How do I get DS to not be scared to go on the potty?

DS is 3 in Oct and we tried potty training last weekend but decided it was best to wait till after the baby comes (I'm 38 wks pg). Hes been waking up dry so in the AM i try to get him to sit on the potty but hes scared to let go in it. This morning he wouldnt even sit! How do i make him understand that its ok and not to be scared?

How do I get DS to not be scared to go on the potty?

My son wasn't scared, but he didn't want to sit so I kept a box of toys & books in there for the first 2 weeks & a folding chair. I'd sit in there with him & we'd sing, read, play cars, blow bubbles (he knew he could only do it in the house if he was on the potty) - you name it. He'd be so distracted because he was having fun that he'd relax and would eventually go without realizing it at first. As time went on our potty sessions got shorter & shorter & we stopped needing the toys after about a week & a half.

I had a baby a few weeks before we started training so I'd either place the swing in the hall outside of the bathroom or if I had to I'd bring him in & nurse him in there while ds played. Luckily he's a calm & easy baby so he didn't mind being put down those first 2 weeks while I focused on the bigger guy.

Good luck!

ETA: We also did a potty chart where he'd get 1 sticker for peeing & 2 for pooping. After 5 stickers he'd get a Hot Wheels car & after filling the chart we'd bring him to the toy store. The incentives helped a lot too! We gave the stickers pretty freely in the beginning, but as time went on he'd only get them when he told us he had to go.

Message edited 7/27/2012 10:48:44 AM.

Re: How do I get DS to not be scared to go on the potty?

Re: How do I get DS to not be scared to go on the potty?

I was SO nervous about doing it - it's time consuming & tiring, but if you dedicate a few solid days to it at home it can be done! We threw out his diapers & went right to underpants (we still use pull-ups for naps/overnight), but I found that 2 bare-bottom days are what did the trick. He needed to see where the pee was coming from. If you go that route just expect accidents & keep letting him know that it's ok & that he can just tell you when he has to go next time. I also found that asking "Do you need the potty?" didn't mean anything to him - he'd say "no" and then wet himself 2 min. later lol Reminding him constantly that he could tell me when he had to go did the trick - at almost 3 he wants to be independent & in-charge of things lol

I do have to be honest with you, though - he did GREAT when I first trained him. We went 2-3 weeks without any pee or poop accidents & we retired the charts & incentives, but then he regressed when I went back to work I made the mistake of starting him in his 1st ever drop-off type program (2 1/2 hour summer camp 2x a week) the day after I went back & it was too much for him - he started having accidents 1/2 the time again. It took 2 full weeks for him to adjust to my being back at work & once he did we made a new potty chart for him. We're on day 5 and he's only had 1 accident this week - it's much easier this time because he knows what he's doing. We made the chart harder this time (10 stickers to get a Hot Wheels) and he is determined as anything lol

Message edited 7/27/2012 11:06:15 AM.