My daughter is two and a half and we are trying to get her to consistently use the toilet. She's got the pooping part down perfectly. Once she figured out how to poop in the toilet, she hasn't used her diaper once. That was about four months ago. The peeing part is more difficult. She is a very strong willed child and absolutely won't allow me to make her sit on the toilet. If I try to make her sit on the toilet she throws a fit and starts to cry and tells me she dosen't need to go even though I know it's been a while since she's gone and she probably could go if she would just relax enough to do it. She just won't hear of me leading her to the toilet to tell her it's time for her to go. And usually she won't take herself to go. She does pee in the toilet and will even occasionally do the big toilets when we are out, but she's just not consistent enough or independent enough to wear panties or even the cotton training pants yet. In the beginning she liked wearing underwear but then she peed in them and got upset about making a mess all over herself and now refuses to wear them. She wants to wear either a Pull-up or a diaper. So I don't know if I should just continue to buy Pull ups (gads-they are SOOO expensive!)or if I should just let her continue to wear a diaper and just let her poop in the toilet for the time being until she's a bit older. I've been thinking of telling her no more pull-ups now and that she has to wear panties now just to see if that expectation can motivate her. I just don't know which way to go on this. She's so stubborn. My oldest son was like this too and he was three and a half when he finally got potty trained. My mother (who had all three of us kids trained when we were 18 months old) was mortified. I just don't know what to do with my daughter's stubborness. Thanks in advance.

Laura

I hate the fight and often wonder if I should just put her back in diapers. Then just wait for her to figure out she wants to go on the toilet. I get so discouraged with the arguing. She was so great in the beginning and now it feels like torture.

So while I cannot give you advice, I just wanted to say I am there too. So thank you for posting this question. I feel so much better knowing that I am not alone in the same battle!! :) Good luck!!

-Tara W

We always used the big toilet with a ring in it at first so she didn't fall in and a stool at the base so her feet could touch. This was part of the "big girl" plan. It seemed to me that the little toilet just emphasized that she was still a baby. It also was better for me, I didn't want to clean the little toilet, seemed just a bad as changing diapers.

She still, shes almost 3, refuses to try to go if I suggest it in a "do what I tell you" voice. But we made sort of a game out of me "telling" her to go potty. I would ask her if she had any pee or poo that wanted to come out. And then we would call the pee and/or poo like you call a dog, come out, come out, come on. etc. It sounds really stupid and I would not want to be recorded saying this, but it works!!

I hope this helps you and your daughter. I would just advise you to try to help her to feel good about it and to be proud of her accomplishments. Try to let her make choices about things as much as is reasonable and she'll get it.

Good luck!!

Don't force the child or you'll both end up frustrated and the child will end up winning the battle. Most kids today are about 3 until they potty train.