Community Question: My Daughter Isn’t Interested!

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

We get lots of great questions on our Facebook community, and sometimes we like to answer them on the blog too.

Question: Why doesn’t my 2-year-old daughter give a hoot about using the potty??? I thought they were supposed to train earlier than boys…

Answer: Well, first, the idea that girls train earlier than boys may hold true for some kids, but definitely not for all.  Each child is of course very different and as potty training is a physical milestone, there are many factors at play.

To start with, consider her signs of readiness. You can read about some of them HERE.

Once you’re sure she’s ready, come up with some great incentives. You may want to use a chart, such as can be found on our RESOURCES page, or you may like non-tangibles, such as ones talked about HERE.

Whatever the case, remember that no child went off to college not potty trained! Like so many other things in child development, when she’s ready she’ll do it. Of course, little help and encouragement from you doesn’t hurt either.

To read more community questions, visit our FAQ page!

2 thoughts on “Community Question: My Daughter Isn’t Interested!”

  1. I too thought that a girl would be easier and after lots of frustration I got some advice that really worked…wait until she is almost three! Yes it was that simple. A month before her third birthday we tried again. It was my spring break so i had a week of uninterrupted time. She helped me throw her diapers away and we transformed her changing table area to a dolly nursery where she could care for her dollies who were not trained. We were equipped with sticker charts and the potty time app on my iPad. I think the first day I nearly strangled her. She would pee right beside the potty. On day 2 she got up and said, “mom ge the diapers back.”. I knew then that she was testing me to see if I would cave. I told her she had thrown them away and they weren’t coming back. She has only had a small handful of accidents since then. She was finally ready and she needed me to be ready. So I will pass on the best advice I could have ever gotten. Be patient, wait until closer to her 3rd birthday and make sure in the interim you are playing potty time songs and the DVD so that the language she needs is in her mind! We are happily enjoying the sweet benefits of being a big girl! Good luck.