen when it happens (but i totally understand the frustrations)
click the pic (blog)
We also did this, and I agree that it's worth it. The first 2 days are exhausting and frustrating, but it really does work. I think it's really important to talk up being a big kid and to be really excited about the whole idea of underwear. Maybe if he's just in underwear it will be easier to get him on the potty. I truly think its the quickest way to potty train, and if you're ready to be done with it, you should check it out.
Another vote for Lora Jensen! DD2 had no interest and it worked. I did want to tear my hair out at the end of day 2 though, but I powered though and day three was like magic! We still do pullups at night (I know it's against the rules) but we did do underwear at night while she was "learning".
If he won't sit and screams when you ask him to do so, he's not ready. Put duct tape on his diaper so he can't get it off.
Have you thought about letting him pick out a potty seat he likes. Some of them come with really cute characters and might be a motivation.
I have also heard that onesies help with poop smearing.
I don't have many suggestions because DS is 32 months and we are not even considering potty training at this point. He has no interest and I am not getting into a battle of wills. As someone said, he will win.