5 Yr Old Not Making It to the Bathroom

My guess would be that she isn't having accidents at school because of the structure. They don't usually ask if you have to go to the bathroom. They go as a class at regualar intervals. Perhaps putting her on a schedule at home for a while will help. Like every half hour or every hour she needs to go in and try to potty whether she wants to or not. Just a suggestion. Not sure if it would work or not but it makes sense to me. Good luck, Shannon
PS. Make sure that she isn't being bullied at school or on the school bus. This can cause problems at home as well.

ok, i know she is 5, but something like this happen with my 4 year old when she was 3. I do have a 6 year old now and well she is not potty trained at night but the 4 year old is now. but to get to the point when the 4 year old was having all the problems with not going to the bathroom and instead going to her room and peeing on the floor and than hiding it or saying she does not have to go than well what happens is peeing on the floor or where she is. Just try to keep your cool as best as you can and just try to take her there when you think it is time or treat her out when she does good maybe mine well pretty much i kept on her and soon enough she got it in her had b/c of her older sister but well think about this my 4 year old now is potty trained at night and the 6 year old is not. that is a plus. i hope the best of luck

My daughter was always way too busy to be bothered with going potty. We started rewarding heavily for going on her own initiative. She got to put another color-form sticker on the potty lid until it made a cool scene. If she had an accident and we knew she chose not to go she lost privileges and had to sit on the floor of the bathroom until she could get it right. We let her have a few books but she had to stay in the bathroom. Yes, there were a few tears but she learned that if she got it right everyone was happy and if not we went on with our day while she sat until she went the right way.

My son has the same issues. He can go weeks without accidents but his mind gets so busy thinking about things that he forgets to listen to his body. I do have to sometimes take the "Option" of using the potty away, by saying it's potty time. I do try to keep the question, do you have to go?, in there as much as possible but if he says no and I can tell I just tell him that I have to go try so I think he should try with me. Normally he will go with me at this point, and normally go. If he still says no, I say it's not an option. (This is rarely the case). Having a child smarter than their age isn't always as easy as it seems it would be, hang in there...her bladder will catch up to her mind someday! :)

Instead of asking her if she needs to go to the potty, make a statement..."it is time to go to the potty." She will not have the choice to make the decision on her own. She will just obey and go use the bathroom. My 2 kids are 6 and 3 and are both fully potty trained, but they know that before we go outside, or to the store, or send them off to school, they know that they need to take a potty break. No questions asked...just go! I tell them if they sit and try and nothing happens, then good. But 9 times out of 10, they go potty and alleviate the possibility of having to use a public bathroom or having to take time out of playing to use the potty. Make the statement and forego the questions! Thats my modo. :)

She has better things to do then go potty. You need to take her and make her go. Perhaps she fibs to avoid missing out on something fun. Maybe she doesn't like going by herself, it's lonely and boring. At school or at camp she has no choice she has to go alone, at home she has you and maybe doesn't want to go alone. Maybe she needs more praise for going. Think of it like saying "I love you." Sometimes you need to hear it even though you know.

I'm surprised that you don't take her when you notice her "wiggle'. If you know she has to go then you should make her go no matter what she says. It only takes a few moments, you can bring the baby with if you don't want to leave him alone in a playpen.