https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:23:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840470 Sat, 18 Aug 2018 19:17:08 +0000 misolee 2840470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We too are in the thick of potty training. My mom insisted. He is 30 months. It is a process. And we have seen improvements daily. But we are also taking it slow and not forcing it.</p> <p>One thing my son does is he will be perfectly fine if he’s not wearing anything. He runs to the potty and is now accident free. He even pooped in the potty couple of times. But..as soon as I put underwear on he pees in it. Like every time. Argh! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840463 Sat, 18 Aug 2018 17:06:18 +0000 Elizabear 2840463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One thing that helped me was realizing that "ready" means "ready to learn" it doesn't mean they will automatically do it. It really is a process. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840335 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 11:40:27 +0000 Mamatimes3 2840335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’ve potty trained two boys, but we didn’t push it so we waited until they were older (3 years 2 months and 3.5 years). Before those ages, they resisted. But once they did it, they each had only one accident and then they were trained. Both day and night trained! So while it was frustrating trying to get them to try, once they did it, it was actually super easy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840327 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 11:21:48 +0000 MamaCate 2840327@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ali-oop: I agree that it is worth another try. My son turned 3 in July and I was ambivalent about potty training because he was not super interested. But we had the same issue of preschool transition.</p> <p>We did a couple Saturdays with undies with limited success. Multiple people suggested bare bottom and he didn’t like it. We compromised by using wearing undies as a reward—once he had a couple successful pees on the potty then he could have them. It helped.</p> <p>We did a modified version of 3 day where we talked it up ahead of time (it was like 2 weeks after his birthday so a lot of “you’re getting too big for diapers...it’s almost time to say bye bye diapers”), and then did cold turkey undies and rewards.</p> <p>We did a sticker for every try, an m&amp;m for every success and a prize for every 3 successes on the potty chart. There were accidents but he figured it out. He had accidents the first two days at daycare and that was it. This is his second week in the new room and there have been no accidents and he feels so big.</p> <p>I think he sounds similar to where your son is now so I wanted to encourage you. We never had dry diapers and one of the practice run days he peed on the potty like 11 times (drops!!) to get m&amp;ms. </p> <p>For me it was that my attitude was going to set the tone and I decided it was time, we would make it fun and positive and get it over with and it worked. I think you could get him trained if you both feel ready to do the work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840313 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 10:31:23 +0000 Adira 2840313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hellobeeboston: @Alba4: @Shantuck: I totally disagree about him sounding ready. She's only done one day and he was in underwear. That's not at all an indicator one way or the other whether he's ready or not. Wearing underwear feels so much like wearing a diaper that he probably hasn't figured out what's happening yet.</p> <p>@Ali-oop: Definitely do bare-bottom and then see how it goes. If you aren't making any progress and he never progresses out of Clueless or I peed, then he's probably not ready. OR if he's resisting it, it might be easier to way. But everything you originally wrote doesn't indicate to me that he's not ready - just that he's not really clued in fully on what you're trying to teach him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840291 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 09:08:36 +0000 Shantuck 2840291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would probably wait a bit longer as well as some others have suggested. There is a wide range of normal for potty-training and boys often potty-train a bit later than their female counterparts. We tried with no success for DS at 2.5 and then waited a few months (after his 3rd birthday) and it was a different story. I think we tried to push it too soon initially. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840273 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 07:59:54 +0000 Alba4 2840273@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hellobeeboston: I’m with you. I’m not sure he is ready yet. Does he show any interest? Can he pull up or down his pants on his own? The fact that he peed 10 times makes me think he’s not feeling control yet.</p> <p>We started training my older son when he turned 3. He had been peeing on his potty for a bunch of months pretty consistently right before bath. We didn’t use any method, just lots of positive reinforcement and bribery. Poop took a couple of months to get down. We skipped any underwear like others said. Good luck! It’s a journey!🤣 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840257 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 06:02:33 +0000 hellobeeboston 2840257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ali-oop: to me, he doesn't sound ready. I would wait a little longer then try again. That really is a lot of pee in a short time!</p> <p>My older son took a while, we tried, then stopped when he just wasn't into it. Then it wasn't until he was 3.5, we just said, OK, today was the day. Switched to underwear and there were no accidents, it was done. We could tell he was ready to do it.</p> <p>My younger son basically just said he wanted to do it when he was 2.5 without any prompting (probably because of older bro)... but all that to just say each kid is different obviously. I think pushing it makes it harder on everyone. Take a couple months off and try again :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840148 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 14:23:00 +0000 Ali-oop 2840148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks ladies! I’ll try some naked time and see how that goes. Thankfully he’s not adverse to the process yet. He doesn’t always pee when he sits on the potty but he doesn’t get mad about it. I was just shocked at how much he peed in 2.5 hours! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840143 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 13:52:42 +0000 KT326 2840143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ali-oop: He might not be ready. We had some false starts with my son (tried at 2.5 and 3). It wasn't until almost 3.5 that it finally clicked. </p> <p>We took a slow and steady approach, I know my son's personality and the Oh crap or 3 day methods would have been a disaster. We would do underwear after picking up from daycare to before bath time. I did this for a couple weeks. Then we would do underwear at home but pull ups at daycare (our daycare at the time was not on board with sending in underwear). It took about 2 months but he was day trained by the time we started our new daycare.</p> <p>ETA: Our pediatrician was very adamant that we not push it. He will train when he is ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840140 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 13:36:53 +0000 alphagam84 2840140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You need to change techniques. Buy the Oh Crap! potty training book and do what she says. Works great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840120 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 12:33:32 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2840120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm with @MrsADS: if you can wait, I would. Probably totally depends on your kid's personality though. O is highly sensitive and hypervigilant, and pushes back big time if she senses any pressure at all (even if it's something she wants to do). I knew the Oh Crap method wasn't for us, so we just casually encouraged potty use as she was interested, and then eventually she stayed dry in her pull up for a few days in a row, so we switched to underwear. She has had plenty of accidents, but never more than 1 per day and probably not more than 10 or 15 TOTAL and she's been in underwear for several months now, maybe 6? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840116 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 12:24:59 +0000 MrsADS 2840116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OP - my son is the same age (will be 3 on 8/24). He is in daycare and has to be potty trained to move up to the 3 year old class. He needs to move up (he's the oldest in the 2yo class, very verbally advanced, tall) - he's ready. So we HAD to start potty training about a month ago.</p> <p>He is very strong willed and it has been a struggle (still is!) .Honestly, if I had no reason to potty train him now (i.e. school deadline), I would have just waited until he was more ready or he just told me he wanted to use the potty and wear underwear! He has "learned" what to do and stays dry at school all day probably 50% of the time (other times has 1 pee accident). But he has to be prompted to use the potty (at school), he often won't tell them he has to go and then he has an accident.</p> <p>He refuses to poop in the potty and just poops in his underwear (he doesn't care at all!) or in his overnight diaper. At home, he uses the potty as a form of control and when I ask him to go, yells "NO!" even when he has to go, then pees everywhere a minute later. </p> <p>If you want to do it, I agree the oh crap no pants method is the way to go (that's what we did). But I would probably wait if you can. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840082 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 10:27:22 +0000 psw27 2840082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @Adira to try bare bottom so they understand fully they are not wearing a diaper/cannot go pee anywhere but potty. I will also suggest that if you keep trying and your LO keeps peeing everywhere, your child might not be ready yet. I tried to start my LO when he was about 2.5 and he just simply wasn't ready and it was too hard. About 3 months later I tried again and it worked. Don't be afraid to say nope, not yet if it's just not working! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840063 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 09:12:38 +0000 LemonJack 2840063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I agree with what Adria said! We potty trained my older daughter around that age, and if we ever put a pull up on her for any reason she would go potty in it.</p> <p>I laid down some tarps in our living areas and she was naked from the waist down for a couple of days. She had a lot of accidents at first, but caught on pretty quickly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840055 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 08:56:36 +0000 Adira 2840055@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ali-oop: This all sounds normal!</p> <p>But I'd suggest getting rid of the underwear and letting him go bare-bottomed to start. Feeling underwear tight against them makes them think they still have a diaper and makes it harder to learn their own cues.</p> <p>Oh Crap Potty Training is a great resource for what you're looking for. Basically, you start off bare-bottomed and then watch your kid like a hawk so that YOU can learn their cues and help teach them. You're looking for an indication that they are transitioning from Clueless -&gt; I peed! -&gt; I'm peeing! -&gt; I have to pee!! And that's a lot easier without underwear.</p> <p>Even if they start peeing on the floor and you have to grab them and run them to the potty to finish on the potty, that's a step in the right direction. But you have to be able to SEE what's happening to be able to do that.</p> <p>Then once they've transitioned to the point where they've peed on the potty a few times, THEN you put on pants (the book suggests you go commando if you can for a while).</p> <p>It's totally normal for a kid wearing diapers to NOT hold their pee at ALL. They figure it out during the potty training process. And if you have a kid that pees every 30 minutes, that gives you a lot more opportunities for practice, which is helpful! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-almost-3yo-diaper-never-dry#post-2840050 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 08:35:56 +0000 Ali-oop 2840050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS will be 3 at the end of this month. We started introducing the potty about 6 months ago. Sometimes he wouldn’t sit on it, sometimes he would, but he would never pee in it.</p> <p>So last week I decided to throw underwear on him and see how it went. In the first 2.5 hours he was awake he had 10 accidents. He did pee in the potty twice (once it was after sitting on it for over 20 minutes) but he peed 10 additional times. I literally spent my morning cleaning up his pee. And I was setting an alarm to go off every 10 minutes to sit him on the potty.</p> <p>Is that typical for a first day really trying? The thing that concerns me is he never has a dry diaper. I mean never. He usually has super full diapers. Is it possible he’s still not ready or is this normal? </p>