What was the most trouble you ever had, or someone you know had, potty training a toddler?

My son was slow to get potty trained. He was about 90% there when he was 3½, but then lost all control of his bowels when he got salmonella poisoning and ended up in the hospital for five days.

We finally got a doctor to give suggestions. His idea was when we knew it was getting time, to put him on the toilet, and the get him to try to blow up a balloon. The muscle clenching to blow up a balloon is almost identical to squeezing out a poop. Two times, and the problem was solved.

My kid is perfect. She was crawling to the toilet since the day she was born. She’s 15 and she still crawls to the toilet.

Get a TV tray and a coloring book and instruct them they can get up after they complete their masterpiece. You will get either a colored coloring book page or a colorful poop or even better both.

Thanks to every one except @Rarebear. As usual!
@zenvelo I think he has the control and the ability, but for some reason is resisting it. But I’ll run that past my friend.
I’ll run that by her too @Cruiser.

Ian had it rough for a little while. I’m not above bribery. He got M&Ms for a successful trip to the loo.

My daughter was easy. I have heard from many people that boys are often harder to potty train than girls. Boys get trained at an older age than girls. I am not sure why and I’m far from an expert.

What I have heard may work is a reward system. Stickers or little trinkets for going potty in the toilet. So there’s no punishment and hard feelings, but more happy feelings for a “job well done.”

I have also heard that you shouldn’t stress over it because the child will pick up on the parent’s anxiety. There was one “expert” once who gave lectures about child rearing, and I heard he started off his lectures by asking for a show of hands for any adult in the room who has not been potty trained. In other words, everyone becomes potty trained eventually and so it’s nothing to stress over.

Potty training guys to pee in the toilet is super easy….Throw a handful of Cherrios in the toilet and tell them to shoot the ducks in the barrel…piece of cake. They then walk away and drop a load in their drawers. Making them sit till the “art work is done” worked for me.

I guess I’m wondering if the age is unusual. I think she’s getting worried having 3 other kids she trained under her belt.

My parents say that I was the hardest to potty train out of their four children. Apparently I was a serial-holder. But I got it down before kindergarten (I was about 4 and a half as well). Sorry I don’t really have much else to add not being a parent, but despite me learning later, I turned out alright :P

No that did help a lot @DominicY. Thank you so much! And you seriously turned out alright! (Serial holder! She’ll get a kick out of that!)
So what finally worked for you?

Useless and proud of it.

The child that I take care of during the week is 3 going on 4 and refuses to use the potty. She went through a phase where she was holding it to the point that she was making herself sick, poor thing. Her parents split up and moved into separate houses around the time that potty training had first been introduced as a somewhat regular concept and I truly believe that the stress of it all caused her to hang onto anxiety about the whole potty situation. Now, I think that she picks up on everyone else’s anxiety about her not being potty trained and it just makes it even harder, because she will dig in her heels even though every other sign suggests she is more than ready to use the potty. Is it possible that something scared or upset him and he is having a negative association with using the potty?

Could be @ANef_is_Enuf. But I am not in a position to look into it.

My neighbor daughter has twins who are four. One of them just will not go to the bathroom for BMs; he goes in his clothes. He has no problem peeing in the toilet. She recommended talking to the pediatrician, which is what I would recommend as well.

Although 4 years is a little older than usual, I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about. I would mention it to the pediatrician on the child’s next visit just to eliminate any physiological cause, but I would think the situation will pass.

What I see as an issue with a 4 year old not being potty trained is that many preschools won’t accept a child who is not potty trained.

Same here @Strauss . They were talking about psychologist and I said just talk to pediatrician.

@Dutchess_III Honestly I think it was the prospect of going to kindergarten that motivated me, as well as the fact that my younger brother was going to be starting potty training. The idea that I wouldn’t be able to go to school or that my little brother would beat me in something was unacceptable! I think that’s when I finally got it together :P