Potty Problems - I’m out of ideas

LO turned 3 last month and we’ve started to push the potty agenda more.

Over the past couple of months he’s peed in the potty before bath a few dozen times.

We tried the potty chart, stickers, the whole spiel. He’s been balking again for a while.

We decided to go all in two days ago with the Oh Crap bottomless method since we were stuck inside anyway (thanks foot of snow).

He asked if he could have the tv on while he sat on the potty and I said fine. And I kid you not, the first day that child held pee in for four hours. I’ve never seen anything like it. He sat on the potty and watched tv and read books and in that time had juice and water to the point he should have been floating. We had him blow bubbles and a pinwheel, put food coloring in the potty bowl and said it would change color if he peed, even tried the trick where you put your feet in warm water. Nothing.

He finally said he was done and within fifteen seconds of him standing up he peed all over the floor.

That night though he sat back down for a while and managed to poop and pee. We made a huge fuss over him, got him a donut from the store.

Yesterday and this morning he’s back to balking and refusing to want to sit on the potty. He woke up with an absolutely loaded pull up. Yesterday he beat his record of NOT peeing by holding it for 6.5 hours. I can’t believe that’s even physically possible.

He cried when we asked him to sit in the potty before bed and just wanted a hug.

How can I make this a better experience? What else can I try? What am I doing wrong? My oldest was an absolute fiasco with potty training so we DIDNT push him, and he outright refused to use the toilet forever.