Potty Training - New Braunfels,TX

I am really close to this one... My son will be three in Jan. This is the first week that he pooped in the potty since he has been "pee" trained -since Aug. I was at my witts end. I read to just let it go... and followed that advice. Washed clothes daily and spent lots on underware (we are not using pullups). I did however step up the excitement when I would go and I let him see it..we would do the poo dance and I would get a treat (maybe that is why I gained weight :) heehee) I talked to him about not being able to go certain places with me like- Chuck e cheese... because chuck e doesn't want poop on his floor... Then one day it just clicked. I know that we aren't done but he has not had any accidents this week so I am considering this a milestone.

AH! That sounds like my first born! He was the same way! Had no problem going pee in the potty....(we used the "aim for the cheerio" method...), but would always hide to poop! It drove us nuts! With him, all he was doing was manipulating the situation and once he figured out that the manipulating game wasn't fun anymore, (we went the other direction and used reverse psychology thing....you do not get to go out and play, etc because noone likes to smell that......)....that game wasn't fun anymore, he basically was not fully potty trained till he was 3 1/2......but it worked. But it is going to have to take patience! Hang in there........this will happen on his timing too.....it is a pretty big accomplishment! Good luck!

Hi R.,
I went through the same thing with my first born. She was terrified of pooping! Well what I did and helped was I would stand infront of her and hold her hand. I also assured her that what she felt was very normal and that everything was going to be okay. I did the same thing for a week and she was good to go afterwards.

Good luck,
Elisa

Take the poop from his pull up or pants and have him plop it in the toilet. Let him look at it. Let him flush it. This will get him used to the idea. Let him go in the bathroom with you and/or your husband when you are having a bowel movement. Prove to him he won't fall in. Buy a special toilet seat that is smaller and fits on the one for adults. It will assure him he won't fall in. Sometimes it's the flushing sound that scares them, sometimes the falling in. Don't flush while he is sitting on the toilet if that scares him. Find something he really really wants and use that as an incentive. Something small for just trying to poop on the toilet. Something better for the first time he actually does. Something bigger (if need be) for going a whole week on the toilet, etc. Don't use against him, but use it as an encouragement. Like don't say, you can't have that because you don't go on the toilet. But, do say - when he is ready for a bowel movement - come on, if you do this on the toilet, I'll... If he refuses, then just don't hold it over his head (like nagging) with the bribe. Only offer it when applicable. Eventually, you may have to use punishment as well as reward. But, I wouldn't at this point.

I have a little girl who will be four in February. She finally potty trained this past August. My advice to you is to let it go. Don't try and force him to poop in the potty, let him do it in his own time. I tried to force my daughter into potty training several times and it never worked. I tried all the tricks and none of them worked. Finally when I stopped trying to get her to potty and I stopped talking to her about it she decided to do it. Good luck.

Lisa

Our pediatrician recommended Miralax as well. That'll make sure the poop is soft. Nothing will hinder poopie-training like some constipation. It's frustrating that they don't understand that holding it only makes it worse. Another thing to try would be a bowel training program. We had to do this with my 4 year old who routinely got constipated. Using daily doses of Miralax as prescribed by our pediatrician to help things stay soft and more frequent, we would have her sit on the toilet for five minutes after every meal (this is the more common time for poop to happen). Also, we had some success with going commando. I think it upset my 3 year old when there was nothing to make a deposit into. We also told her that when the poopies are flushed they go to a poopie party and made a big deal out of that. She loved that. We did sticker charts for trips to the dollar store with my older one and that worked for her, not so much for the middle child. While I do think you have time and this will happen, I do get concerned that he's holding it. Pain can have such a negative effect on training. Good luck!

My d.d. withheld for days as well until it made her sick and in pain. I used glycerin suppositories twice (it makes them go quickly) and stayed in the bathroom with her until she filled her potty. She didn't like the experience much, and it motivated her to poop on the potty. We used dollar store toys or a trip to the "prize store" as a reward for pooping on the potty and it took about a month after she turned 3. There's a website that has a lot of information on potty training that was helpful to me from the University of Michigan. Search their site www.umich.edu, "toilet training". I found all kinds of helpful info to get me through the frustrating times. Good luck!

My son was the same way. He was a little over 3 when he would finally pee on the potty, but it was several months later before he would poop. We used sticker charts--15 or so stickers with a big prize for the first chart, 20 or so stickers for the second one, and a smaller prize. I don't think we ever made a 3rd chart. Your post also resonated with me because my son is now 6, and he is still scared to go poop. He'll sometimes go a week without a bowel movement--not good--and even when I know he needs to go, I sometimes have to physically keep him on the potty until he starts trying to get his poop out. He'll fight it until he resigns himself to the fact that I won't let him up and then he'll finally take care of his business. The problem for him is that it hurts (and sometimes even bleeds a little). You might check with your doctor, but ours recommended that we give him Miralax. I use about half a capful in a glass of milk each night. He likes knowing that I put it in there because he knows it will help it not hurt. Good luck. I share your concerns.

My daughter is 2 yrs. 9 months old and we have been working on potty training since about 18 months. (Got a little pressure from Grandma to start early.) As with your son, peeing is no problem, but pooping in the potty is taking longer. She has only done it 5 times total, but 2 of them were this weekend! I have read a lot about it and use the following ideas to help (I hope): sticker chart where 3 poops in the potty=ice cream!--I even found ice cream stickers at Michael's so she can see the reward coming up; make a BIG deal when she has a success, even if it means dancing around like a goofball; telling her we are proud of her; calling grandparents to tell them; and telling everyone about her success--well, not strangers, but her teachers at day care, for example. Also Grandma gave her big girl panties for her 2nd birthday, which was too early for her, but she's worn them a few times and is interested in being done with Pull-Ups, so we talk up big girl panties as much as possible. I just remind myself that it may seem frustrating now, but she's still young and it's not like she's going to grade school without being potty trained! Good luck!