When do you just say enough ...or motivational ideas?

[AngB]

DS1 was really really close to being potty trained about 8 months ago. He went pee and poop on the potty with no wet diapers for an entire day, so I tried to put him in underwear, he had an accident and didn't like being wet and decided he wanted to wear diapers instead. Forever. It has all come to a screeching halt ever since except he is so ready otherwise except for the motivation/attitude. He often wakes up dry from overnight. When he does wet he tells us to change him (into a numbers diaper= Target brand diaper).

I thought he would snap out of it especially as many of his friends are now PT'ed and wearing underwear and stuff. But no. "I like diapers mom." He turns 3 in late April and I would really like to have him PT'd by 3 and I feel like if we wait for him to decide he's ready, that really will be never. (DH and I are both really stubborn and he has inherited that trait from us.) I have tried bribing with candy, toys, books, etc. and none of that makes a difference. I have offered special character underwear. I think we are really just going to have to throw the diapers away (which will be hard since I have an almost 1.5 yr old in diapers nowhere near ready to PT yet) and tell him no more, unless anyone else has a suggestion to try? At one point do you just say enough and take the diapers away?

[HannaAddict]

I wouldn't do that at his age considering the average age for boys to be potty trained is closer to 3.5 years.

[BDKmom]

I think it just means that he's not ready. For whatever reason. My DS was pretty much like that until he wasn't. It was really an overnight thing. I think you can bang your head against a wall and eventually he will get it, or you can relax and wait, and he will get it at about the same time. Save yourself the headache and just wait him out. My guess is that he will figure it out in a few months without much more help from you. I wouldn't worry or stress about it until he's closer to 3.5. Just my 2 cents.

[123LuckyMom]

I'd wait until 3.5 and then tell him it's time! Before that age, I'd be understanding.

[hillview]

I'd wait until 3.5 and then tell him it's time! Before that age, I'd be understanding.

[SnuggleBuggles]

He's not even 3. I don't understand the rush. I mean, I get it, but I think it isn't something worth battling. I've been in a battle of wills in potty taining and no one won (we wound up quitting and trying a few months later). Like others, at 3.5, things clicked much beter (we went cold turkey but days 1-6 were awful then it just totally clicked!).

Ds1 was 2 months shy of his fouth birthday. Not ideal but he potty trained in a day (day and night) and never looked back. So, my patience was rewarded with a darned easy training.

[Nechums]

I can't agree more with the previous posters. Unless there's a real need to push it earlier (school requirement, big trip coming up, etc.), I wouldn't worry about it right now.

[JBaxter]

I would pick a date and say no more diapers. Sounds like he can do it. Im in another camp and would not have a 3.5 yr old in daytime diapers but that's my opinion. Mine were required to be PT before preschool so waiting till 3.5 was out of the question.

[Giantbear]

my daughter was similar, was real close and then, bam, decided diapers weren't so bad. So i stopped pt altogether. 6 months later, she told me 'daddy, no more diapers' and then she was leading the charge instead of being dragged along. except for a week of poop issues, it was much easier when she wanted to do it.

[HannaAddict]

I would pick a date and say no more diapers. Sounds like he can do it. Im in another camp and would not have a 3.5 yr old in daytime diapers but that's my opinion. Mine were required to be PT before preschool so waiting till 3.5 was out of the question.

It isn' an opinion, about three and a half being the magic age, it is just the American Academy of Pediatricians statistical average for boys. Plenty of people try to "make" kids do it before with varying degrees of success. It's not like problem love diapers, just not a big deal and in the area we life where the preschools are educated about developmental stages and when things happen, we don't have requirements for PT "by three or else" since that is counterproductive (and in my opinion helps lead to the many posts about issues with withholding, etc.).