Question
I am one week into potty training my son, who just turned two years old. I had read John's book and was ready to be cool and calm, but that only lasted a couple of days. We had some early success where he eventually put pee or poop in the potty after sitting for a while (he can hold it for hours at a time) but I think I messed it all up.
I was prepared for accidents, etc., but I wasn't prepared for him to totally refuse to try sitting on the potty when I directed him there (after accidents or when the bell went off.) He would sit for my husband, or pretty much any other adult who was over, and even if he didn't produce anything, he would sit while we left him alone. Often he would sit for a very long time, produce nothing, then get up and promptly pee on the floor.
For me, he would scream bloody murder and run naked away from the toilet, no matter how calmly and cheerfully I directed him there. Eventually I put a gate up to keep him in the room with the potty, but he definitely saw that as punitive. I got so frustrated a couple of days ago that I yelled at him and swatted his butt (and I am not a spanker.) Now he has started being resistant to my husband too.
I am trying to take a step back and start over, just cleaning up messes and telling him that it belongs in the potty, directing him to go there, and ignoring the fact that he won't sit on it/pops right up if he's put on it (he seems to like a potty seat on the big toilet more than the small potty). Is this a good course of action? I know taking a break and reverting to diapers is anathema to John, but in this case would it help to try again in a few weeks when he might be willing to approach the potty again?
