i hink my son has finally turned the corner so to speak. He was oing well, then had a setback of a couple weeks (he was in the hospital). He has bounced back with a vengeance and is saying repeatedly now, “I don’t wear diapers! I wear underwear!” He still has regular accidents, but he his making huge strides.
He’ll be four in December and his mother and I were thinking he’d nenver pick it up. but, dang it, he was just ready and made the step just like everyone said he would. But it was when he was ready, not when his mom and I were.
[happy dance]I feel like having a big party![/happy dance]
Potty Party!!
I know I worried that my kid would NEVER be potty-trained. People told me repeatedly that no kid* ever went off to kindergarten in diapers, but I was pretty sure she was going to be the first. I rejoice with you!
(*who is progressing in an otherwise healthy, age-appropriate way.)
Yes our 4 in February son is finally pretty much there. I think it was starting school with older kids in September that finally tipped the balance. Although Thomas the Tank Engine helped out at one point: Link
All three of my girls were past their third birthday when they potty-trained, and they say that boys often train later than girls, so it doesn’t seem like this is out of line. Of course, there will always be people lining up to tell you that their little darling trained at 14 months or some such.
Sometimes, the parents indicating readiness can actually work against the situation. There are three things you cannot make a child do: eat, go to sleep, and go to the potty. Therefore, these grounds are where they stage their worst battles. If the parents make a fight out of it, the kids are more than happy to fight back!
I thought potty training would be the end of me. Everyone would see what a fraud I was, I was no parent I was a fake! My trick? One day my son came to me with a diaper rash and I told him that if he kept wearing diapers his butt would fall off. Scared him so bad he potty trained himself overnight. He’s never had an accident since then. He’s now 6 and has three kids in his kindergarten class that still wear training pants because they aren’t completely potty trained. My daughter still has overnight pants because she has a weak bladder and can’t hold it for long but at least during the day she’s a big girl like Mommy.
I have to laugh. Our staff psychiatrist came to me for advice on potty training for his recalcitrant 4 year old. All I could tell him was “he ain’t gonna until he wants ta”! Meanwhile, let him play on linoleum only.
My mom claims she never had two of us in diapers at once. I’m 15 months older than my sister and she’s 15 months older than our borther. I wonder what nefarious methods Mom used back in the 50s??
(pulls out party horn, tosses confetti)
Yeah !!!
Mine (a boy and a girl) were both past 3 1/2 when they decided to train. I am familar with the adult celebration that follows training. They both (4 and 5) still wear pull ups to bed.
He moved up to the three day threes this year in school (last year in was in guess! - the two day twos!) and there are a number of children who use the potty and I think that had something to do with it, maybe. or he was just ready, like everyone said would happen.
<sigh>
Our training methods which I will claim as successful for our son have also worked to train our almost two year old daughter than she can eat candy if she sits on the potty. We are working to de-program that.
The sits on the potty after saying “I have to pee mommy!” and says “I’m doing it I’m doing it!”
The things that make parents happy. 
You know to what depths you have fallen when your best (in fact, only - symptomatic in itself…) Valentine’s Day present is your son’s First Poo In The Toilet.
And far from feeling sad about that, you rejoice.
Yep, parents are pathetic. But it’s a job that most of us wouldn’t swap, eh?
I’m going to laugh over this all day.
And since he’s still only three, he has changed his mind a million times about whether he wants to wear a diaper or underwear. Often he changes his mind within a minute. But then he’ll walk over to the potty and pee. And then demand a diaper on.