How to Potty Train almost 3 yr old boy

[mrforbes]

I have no idea how to potty train! How do I potty train my DS who is almost 3?

We have CD, we do lots of diaper free time and have potties around, which he has sat on (and been rewarded for) he's big for his age so we're running out of diaper options. He doesn't seem bothered when he pees - he did it sitting at the table in his chair and it didn't phase him, or he'll just pause and pee and then continue. The other day he went diaper free all day and held his pee for 5 hours and yes, he was drinking and properly hydrated! He let's me know when his diaper is dirty though.

Do we just stick it out? If we take away diapers will he figure this out?

Thanks!

[Xerxella]

You sound like your doing good.  Unfortunately, IMO, I don't think there's one answer for potty training (or much else in the parenting world).  So, keep trying different things.  When something works, run with it. 

But, what I've seen work the best is to just one day do it.  No more diapers (at least during awake times) and take the accidents and have him help clean them up (not in a punitive way, but like in a factual way, we made a mess and now we have to clean it up) and REALLY celebrate the successes.  I think the key is you have to be all in.  No diapers / no pull ups at all.  Take a long weekend, or better yet, a whole week and make it the project.  IME, once kids get the hang of it, they do fine. 

Good luck! 

[4Marmalade]

I have a 3 year old ds who just recently started peeing on the toilet.  What worked for him was running out of the diapers he normally used and telling him he would need to wear underwear and pee on the toilet.  It took a couple of days of accidents and many, many false alarms where he would sit on the toilet and nothing would happen.  But, one time he made it to the toilet AND peed and since then there have been no accidents.  He was totally ready, could hold it during the day and night, knew when he peed, did not want to be wet, etc... but he just needed to feel the sensation once of going in the toilet and that was it.  Now, if anyone can tell me how to get him to poop in the toilet I would be all set .  

[organicviolin]

yea I second the how to get a lil one to poo in the potty?

[smilingsara]

I went through potty training a 3 year old all last school year (I was his nanny and seemed the only consistant adult to keep him in unders). It was a challenge and still is. He loved his diapers. Getting him first to pee in the potty was a big step, but he still has a hard time pooping in the potty.

What worked best for me was a sticker chart. Every time he pooped in the potty he got a sticker on the chart. If I asked him if he needed to poop, he got one sticker, and if he told me he needed to and went and did it, he got two stickers. When his chart was full, we went to the zoo (which he absolutely loved). 

While bribing isn't always the best idea, it seemed to be the only way to keep him consistantly pooping on the potty. Consistant asking, reminding, having him sit to try is what did it. First I had him go try every 30 minutes (because he would just dribble in his unders if not) and then I increased them time between asking him. If I saw him dancing or going to 'hide' I'd have him sit on the potty.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

[JTA Mom]

I did the one day, all in thing. For daytime only. Nights/naps he got a diaper.

The first 4 ish days were full of pee accidents. I didn't get mad at him, but we cleaned them up, reminded him of the potty, etc. He did get it once he peed on the potty.

We've had 2 poop accidents. One was in his underwear, we cleaned it up and reminded him of using the potty because undies can't hold poop. The second time was him running to the potty as he was pooping. Since then, no poop accidents. I think he had to get the timing of feeling the urge/going thing down first.

I started all of this when he was 3.5 & fully ready.

Ami