Potty Training Nephew Soon to be 4

Question

My sister and I are at our wits end with my nephew and trying to get him to go on the potty. He has gone #2 once in the little potty and has gone #1 in the big potty a couple of times. This morning he stood right in front of the big potty and went on the floor and my sisters foot. He has used the potty and we have praised him and rewarded him. Everyone tells us that boys take longer than girls to potty train and this is fact to us as we have two older girls that we potty trained with success. When we ask him to go sit on the potty he says no and if we try to take him in the bathroom to sit on the potty he screams and cries. We have put him in big boy underwear also with no success. He will change his wet pull up but, sit in his poopy one. I told my sister to quit getting upset but it is getting so frustrating for us both. I care for him in the eveings when she works, so I have him 24/7 since he and his sisters live with my husband and I with my sister. Could you please offer some suggestions? We would all be so grateful.

This discussion is related to Potty training a resistant 3 year old.

ilovemykidz · Answer

my son was doing the same thing.. i put him permanetly in big boy underwear, let him pick his favorite chacter and when he would pee of poop his pants i would make a huge deal about it.. i would make him walk with me to the garbage and say "now we have to throw away your spiderman undies because u pooped in them" i would tell him that spider man didnt like it when he went potty on him and that he would cry if my son didnt stop!! 
sounds kinda mean i no but nothing i tried would work.. also if i knew he had to poop i would go to the bathroom with him and i would sit there on the bathtub (somtimes over an hr) until he went and i would give him a high five and tell him how big he was and that mommy was so proud of him

specialmom · Answer

I think I would back off for a little bit.  If he is crying and fussing about it then this could turn into a power struggle.  Not worth it.  My second son was not into potty training at all.  He was content to wear diapers or pull ups forever, I think.   I was frustrated----- but just tried to make nothing of it.  Then we had a conversation where I said-----  ya know, you are going to preschool, all the kids are potty trained there,  it is time for you to do it.  He had just turned 4.  He said "okay."  I did nothing else.  He was potty trained from that moment on without an accident ever.  With my older son, he potty trained earlier but it was more work and took longer.  I'm not kidding-----  in a minute my son was potty trained.  That is the advantage to it happening when they are older.  Try to tell his mom to relax, back off and try again in a week or two.  He'll do soon, I'm sure.  Good luck

littlemammax2 · Answer

I had a lot of the same problems with my son. When you are out at the store or the mall anywhere thats not home, ask im if he has to go kids his age like to explore new territory and a public potty is a good place to start its exciting and new. My 3 year old boy is fully potty trained and he still wants to use the potty everywhere we go. Try that. If that doesnt work let him decorate the bathroom make it a place that he wants to spend some time in. Hope this helps.