Help! DD refusing to use the potty!

[azzeps]

I am so frustrated and exasperated! DD had been doing so well with pottying until this week! We started "official" potty training in July, and she progressively has gotten better about using the potty. In the past month or so, she pretty much would go 2-3 days without an accident. In the past week or so, she has started refusing to pee in the potty. What I mean is that she will sit on the potty if I ask her to, but then she will get up and pee somewhere else. Like tonight, when we were ready to leave Grandma's house, I took her into the bathroom with me so she could "go before she goes" and I put her on the potty. Then I figured to help encourage her along, I would pee too. But after I sat down, she got up and ran down the hall. Even before I could get off the pot to go get her, she had already peed in the kitchen. So not exactly an "accident" if you know what I mean.

How should I be handling this? I feel like it's more a bid for independence, rather than not noticing the "potty feeling". Like, since it's my idea for her to use the potty, then she's not going to do it. Should we go back to using diapers? Just let her pee all over the place? Try using M&Ms or Jelly Bellies as a bribe? Any tips for handling my own frustration and anger when she pees for the 5th time on the floor in one day???

Thanks!

[sapphire_chan]

Treat it like it is an accident. And a boring one.

[Neera]

Originally Posted by azzeps

I feel like it's more a bid for independence, rather than not noticing the "potty feeling". Like, since it's my idea for her to use the potty, then she's not going to do it.

I think you have the answer. It is an independence thing. I think at some point they want to, on their own, without prompting, display their newly learned skills. Dd is a showoff and once she was comfortable with peeing she wanted to do it all by herself.


I have also learned that like some kids that learn in a day and never go back to diapers, not all kids are designed that way. We've been through so many ups and downs in PL that all along all I had to do was to let go and let her direct me. DD who is 3.5 went from diapers to panties to pullups to diapers and panties again and now is all the time in pull ups although she never pees in it, is night time dry, but poops in it. She pees in the toilet by herself, including wiping herself, flushing and washing her hands and without us ever asking her do everything independently. I had many frustrating days and wish I had just put her back in diapers without losing all that energy.

Because she had constipation issues, not pushing her anymore to poop in the toilet/potty. She'll do it when she's ready.

Goodluck.