Potty Training - Phoenix,AZ

This was an issue for my son too. I did the stickers, which did work for peeing, but just didn't seem to cut it for pooping. I read on here actually an idea that I kept in my head for when my son was ready, because I did feel that at first he was just not ready for pooping. He would talk about it but not do it. Then I went to the dollar store and got some toys and created a prize bag when I felt he was ready. WOW, the next day, he pooped for the first time, and got several prizes that day, cause he did little poops at first. From then on he has done really well, with very few accidents. I think he just had to go once, then was good to go.
Good luck...

Don't scold, don't punish, wait paitiently. He will figure it out eventually. When he poops his pants, say matter-of-factly and with confidence, "Oh, you had an accident! Next time you will know to poop on the potty." Grit your teeth and bear it, this will pass. Hang in there.

Dear C.,

Something I learned in my psychology classes years ago is that some children have trouble with the pooping part because they feel they are letting go of a part of themselves, and seeing it flushed away makes them very anxious. So maybe some new modern books on that, or some sort of explanation that, "yes, it is yucky", and that's because it's the part of the stuff you eat that your body does not want to keep because it could make him very sick if it doesn't get "pooped out." Something along those lines could help you and the other moms with a similar problem. God bless.
K.

My daughter was also reluctant to poop in the potty. We put her in underwear for the day and she would ask for a pull-up when she needed to poop. And I would change her immediately after she was done. Then, we went together to the bathroom and dumped the poop from the pull-up into the potty. Say "Bye-bye poop" then my daughter would flush. Somehow this process helped her to feel more comfortable with pooping in the potty.
Also, pooping on the potty is different physically than pooping in a diaper or pull-up in that most kids in diapers either stand or squat to poop. Sitting on the potty requires pushing the poop out differently. I know that sounds strange, but I think it just takes kids a while to put it all together. Your son is pretty young, give him some time with the poop issue, I know want to be done with changing diapers, but isn't changing a poopy diaper or pull-up easier than cleaning poop out of his clothes? :)

Hey C.,
Put the boy back in a diaper. There are people who will tell you "Never put a diaper back on after you've started with the pantalones, but I think that's baloney. I would do this without judgment. Maybe say something like "I know it's hard for you to go poop on the potty right now, and that's okay because you're gonna learn how to do it really soon. But for now I think it would be a good idea for you to wear a diaper so you don't have any more yucky underwear." It might be a relief for him, or it might spur him on to try harder. Who can say? Anyway, it takes the pressure off of both of you. I'd ask him from time to time if he'd like to try pooping on the potty again and follow his lead. Potty training should be as stress-free an enterprise as possible. Some kids are in it for the long-haul right off the bat, and some kids do it in fits and starts. One thing is certain-they all do it eventually, barring any physical complications. Look forward to that glorious day-it's not as far away as it may seem right now!

Good Luck!
Al

My daughter is the same age and has the same problem. If you ask her, she'll tell you that poop and pee go in the potty and not her panties. But, she still does it. The couple of times she has actually gone in the potty I've made it a big deal, but she just doesn't like to do it. I read somewhere (I think it may have been the current issue of Parenting) that sometimes it's because if they are sitting on a large toilet with their feet hanging down they can't comfortable sit and get the right pressure to help them push out. I haven't tried getting my daughter to sit on her old floor potty (because we have since flipped it over to use as a stool for the big potty) but I may switch back to see if this is one of her issues (since this has reminded me of that article). At home, she is in panties 100% of the time with her helping me clean up messes or me and her father sitting her on the potty.

At the day care they have been putting a pull up on underneath her underwear. She can't move to the next room until she is fully potty trained so they are hoping she will 'get it' by the time her birthday rolls around in October. It's frustrating but I also keep telling myself I'm not alone, and she'll be there one day!

We also do stickers and small toys as treats (right now we have stepped up from a small toy for every time she goes potty to a day she has no accidents), we haven't achieved that yet, but she gets very upset that she only gets stickers again and can see the neat toys, clothes, cups, silverware she helped pick out and can't touch yet.

GOOD LUCK and know your not alone!!

We started potty training my daughter at 23 months and she is now 98% potty trained (27 months now) when it comes to peeing on the potty but I told her from day one that if she wasn't comfortable pooping on the potty she needed to ask for a diaper. I told her that when she was ready to poop on the potty that she would let mommy and daddy know. So without fail, everytime she has to poop, she asks for a diaper, does her business then we put panties back on. I decided long before the potty training process that we were not going to pressure her because she has dealt with constipation since she was three months of age. Plus, she's the type of child that will let you know when she is ready for a change. Good Luck!

I had similar problems with my youngest. What I did was put him on the potty at least once an hour and said that I had to do that so that he would learn to go poop on the potty. If I still had trouble, I'd put him on every thirty minutes. I also gave him a penny every time he went poop. It really helped... Hang in there! He'll get the hang of it!

My daughter had this issue. She was potty trained, wearing underwear, put refused to poop in the potty. She was really frightened and upset - I still don't understand why, but she wouldn't do it. She never pooped in her undies, though. She would hold it forever.

We stressed that you go poop in the bathroom. Period. She would go to the bathroom, I'd help her put on a pull-up and she'd stay in the bathroom and do her business. I'd clean her up and then put her back into underwear. She did this for months after she was potty-trained.

Does your son like being in big boy undies? If so, I would gently but firmly stress that if he poops in his undies, he's not ready for big boy undies and he'll have to go back to diapers. But give him the option that if he really needs to go in something, not on the toilet, you will provide pull-ups and he can go into the bathroom for privacy. Also, if he thinks it's yucky to be soiled... make him wait a few minutes before you change him. Not in a mean way, just say "oh, I'll change you just as soon as I finish this" and make him wait a few minutes. The yuckiness might spur him on.

If he will not go potty for the sitter - what is he doing? Going in his undies or in a pull-up? I found pull-ups to be totally counter-productive... a kid knows they've got one on and they will just go in it. I wouldn't use them during the day.

This sounds weird and gross, but I really think some kids just like the way it feels to poop. Especially boys. Have you ever noticed that many boys will get a little erection while they poop? It's not something you discuss much or notice, but most moms of boys I know say the same thing. :) Silly, but true.

I totally understand what you are going through as I just went through it with my daughter! I can now encourage you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!! I disagree with what some of the other moms have advised - about putting him back in diapers because if he can successfully pee on the potty, then I believe he is ready. Diapers would just make the situation worse and I don't think at 2.5 he can understand why he is being put back in diapers. So here are some ideas and what worked for us.

When he poops in is underwear, have him help clean them - have him help put the poop in the potty and flush. I even got to the point where I made my daughter throw her own panties in the garbage which she didn't like. Try taping a diaper to the toilet seat when you know he has to poop. As another mom said, learning to poop is a whole new process for them so maybe the comfort of a diaper there will help him understand the feeling of "pooping on the potty". What finally worked for my daughter was complete nakedness. When I saw that she was starting to poop or needed to poop, I mader her naked from the waste down so she had no choice - poop on the potty or poop the ground. After two time, she understood it and has not had a problem since. This takes your attention and time which I know is hard so shoot for evenings or weekends when you have more time with him. Also, I give my daughter soy milk which is loaded with fiber so she has softer more frequent poops.

For the babysitter - I would suggest having her use a reward system with your son if she doesn't already. I think that huge positive reinforcement from her is key. If it's a situation where she has many kids she's watching, it may be that he doesn't get enough positive reinforcement from her which is why he doesn't want to go for her. So buy some stickers or suckers for her and see if that helps.

Stick with it, you're doing awesome to have him trained already!! This too shall pass and it won't be long before you get to encourage another mom that you too made it through! Good Luck!

If he's not holding the poop, then it looks like to me like he's just not ready. Two and 1/2 is young for a boy to be completely training. Most boys (I'm sure not all), but most take longer to completely train. If it were me, I'd put him back in diapers for a little while longer and explain to him that if he can't poop in the potty like big boy, then he will be wearing diapers like a baby. Maybe he won't like the feel of diapers again and it will motivate him to use the potty.

Good luck.