Well, I didn't have the energy for the potty training when I was pregnant and now I am wondering how to fit it in with a newborn in the house. ds is showing some signs that he might be ready. He is suddenly very keen to sit on the toilet like everyone else does (refuses to sit on the potty anymore). He is also staying dry for longer periods. However, he keeps asking to sit on the toilet when I am not free to help him (feeding baby, changing baby or just heading out the door to an appointment) and then it turns out that he didn't really need to go anyway. Any advice? Should I just be putting him on the toilet at regular intervals at this stage? How often should I do this at this? We had a few successes with the potty before baby arrived (telling me that he needed to sit on the potty at the appropriate time) but he has not yet done this with the toilet. He now seems to be telling me after the event rather than before. BTW ds turns 3 in March.

Hmmm, I went through a similar situation, struggling with pt while I was pregnant and then giving up and waiting until the baby was here, and also after we moved to a new place... The asking to go when you are busy with baby sounds familiar; I think what I did was to take my ds to the toilet before changing/feeding the baby and would say something like "let's go pee, so I can go change the baby's diaper next; she's too little to go on the pot..." I really worked hard at making my son feel there was a benefit to being "big" which happened to include potty traing (he turned three when my daughter was just over 4 months). I tried everything under the sun, but what seemed most helpful was taking him at regular 1 hour intervals and also giving him 2-3 M&Ms when he was successful. I hope that's a little helpful anyway :)

That's when I encourage/insist on the little potty. That way if they indeed need to go, they can GO by themselves, then I can prepare myself (if nursing baby or the like) to tend to the child in a moment.
But if my 'trainer' can pull down their own pants, they can go sit on the potty by themselves and wait for me. I will get there just as soon as I can.
Don't worry, the newborn will pick right back up where they left off hehe

Then, around here though, I have some elders who assist with the 'trainer'. That helps. But I don't rely on it. I tell the trainer to go to their potty, I will be right there.
By the time I get there, they're finished :)

I know you said yours wants nothing to do with the potty chair, but, it might be worth a little more 'insisting'.

And yes...taking the trainer to the potty *before* you do any baby duties can be helpful. Very helpful! I did as mentioned above as well "Let's go potty before I need to change the baby..."

Though I never did the 'regular intervals' thing with any of mine. I have just taken them as I think about it. Whenever I go, I have them go as well. And when changing activities..before lunch, after lunch, before nap, after nap, after playing in the other room/before coming to sit and read..

Also, with the potty chair..it's portable. You can move it out into your 'active/living area' wherever you are with the baby. Set the potty near you, that way if he says he needs to go while you're busy with the baby..you can say, ok, go, I'm right here ;) Part of that may be a ploy to get your attention.
Yeah, it happens hehehe

Yeah I'm having the exact same troubles. My ds#1 is goin to be 3 in June and the only sign that he might be ready is that he tells me AFTER he's gone. I don't know how to get him to tell me before and he just doesn't seem to care. My ds #2 is 4 months and so I feel like I'm able to spend a little more time with the potty training. I'm not quite up to taking him every hour....although I guess it's better than changing the diapers!! [whatrunningscared]

yeah... i didn't have the energy to pt when i was a preggo last year. now my nb is 2 mths and i have started again. when the baby was born, ds would ask to go potty at inopportune times, but then not really go. he tried i think, but was afraid. i'm trying again... starting with right when he wakes up and then every half an hour until he goes for once... then every hour. :shock: very exhausting, let me tell ya. i tried this method when i was preggo and it worked, but then he didn't like it... [crytantrum] cried and screamed after he went pee pee. i hear that boys are hard with pt. he won't be 3 until dec., so i'm not pressuring him, but buying only one box of diapers would be great! :D