Toddler refuses to use the potty and waits for a diaper
Children often understand how to use the toilet and have done so successfully before, yet still refuse to go and intentionally wait until a diaper is put on. This withholding behavior can leave parents searching for effective strategies to help their child move past the resistance.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1letting the child run around nude after bath time
- 2sitting him down first thing in the morning consistently
- 3trying bribery with candy or stickers
- 4keeping the child in underwear all day while allowing them to ask for a diaper
- 5taking away diapers completely
- 6Holding the bowel movement until getting home
- 7Establishing regular routines to poop before school or before bed
- 8Asking to go home early from school due to stomach aches
- 9Providing backup clothes or working on wiping confidence at home
- 10Showing children YouTube videos of cats pooping in human toilets
- 11Reading books while the child sits on the toilet to avoid rushing
- 12Doing 'no pants' training and following up every 15 minutes
- 13Showing educational videos and apps about potty training
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Looking for tips for my second who refuses to use the potty.”source ↗
“He has used the potty independently a handful of times so he knows how to, but he won’t.”source ↗
“he will wait until we put on his diaper to pee.”source ↗
“My 6 year old refuses to poop in school because she is afraid of getting her hands dirty while wiping. So if she has to poop in school she will hold it and her belly will hurt so she will ask to go home because she has a belly ache.”source ↗
“I have not had one single successful poop in the toilet since starting potty training.”source ↗
“And sometimes he just doesn’t even ask me, he just wees all over the floor and then comes to me and tells me he’s done a wee.”source ↗
“I’m at my wits end, and nothing is improving or changing, and i don’t know what to do 😭”source ↗
“I was one of those kids that never pooped anywhere except home or grandparents.”source ↗
“My nephew was this kid and got himself hospitalized at 7.”source ↗
“I’ve been through this with my kid. What helped was to have him sit on the toilet before bed and in the morning.”source ↗
“My 2.5yo is wee trained but won't even sit on the potty with a nappy on for a poo. He will freak out”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 7Preschooler refusing to follow rules and leaving the classroom
- 6Why is my toddler staying up until midnight refusing to sleep?
- 5Kindergarteners coming to school not potty trained
- 11How do I start potty training when I don't have a yard?
- 16How to handle a toddler fighting diaper changes and teeth brushing
- 4Why does my kid refuse to say hello or goodbye?