What have I done?!

We took a break from trying to potty train DS (now 28 months), he just wasn't wanting anything to do with it. It's been a couple months so we decided to try again, but he was refusing to even sit on the potty. I was getting so fed up with him taking his diaper off and peeing on the floor through.

Since nothing else had worked, I told him he would get a treat if he went pee or poop in his potty. I literally sat him on the potty every 10-15 min and would allow him however long he wanted to sit there. He napped in his undies and stayed dry the whole time, and as soon as he woke up I put him back on the potty and he finally peed! So I gave him a couple M&Ms. But now he's freaking out thinking he gets a treat just for sitting on the potty, and will start screaming every 2 min that he needs to go, but only to get a treat.

I wish I had never done the bribing with candy   What do I do now? Any advice? He's flopping on the floor, head butting the wall, it's ridiculous.

Quoting 3.24.10 ♥ 9.10.11:" We took a break from trying to potty train DS (now 28 months), he just wasn't wanting anything to do ... [snip!] ... the bribing with candy   What do I do now? Any advice? He's flopping on the floor, head butting the wall, it's ridiculous."

Sounds like he may not be ready?
Explain he only gets them when he actually goes pee or poop, and when he throws a fit put him in a safe place where he won't hurt himself.

Giving in will only make it worse.

How old was he when you started trying? He may not have been ready and still might not be. Until they give you the ques, sometimes it will not work well. I think you may have opened a whole other can of worms with the candy.

Quoting ☮Sugar Magnolia:" Sounds like he may not be ready? Explain he only gets them when he actually goes pee or poop, and when ... [snip!] ... pee or poop, and when he throws a fit put him in a safe place where he won't hurt himself. Giving in will only make it worse."

This.

Just tell him he only gets it if he actually pees or poops not just for sitting. He should be old enough to understand that. Other than explaining that again then just put him some place he won't hurt himself and ignore his behavior.

Sadly I used treats for every successful potty attempt. But I used orange tic tags. They went a lot further with less sugar and calories. He got 1 tic tac for a pee and 2 tic tacs for a poop. It worked and my pediatrician was impressed how fast he potty trained. You gotta find what works for your LO.

I would drop the whole thing and wait for his cues. You may make it worse by pushing the issue. He probably isn't ready.

Don't put him near anything that he could bang his head on or bite. My cousin did that when he was about that age and ended up getting hurt. He even caused himself to bleed. My sister bites herself and bits things when she's frustrated.. She's almost 3 and started hitting her head with her hands and biting her arm. It really scares me because we already have a history of depression in our family.

I've told him he only gets candy when he goes pee or poop in the potty, not when he sits on it. He understand, but seriously doesn't care. He just wants freakin candy, he rarely gets anything like that, I've created a monster  

He tells me when he has to pee or poop, but hasn't wanted to actually go in the potty.

When he tells me he has to go I put him on the potty, but he just sits there. As soon as I put the diaper on he goes in it. I've tried letting him run naked, but he ends up screaming for the diaper, but rips it off as soon as he goes.

I haven't pushed him to go either, I only put him on the potty when he says he needs to go, and half the time he refuses to even sit on it. We started trying right around his 2nd birthday, but stopped after a few days of him not wanting to. We've tried off and on for the last few months.

Quoting Amber Messer:" Don't put him near anything that he could bang his head on or bite. My cousin did that when he was about ... [snip!] ... her head with her hands and biting her arm. It really scares me because we already have a history of depression in our family."

Ugh, a little bit ago he ran and head butted the front door, but the poor thing is eye level with the door knob   He didn't bleed, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is a knot above his eye tomorrow.

Quoting Jenn D ♥:" Sadly I used treats for every successful potty attempt. But I used orange tic tags. They went a lot further ... [snip!] ... tacs for a poop. It worked and my pediatrician was impressed how fast he potty trained. You gotta find what works for your LO. "

Tomorrow I'm starting over and going to try stickers instead of treats. I had done it once before, and of course he thought he got stickers just for sitting on the potty, but I would much rather give in to stickers then listen to him scream for an hour for more candy.

Quoting ☮Sugar Magnolia:" Sounds like he may not be ready? Explain he only gets them when he actually goes pee or poop, and when ... [snip!] ... pee or poop, and when he throws a fit put him in a safe place where he won't hurt himself. Giving in will only make it worse."

He's throwing the fits because I am not giving in.

I just went through this with my son. I did the same thing you did (putting him on the toilet every 15 minutes and giving him candy when he peed or pooped) just dont give in....My son would say he has to go when he doesnt need to just to get candy...He has been potty trained for a month now and thankGod it has stopped lol... now as soon as he done runs to the sink to wash his hands lol... He is 32 months by the way

Quoting M&F VBAC Graduate:" I just went through this with my son. I did the same thing you did (putting him on the toilet every 15 ... [snip!] ... and thankGod it has stopped lol... now as soon as he done runs to the sink to wash his hands lol... He is 32 months by the way"

Yeah, I'm definitely not giving in, I'm the parent lol. I'm just lost with this whole potty training thing. Everyone says to wait til they're ready, but I honestly think/thought he was ready. Other than him actually going on the potty I don't know how much more he could be ready. He shows all the signs, hates being in a soiled diaper, but refuses to go anywhere other than his diaper. I wish I had the time to dedicate 100% of my attention to him and potty training, but with an 11 month old I can't  

I'm just going to keep at it and see what happens I guess. How long did it take for your to get the hang of it?

maybe get him some underwear then and try just putting him in that? with my oldest, he was ready, but would just go in his diaper bc it was convenient and knew he could go in it. so, one day i just took away the diapers and put him in underwear and said no more diapers. he had one like one or two accidents the first week. it was a month before he turned 3 though, so he was a little older than your son....but it still might work with him!