Question
My 3 year old grandson is afraid to use the potty. My daughter decided to potty train by just stopping the diapers altogether but my grandson is a master at holding it and went 16 hours without going. He will sit on the potty to humor us but won't "go" on the potty. After the first tine when he held it for 16 hours, the pediatrician told us not to let him go for longer than 6 hours without going - so put him in a diaper at 6 hours. He will hold it for the 6 hours, get a diaper, go in the diaper, and then tell us OK I can put my underwear back on.
We tried putting a diaper in the potty to see if that would work. It didn't he still wouldn't go. We tried cutting a hole in the bottom of the diaper so that he could see that it didn't hurt when the pee came out, but he couldn't go in the "broken" diaper. We are stumped.
He did have a bad experience about 6 months ago - he was constipated and was crying and we put him on the recently purchased potty thinking that might make it easier for him. He did poop in the potty but it was painful for him and he was crying. I am afraid that he may be associating that painful experience with the potty and thus his fear of going on the potty.
We would welcome any suggestions.
