Potty training a very reluctant 3 year old

United States
October 3, 2012 3:22pm CST
My youngest children (of 6) are 3 year old twins, one boy, one girl. They turned 3 at the very end of July. My little girl has taken well to potty training. She's usually accident free and doesn't often need to be reminded to use the toilet. She uses a pull up at night, but it's getting better. She can make it through nap time (about 2 hours usually) and stay dry. She has transitioned from using a potty chair to sitting on the toilet (with the adapter). Her twin brother, however is another story entirely. He won't even let me put underwear on him, let alone have him sit on the potty chair. When I try to put undies on him, he screams bloody murder "no undies! no undies! need diapers!" Once I get the undies on (if I can) he runs away, takes them off, shoves them behind some piece of furniture, and brings me a diaper while saying "need diapers". Biologically, he's pretty ready to potty train. He can stay dry for long periods. He takes off his diaper (or tries to, we really try to catch him while he's doing it) when it's wet or messy, especially when it's messy. He can dress and undress himself (he does it often during the day). We're just butting heads with his absolute stubborness and refusal to even give it a try. What should we do? I really don't want to resort to bribery, but if this continues like this, I might have to. Do sticker charts REALLY work? What tips and tricks have you tried with a really stubborn kid that have worked?
2 people like this
3 responses
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
3 Oct 12
Twins are double the trouble especially when of different sexes. The cute girl is getting the most attention and her brother has found a way to get his fair share. Kids are so smart! Look for something the boy can do that his sister does not do, and make a big affair out of it. Forget the diaper thing for the time being, and perhaps he will train himself to the pot!
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
3 Oct 12
You can't do anything. Boys are slower as girls and you can't force him. If you have "bad luck" he won't be trained till he is 5 years old or even have dry nights if he is 18 years old. There are no tips or tricks. Many boys forget, are kind of lazy or way to bussy with what they are doing (playing) to pay attention to going to the toilet. So the only thing you can do is make a habit out of using the toilet. You go if you wake up and before you go to bed. You go before you leave the house and as you enter. You go before breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can take him out of bed before you go to bed as well or just give him diapers. Compliment him if you have a positive result. If he is getting older and going by himself check if he is really going to the toilet since many go on their way to use it but on their way they see or hear something and forget where they were going to and start playing. BTW the more you make a big deal out of it the more stubborn he will be (that is the age too).
@Anne18 (11029)
3 Oct 12
I have twins... a girl and a boy. They were 13 yesterday. When I toilet trianed them I was very lazy and left it until the very last momnent. There big brother started full time school in the sept and the twins were due to start nursery in the October.. as soon as they were three, so it was HELP I really have ot do this now as they wouldn't take them in nappies/pull ups etc. So I put the pottys out for the last time, put them in pull ups and put some pull ups next to the pottys and left them to it. The little boy perfprmed first and then the girl. within two weeks and a week before they started nursery they had done it themseleves. Hope this helps. Would love to read your stories about your twins