Last Updated on July 28, 2020

In this guide, we will talk about how to potty train a resistant 3 year old boy. You can help your boy stop soiling himself, wetting his clothes or holding back bowel movements. Potty training resistance is a common problem among young boys and girls. All children above the age of 3 years should be able to use the potty without your intervention.

Potty training resistance is often caused by organic and behavioral factors. If your boy is resistant to potty resistance, you need to take the most appropriate measures to ensure that he cooperates. The following are tips showing how to potty train a resistant 3 year old boy:

Wait until the boy is ready for potty training

Your boy could be resistant to potty training because he is not yet ready. Ideally, potty training should begin when your boy is at least 18 months old. At this age, he is expected to be able to move his muscles and express himself.

Do not intervene

Stop reminding your boy that it is time to go to the potty. Put off all reminders and let him visit the bathroom when he wants to move the bowel. This will train him to be more responsible when it comes to potty training.

Use reinforcements

Young children respond positively to rewards, so learn to use reinforcements to encourage him to use the potty. See potty training reward ideas.

Congratulate him whenever he uses the potty without your intervention, and promise to buy him gifts if he does not soil his clothes. Clap for him and praise him every time he uses the potty. This will motivate him to use it often and eventually help address his initial poty training resistance.

Educate him

Instead of shouting at him or punishing him for soiling his pants, teach him why it is important to use the potty. Let him learn the disadvantages of wetting or soiling his clothes, as well as the benefits of using the bathroom. Use his peers as examples, and show him how his habit can embarrass him in front of his peers. “All men” have a certain level of ego, and even a small boy of 3 years old cannot stand the ridicule of his age mates.

Keep the potty chair at a convenient location

To potty train a resistant 3-year-old boy takes understanding your child really;  Maybe he is not comfortable sharing the bathroom with adults. His potty chair does not need to be specifically located inside the bathroom, but at a convenient location.

Remember your boy can use the potty anytime, and so having the chair installed in his bedroom is more convenient especially for use at night. Your boy could be bored of waking up at night, opening so many doors to go to the bathroom to pee. This is a long way that can discourage him from using the potty, so work on it.

Replace diapers with regular innerwear

Diapers give your boy the license to soil himself. Removing a diaper to urinate can be cumbersome, and your boy may find it a long process not worth his effort. As a result, he will end up avoiding the potty in order to use the diaper.

For this reason, it is advisable to stop using diapers as soon as your boy is ready for potty training. Let him wear the regular underwear and behave like adults. See potty training pants for an indepth review on this.  He may feel ashamed having to stay with soaked underwear, because it makes him uncomfortable. This will motivate him to start using the potty. In addition, removing the underwear to pee is very easy and your boy does not need any assistance to do it. He will be left with no excuse of soiling himself, and so he will have no choice but start using the potty.

Allow him to make mistakes

Children make many mistakes, and these mistakes are the ones that contribute to their ultimate growth. Punishing your child for soiling his underwear or for causing a potty accident will affect him psychologically, and eventually deter him from moving his bowel promptly. Yes! To potty train a resistant 3-year-old  is no fun if your child is resistant & the child can make too many mistake, which if unprepared can make you throw in the towel and say, ah! Well I’ll try next year.

However, let him learn through his mistakes. Encourage him to change his clothes after wetting them. Take accidents lightly and take that opportunity to advice him. When he eventually discovers that you care, he will also start taking care of himself by using the potty as required.

Use the same potty training strategy at home and at school

Since your 3 year old boy is no longer using diapers, he may need to carry extra underwear for change in case he soils himself. Many schools have a fixed timetable that only lets children visit the toilet during a fixed duration, and this may encourage your boy to become resistant to potty training.

Tell the teachers to give him freedom to use the toilet during his preferred time. Lastly, when you want to potty train a resistant 3 year old boy, It is also important to learn that some children are very cooperative while at school, but very resistant while at home. If this is the case with your child, then you may need to seek advice from his teacher and employ the strategies used at school.

Also see potty training boys problems &  tips for potty training  boys