Nakita Grinie

My child refuses to sit on the potty

Getting your child to sit on the potty is the first step to potty training. However, for some this is a lot easier said than done. First you will have to figure out why your child is refusing to sit on the potty. Is he afraid? Maybe he has no interest in the potty? Does have very little experience with the potty?
Try reading to your child, or showing him videos about the potty. I recommend Potty Power for Boys and Girls. Also, let him watch how you do it. The more he sees others do it, the more likely that he will want to try it himself.

My child is afraid of going poop

This is a biggie. Many children are extremely afraid of going poop. They will pee, but get extremely anxious or nervous about letting their poop go in the potty. I wrote a separate article that addresses Potty Fears.

My child is holding it in (pee or poop)

A child holding in their pee or poop can be a frustrating road block. I recommend lots of fluids and pears to prevent constipation. Pears seem to have a gentler "laxative-like" effect than prunes. When your child starts holding it in, it will take lot's of patience and encouragement on your part to help him go. Distracting him with an activity while on the potty helps too. There's a reason for inventions like the iPotty. This is a very common issue among potty training children.

My child won't go potty in public

So just when you have finally potty trained, you stumble upon a new road block. Your child refuses to go potty out in public. There's nothing more frustrating than that. Going to the potty may take some time, but in the meantime try your best to ease your child's fears. Bring some fun rewards and a portable potty training seat like this Mommy's Helper. Also, try taking your child on some "trial runs" like to a friend's or family members house. The more your child gets practice in other potties, the better he will get at this.

If your still having trouble, all of these topics are covered in depth in the Start Potty Training Program. There is a whole section called "Bumps in the Road", that is the best part of the program. There are always going to be variables that arise during training and this section will help you with every single one of these issues. I wrote a review about the program HERE. Good luck and happy potty training!