Potty training struggles

karanu · Oct 28, 2014

Hello mommies, I'm struggling with potty training my 3 year old daughter.

I have been trying for the last 6 months, changed 2 potty seats with different colors and types. But she just doesn't want to sit on the seat and do potty.

She pees standing on the bathroom floor, near the outlet vent. For potty, she only wants to do in the diaper. But she is okay to sit on the potty seat while I clean her.

Both DH and I have requested, enticed her with her favorite stuff to sit on the potty seat, asked her assertively too, but she screams and cries a lot.

We suspect it's got to do with her new play school. She used to do potty in her diaper in school in morning hours. But these days, she does in the nights at home. The way the helper ladies might have cleaned her would have made her feel scared.

Please suggest what to do. Should we try the floor type potty seat? (Only concern is that it will need another transition to the normal one). My SIL is suggesting that we should be strict and shout at her, make her sit on it by force and don't let her get her way until she finishes. I'm totally against any forceful ways but telling DD in a soft tone is not helping either.

resmij · Oct 28, 2014

hii,

Speak with the child, she is a big girl, good girl, and tell to her to tell you when she wants to do poop / pee.

if she does not tell you, notice- the child's face changes when it does poop/pee.

so identify when she is passing poop/ pee.

and the moment u notice any change in face, ask her u want to go to toilet?

then take her to the toilet make her sit on it.

I feel this will take little time , patience, but don't give up, or shout.

and soon she will go to nursery, I don't know if they allow to wear diapers, so try to reduce use of diapers.

regards,
resmij

karanu · Oct 28, 2014

Resmij, she tells me when she wants to pee / potty. She is without diapers in school as well as at home (except during naps). When she wants to pee, she comes inside the bathroom but doesn't want to sit on the potty seat. When she wants to do potty, she asks me to put her on a diaper. So far, I haven't shouted at her and not planning to do so either. I tell her that she is a big girl, that her friends sit on the potty etc. But for some reason, she is petrified to sit on it.

ahal · Oct 28, 2014

karanu said: ↑

Resmij, she tells me when she wants to pee / potty. She is without diapers in school as well as at home (except during naps). When she wants to pee, she comes inside the bathroom but doesn't want to sit on the potty seat. When she wants to do potty, she asks me to put her on a diaper. So far, I haven't shouted at her and not planning to do so either. I tell her that she is a big girl, that her friends sit on the potty etc. But for some reason, she is petrified to sit on it.
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Dear Karanu,

I am a mother of three year old daughter and she was also having big trouble with her potty habits.

One thing that helped was giving her small gifts. After struggling in vain for many months, I started telling her I would give her a gift if she does potty in her potty seat. The gift would be something like candy/ toffee. I did this for few days (say a week) and she started showing some interest in sitting and doing it in the potty seat. Soon (after 10 days) I slowly stopped gifts. Instead I used to tell her that I would clap for her, tell her she is a good girl, call up daddy and inform that she did potty properly etc. if she does it properly.

This helped in my case. May be you can try this too.

oleenam · Oct 29, 2014

Guess you are trying to make her to do potty on the adult western closet using kid's potty ring(correct me if I am wrong).
I think she is scared to sit on big one .I would say try using kid's potty seat like one with frog shape etc .Transition would be little bit difficult but as she is not even peeing on regular one you can start from basic.Praise her and make her feel proud whenever she does in potty.And stop using diaper even for nap time.Putting diaper during potty training will confuse her and will delay the process.I think she is big enough to understand the concept.
My boy when he was 2 years old used to poop only in diaper but once he got well practised to do pee in potty seat I stopped using diaper.Now he (2 year 3 months old)does both in potty seat.There were pee accidents but no poop accidents so far.

sangeeG · Oct 29, 2014

few suggestions

1. give her a reward that she likes so much. stickers may not entertain all kids.
you know what your child wants, so give it if she does it else never give it.

2. for few times hug her while she sit on the potty seat

3. find out how she does at school in the potty.

Rakhii · Oct 30, 2014

Karanu. I am in the same boat as you. My usually very cooperative girl doesnt want to go pee/poo on the potty/adult ring. I am keeping her diaper free when at home and at daycare she is in pull-ups. I was told "hang in there" and "try-everyday" which is what I am doing.

Lots of hugs. To you. I know what you mean, totally!

ramyaramani · Oct 30, 2014

@karanu Try the separate seat. Once she is comfortable with that transition her to the potty seat that goes over the adult seat.

Try reward system too.

karanu · Oct 30, 2014

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'll try the separate seat and check if that works. She doesn't seem to be motivated by the regular rewards like chocolates, rhymes etc. Need to think of something else :-(

She doesn't do potty in school at all these days. Only at home in the nights. She cries a lot when we ask her to sit on the potty seat. I don't think it's tantrum crying, she is scared.

breeze01 · Oct 30, 2014

hi reward system how it works???? I am also having same problem with my son... he pee pee okay in the toilet (sometimes accidents too) but he wont boo boo till I put him pull up on.... I want him to start everything in the toilet... so like to know how the reward system works..????