Those who's children potty trained after 4 yrs old

[sweetpeasmom]

Guess i'm just looking for support/advice/stories.
My dd is 4 yrs 4 mths and has no desire or interest in using the potty. I've have tried ever little trick in the book but to no avail. I have refused to put diapers on her and she would hold in the pee for a very long time until she had a fit for me to put on diaper, then she totally let it all out in the diaper. I just don't want to really force it but then again somedays I feel like I should. Of course she loves to flush her pooh from her diaper down the potty : I know she'll learn eventually but somedays it feels like she'll be in diapers forever!

[gingerstar]

I went through that with my eldest. It was very frustrating. On the up side, once she decided that she was willing, she never had an accident.
She has her own issues (Nonverbal learning disorder) but in hindsight I have realized that she has to feel completely confident to make any big developmental steps like that - she crawled late, walked late - but never fell, talked late - but very well, toileted late - but no accidents, you get the idea. Try to avoid turning it into a power struggle - that was very hard for me, but essential. What worked for us was talking about it in a positive way - not pushing, but saying things (even to DH, grandma, etc when dd could overhear) like "And soon, when she is ready, dd will pee/poop in the potty just like us". It has to be her choice.
The final thing that did it for us was a naked weekend, when she was ready, and instead of dipes, trainers, or anything, we told her, now listen to your body, and run for the potty!
It will happen, mama, and one day you will look back and say, I guess I just shouldn't have stressed out about it so much!
(At least that was my experience, when at the time I was pulling out my hair, convinced I would soon be buying Depends for her!!!: )
Here's your mantra...it has to be her choice.
Good luck!

[sweetpeasmom]

wow thansk! you know she also crawled late, walked late, talked late and then talked very well right after also. She also never fell after she started to walk. So hopefully it gives me hope that when she does, she'll do it just right from the start.
on the depends, geesh i think i may have to get them for her somedays. size 6's are getting pretty darn tight on her.

[onlyzombiecat]

My dd did not pee or poop in a potty at all until shortly after her 5th birthday despite trying everything. It was her own idea to do it then and almost overnight she went from nothing to fully trained day and night.
We did a sticker chart to encourage her. Each day dd got to put one type of sticker on for pee in the potty and one type for poop. She got a thrill out of putting the stickers on.
I just think that (a) her body wasn't quite ready yet and (b) she wasn't ready to be so grown up- very resistant to suggestions that she was a big kid and (c) possible diet issues causing constipation.

I make sure she drinks juice more often these days and we go lighter on dairy products.

[Mab]

from last week, let's bump it

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=694410

[katiecat]

Ditto here on the crawling late and walking late (though he was pretty average for talking) but doing it "perfectly" once he decided to. DS potty trained practically overnight as well when he was 4 years and almost 2 months. I posted in the thread that was bumped, I think.