So your child is three and still does not go on the potty…. Trust me when I say this is no cause for concern! Children go when they are ready and not a minute beforehand. When a child is around 15-18mos a parent should introduce the notion of the potty (if a child expresses interest before 15 mos than introduce them to the potty then). Parents should begin to read books about the potty and introduce potty seats and bowels.

After a child has been introduced they should be asked at every bath time whether they wanted to use the potty or not. If they say yes, go for it! Even if your child sits on the potty and does not go praise should be given for the attempt. If your child says no, say, ?Ok, maybe another day? and try again ina few days. When your child turns two it may be time to switch to pull ups. Once your child is wearing pull ups, those children that have been using the potty frequently at bath time should be encouraged to go every time you go! When your child is consistently going you can remove the pull-ups and encourage the child to go on their own.

Now if you have a child like mine this approach may not work. My son did not become fully potty trained until recently. He began to pee on the potty only when I took away the pull ups and let him wet himself a few times this feeling caused him to want to pee. Bowel Movements on the other hand came a year later. He refused to poop on the potty until he was ready and you know what? One day he came to me with his three year old smile and said, ?Mommy I want to make poo poo? and guess what? He did and has never stopped.

I strongly recommend that you let a child potty train when they say they want to, and not when you want them to… just remember when you are losing hope that there is no one that I know still pooping in a diaper at 35… at some point he will go!!