Potty training when one shows no interest

So I keep seeing these potty training posts and I am starting to get concerned. Lily only wants to pee on the potty before a bath and Max won't go near his potty or even the toilet. They are 2 year 4 months, so should I be worrying? It seems like I keep seeing 2 year olds who are totally potty trained. I have heard they will potty train when they are ready, but what do you do when one isn't really interested?

I bought a package of pull ups, but we have not tried them yet. Lily doesn't tell us she has to go potty, she only goes when we ask her if she has to go.

I am wondering if this is going to be a boy/girl issue with Max slightly behind Lily developmentally. Should I start being more aggressive with it or wait until they are closer to 3 years old? I feel so lost on this issue.

 

Don't rush it! If they're not ready, they're not ready. One of the signs of "readiness" is an interest in using the potty. And until your kids have that, you could push all you want and it won't work.

There are lots of kids who train around age 2, but there are also those who train at age 3, and even beyond. You have lots of time!

 

Do not stress!!!

My twins did not train together. She showed some interest at 2 1/2 but wasn't quite there yet. She trained at 3 years 2 months and he trained at 3 1/2. Liam trained at 3 yrs 4 months.

Pull-ups...I've only ever used them at night. We went right to underwear during the day.

 

We're 31 months here and no interest whatsoever in the potty. DS doesn't even tell if he's sitting in poop. I'm waiting for them to show an interest, worst case it will be underwear when they are 3 but I'd like to avoid the mess if possible.

 

We potty trained a few weeks ago. Or rather, ONE of them did. Royce has no desire, he is perfectly content with wet underwear and pants, so I put him back in pullups and will revisit it when the weather turns cold (hopefully he won't like cold pants then). Alice is doing excellent. Between 0-1 accidents a day and is mostly overnight trained.

They're over 3. I wouldn't worry or push it at this point unless you have a reason to do it. (And I miss the days of diapers and being able to run errands after picking them up at daycare)

 

Mine started showing interest at 18 months BUT didn't train until 3y 1m. Training them was so easy because they were ready. It was more like facilitating than training/teaching. Don't stress.

 

We are 2 years and 2 months and seemingly far away from potty-training!! My mother keeps insisting we need to start because I "was trained by 18 months." Whatever...I would rather have a few easy days than weeks and months of struggle (and accidents to clean up).

Honestly, I am stressing a bit, too, and feeling like maybe I need to start doing more to get them interested, but I keep telling myself to go with their cues. It is hard when others are already there...makes you feel like you are doing something wrong :unsure:

 

I agree with PP's...don't stress...they will do it when they are ready. My DD was interested (and is pretty much day and night trained, we just have to get her more comfortable with going in the bathroom when we are out, she just holds it until we get home) and ready before my DS was and we just did the 3 day potty training program with my DS earlier this month because he was staying dry in the diaper and only peeing and pooing during nap and bedtime. He is doing really well a month later with it but I think he was much more ready at 2 yrs 8 months then he was at 2 or even 2 1/2.

 

None of my children were completely potty trained until about 3 1/2. The girls started peeing in the potty before their third birthday, but it took until the next summer for them to poop.

 

No dont push them and dont stress! It will make the process harder on all of you. Wait it out. I honestly didnt want to potty train until 3 but mine both started showing an interest, so I had to go with the flow (I prefer diapers!). My DS wasn't intersted at all in pting until a few weeks ago, and then he wanted to do it (and basically self-trained himself in about 2 days!). It will come, I think as long as you dont stress about it, they wont stress.

 

I'm not sure if you'd consider that 3 day PT method, but we did that and surprisingly, the less interested one was the one who trained almost immediately. I agree with all of the PPs - definitely don't feel stressed about any of it, but if you want to give it a try just to see, I highly recommend that. DD was very interested in using the potty, but only did it occasionally and still was happy enough to go in her diapers. DS wouldn't even do anything with the potty other than try to take it apart. But we did that technique and after he saw how much attention he got for being a big biy, he was hooked. I'll admit the treats and special privelidges (getting to watch a helicopter DVD!) that came along with staying dry helped a lot, but it wasn't straight up bribary and I think it really taught them how to feel when they had to go and want to just because you pump them so full of liquids that they have a lot of time to practice and see the results.

DH and I put aside a 3 day weekend (labor day) and just focused 100% on the kids. We started out by going to the store together and buying nice new underpants for them both, new sets of sheets that they liked and wouldn't want to get wet, and some juice and snacks that we never let them have (mine only drink water and milk so juice was a HUGE treat!). We took pictures and cheered as they threw away all of their diapers and pull ups, and went full force into underpants with no looking back. I had blankets and towels everywhere to catch messes, and I'll be honest, the first day there were a lot! But by the third day, they were running to the bathroom and making it 95% of the time, even at naptime and night. I was terrified that we'd never leave the house again, but we've been to malls and stores, to the park, and many other trips lasting all day and so far not had a single accident out of the house. That first weekend was critical to get them to understand when they needed to go in order to get there on time, but it was really worth it.

So I'm not saying to do it or feel like you need to rush your other twin, but it sounds like yours are like mine were and surprisingly the uninterested one ended up being the one who trained almost immediately so they might surprise you. Do what feels right to you - you know your kids so go with what you think. GL!

 

I keep going back and forth on pt the girls. Ellie has zero interest. Abby is the one that shows interest. She usually pees in her diaper and then wants to go on the potty. If I ask her to go, she's more than happy. She will almost always pee in the potty when she uses it. I keep thinking if she was a little older, it will be a lot easier. I was thinking I'll wait another month or two and give it a try. Our problem is finding a weekend that we can just stay home. It's been so crazy.

 

Another vote for not pushing it if they don't seem ready. We didn't even start to train DD1 until her 3rd birthday. Natalie decided to train on her own at 2 y 9 m - and trained easily in a week or so. Hannah really wanted to train because Natalie was, I don't think she was really ready but was really motivated! :laughing:

 

I have not read the replies but my girls trained at different times. Sydney was not ready when dani was. Dani was completely trained in like a week. I let Sydney go at her own pace. She was trained about 6 months later.

 

i have one that started on her own. honestly, she woke up one day and insisted on using the potty. i totally followed her lead and still do. she stays dry all day (except nap and bedtime, tho she woke up dry this morning woohoo!). it's been stress-free because i've let her decide when and how and all that.

my other one, tho, wants NOTHING to do with it! i'm tempted to take away the diapers once they turn 3, but i'm afraid it'll just make training her that much harder, so i may just wait patiently for her to realize going to the potty is not
"scaaawy" lol