Potty Help! (boy)

[GuavaGirl]

My son is a little over 2 1/2.  I've let him try the potty from a young age, just to be familiar with it.  When he got more mobile he was completely not interested in sitting on the potty for even 5 seconds.  Last month, something miraculous happened: he told me he wanted to go on the potty to poop, and he did!  So I took that as a sign that he was ready and we started right away with regular potty breaks and using the bathroom when we were out and about.  He did great and I was thrilled.

But then about a month later he has just lost interest.  He has never actually told me that he needs to go potty beforehand besides that one time.  He doesn't poop in the potty anymore.  He refuses to sit on it....and then if he does wet or poop his underwear he doesn't even tell me or stop what he's doing.

I'm just not sure what to do at this point.  I don't want to set him back or hamper his progress, but I also don't want to force it and have it be this huge struggle.  I feel like he's completely capable but just doesn't care.

I would love some tips!

I think it's also hard when most of my friend's kids this age are girls and they happily use the potty, tell their mom when they have to, and some do it entirely independently.  I also feel like my son is a little behind in language for his age too.  I wonder if that's somehow related.  He'll be 3 in 5 months and I was hoping that he could go to preschool then, but he has to be fully potty trained.  I think that is frustrating me too.

[Snapdragon]

my 2 and a 1/2 yr old boy isn't potty trained either and I had thought he would be by now too! Everyone tells me- just back off, keep it casual and he will come to it in his own time. I think that is good advice. My ds is pretty good about peeing- like outside- he and dh go outside topee together before bed-! And ds will tell me when he s=has to pee- but he is not so great about peeing in the potty yet. As for poop- he twice pooped in the little potty and that was months ago- now he can;t relax about it enough to doit- so I justoffer a lot but keep it casual- when I sense he has to poop I say- you can ppop in your potty now! And he usually says- no pop potty, poop diaper. And I say- okay, you can poop in your diaper. people tell me a lot that one day they just switch over and get it. I would be casual with it- I am being casual with it- trying to talk abot it regularly and read books about it but not make it a pressure thing. I also know girsl ds's age who are potty trained but not most of the boys I know his age.

[P.J.]

My boy is 27 months and I know how you feel. My two best mama girlfriends have daughters who are the exact same age and are both using the potty all the time except when they go out. But my son has no interest. He is interested in the process but never wants to try, so I am patiently waiting.

I think in your shoes I would just drop it and wait. Everything I have read says regressions are part of the process and they will get back into before too long. By pushing or pressuring him (even if it's not direct pressure he can feel if you're nervous about it) you are bound to make it an even longer, more complicated process.

As far as I know lots of boys are not potty trained by age 3 and I do sympathize with your feelings ~I would / will probably feel similarly if my son reaches age 3 and isn't potty trained~ but I would really just relax. He is still only 2 1/2 and may well be potty trained in the next few months. Just let it go for this very moment and see what happens.