Potty Training Trouble 2.5 year old

DaisyZH

Hi everyone, hoping someone might be able to shed some light on my situation. My DS will be 3 in June, we started introducing the potty at 18 months with a little kid size potty for him to sit on throughout the day. This went well, as did bringing him with us into the bathroom to kind of understand what is supposed to happen.

When he turned 2 we tried to increase the potty time and a couple of times before his bath he would pee on our regular toilet with the kid insert. He would still sit on the little potty but it's actually too small for him to sit and get his pee/poop into. Now he will use the little potty for his stuffed animals to go potty. Up until now we would keep things casual but a few months after turning 2 he stopped wanting to sit on the potty and stopped peeling even occasionally in the potty.

When he reached 2.5 we tried to be more serious about it, potty time every hour and using pull-ups (which yes, I now know we're not a good idea!) as practice underwear. Well he loved the pull-ups but still did not use the potty.

A few weeks ago my church mom's group suggested going straight to underwear. We have tried that the last week and it has been a nightmare. Now he tantrums when he has to sit on the potty (we used a timer to try every half hour to try and catch him), will pee in his undies and not be bothered by it, screams that he wants a diaper and will not go on potty.

So basically I feel like now the situation is worse and it's a power struggle. I don't know if I should drop it or power through so he doesn't get his way. Making things a little weirder is that he is super-advanced school-wise, is starting to read, etc. He is so smart I feel like he is ready to potty train but maybe I'm wrong. Thoughts?

LinnyAnne10

Stop what you are doing, and walk away. 

I say wait until he gives you cues that he is ready. 

Sounds like he lost interest, and you fighting him is going to turn him off more. Just back off and let him do his thing, he will tell you when he is ready. 

My son is 3 years old and some months (I don't remember the exact look at my ticker)  He just the last couple weeks have decided he is ready to use the potty all the time, and has. and has been accident free for 1 and half weeks now. (which he figured out how to and not be scared to poop on the potty)

It will happened. But it won't if you are forcing him and fighting with him. Boys take a LOT longer then girls do, around 3 and half is normal for boys to be PT. 

DaisyZH

Thank you so much for the advice! It's so hard to know if I'm teaching him that tantrums get him his own way, or if instead I'm scaring him off potty training. I will take a step back, I hate to see him so upset. Hopefully he will want to use the potty on his own at some point.

LinnyAnne10

and he will. Just keep in mind "most" boys take a lot longer to potty train. 

And Most of the time, it's like a switch one day diapers/pull ups, the next straight underwear, no accidents. 

I know with the next kiddo I will have the options there for him/her but won't force the issue, and let her/him find the switch on their own.