Potty (again). Help.

[nicolewi]

I think this is my third post (well spaced out) about potty training. DD turned 3 in December. My last post was about how frustrated I was getting, so we took a potty training break. I recently started just semi-trying again and she's still super resistant. I've had it. There is no way we are doing stinky diapers all summer long. It's March already and I want to get the show on the road. She is making zero progress and maybe just getting worse. I am not sure what to do. Am considering putting her in underwear and restricting her to the hard floor as much as possible. Or maybe buying the expensive training unders from Hanna Andersson to at least have some protection? I just don't know what to do with her.

Her siblings were so much easier to train. They had some accidents, but mostly they were at least trying/somewhat excited about it. I did Pull-Ups with them and stressed keeping them clean and dry. They did try to keep them dry, and once they could, we moved to underpants. Worked great. I never understood just putting them in underpants b/c the Pull-Ups worked well for me (they tried to keep them dry, but if they did have accidents, no mess), but maybe that's what I should try this time??

She just refuses to go on the potty and it seems to only be getting worse. She is also, just in the last week or so, being very difficult and stubborn about many things. Whining about everything, having to get a toy herself instead of ME getting it for her, having to hold my hand all the time, etc. So maybe that's a bad time to push it, but on the other hand, maybe this stage will be around for a while. I think we're heading into the 3.5 zone of nastiness. This kid was by FAR our easiest, most cooperative, easy-going baby until recently.

I have tried talking it up/general enthusiasm, M&Ms, toy rewards, surprise reward chart (i.e. uncover a box if you go on the potty and see what you get), potty books, watching Daniel Tiger about the potty. We have a little potty and a potty seat on the big potty. We played potty with babies. Lately she wants her favorite dolls to "go in their diapers like a baby." She showed no interest in trying to get rewards.

I think maybe this is tied to wanting to be a baby like her 14 month old baby sister, but who knows.

To critique myself, I will say I have not been consistent. It's really hard with having the baby here, too, and the big kids. I'm still nursing, so there's that. And, it seems like someone always needs something and I'm on my own for dinner/bedtime most nights so it's hard to stick to a firm schedule. But that's probably part of the problem. 

Any advice? Any reviews on the training unders (they are expensive!)? 

TL, DR: I think she's just taking advantage of me and this could go on forever. I need to take a hard-core potty approach but don't know what it should be or how to go about it. 

[Deleted]

I know others will say don't push it, every kid gets it eventually....but I personally am all for nakedness/underwear and hardwoods for 3-7 days. Offer to go frequently, big praise when she does. Good luck!

[abs]

At her age I would just pick a weekend so you have help and go cold turkey on the diapers. However! Make sure she isn't constipated first.  That can cause major potty issues.  Ask me how I know.  :/

ETA:  if she wants to be treated like a baby then do it.  She should figure out quickly that being a big girl is much better.  

[nicolewi]

Definitely not constipated.

[maloney]

This is my son to a T. He's 3 1/2 and refuses to pee on the potty. I need to just get rid of all the pull-ups (problem is his little sister isn't pt'd yet). It's so frustrating.

[aggiecyd]

That sounds like my DD. I started to PT, when she was just over 3 & she wasn't having it. I finally got tired of changing diapers, tried the pull-ups, tried naked, tried underwear and she still refused to go. She knew what she was supposed to do, just wouldn't do it. I backed off a few months and started again.
DD is very visual, so we went and picked out new underwear - her choice. She helped me wash them (she loves that) and we put them in a stack on the coffee table next to the "last" diapers we had. DS was a smaller size diaper so these were the last ones for her & they weren't making anymore. I told her when the diaper stack was gone, she was going to wear underwear.
She counted down at every diaper change & was fully on board. She was very excited about picking out her frat pair of underwear after the last diaper. She had maybe 3 accidents and that was it.
Not sure if that would help, but seeing the stack go down really helped DD; made it more concrete.

[auroraloo]

Mar 11, 2016 18:16:00 GMT -5 maloney said:

This is my son to a T. He's 3 1/2 and refuses to pee on the potty. I need to just get rid of all the pull-ups (problem is his little sister isn't pt'd yet). It's so frustrating.

This is my life 100%. I cannot add anything to this.