My son is almost 3yrs old and we are potty training. We have recently started wearing underwear all day (except naptime/bedtime). He is doing wonderfully with peeing in the potty. I put him on the potty regularly and he will pee almost every time. He doesn't tell me he needs to go yet, but yesterday he stayed dry all day (even during naptime). My problem is he seems scared to poop on the potty. I think he might even be holding it in. I've heard of children being scared to poop on the potty. I am trying to verbalize his feelings and sympathize with him, but I don't know how to make it better. We are using an incentive system for when he does go but that does not seem to be helping him much. I would appreciate any advice on this matter.
I don't know if your son ever uses the computer with you, but I found this website and my grandson would watch it over and over and he seemed to "get it" when Elmo was telling him better than when any of us tried.
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/games/pottytim...
I hope it helps. :)
Dear M.
I am a single mother of a 4 year old boy. I started potty training my son at 1 1/2 and he actually got it down by 2 1/2. I bought him a potty chair that played music when he did his business and it also had a little book that sat on the back of it to make him feel like a big boy. The first thing he did was poop on the potty only because moms know the signs (grunting hiding etc.). He never thought of it as scary so I cant help you there but I can give you some ideas I hope will help. You are doing good by taking him regularly. Have you stopped his fluid intake by a certain time? It can really make a difference. My son also got very excited when he went poop on the potty, as the other moms I made it a big deal. He would call his nana and tell her and have his Daddy (now deceased) come see. My son was up my butt and has been most of his life. He used to come in when I was using the potty and he would watch how I did it. Its amazing what children pick up just from watching u. If his father is able I would have him take him with while he uses the potty and maybe he can see Daddy is not afraid which most young boys look up to their Fathers. Its not much I know but hopefully it helps. Feel free to message me Im more than willing to help you. Boys are always much harder than girls to potty train just keep up and your bound to find some thing that fits. Best of luck.
Jessie
hello M. i'm in the same boat but mine is the youngest and the hardest. the one thing your lucky about is your's isn't pooping beside the puppy lol. our son poops everywhere our new puppy does even out the doggy door. i have been able to get him to go in the potty with help from his brother and sister oh and daddy we all get into it and give him lots of praise everytime he does go even when his siblings are in school and daddy at work him and i make it fun by doing things like reading while he pottys and yes even saying bye bye to it when it goes away to a far off poopy land (in his words lol) so i hope you all the luck and if you find a easier way please let me know :) have a good day
We had this same problem w/ our younger. She didn't want to do it on the potty so she stayed in diapers. Kept them dry, just did #2 in it... lol. Anyway, she did it ONCE for my husband while I was at work. This is going to sound SO gross and it's such a guy thing, but my husband took a PICTURE of it and her next to the potty "to show Mommy when she came home." Yeah, thanks. I was SO disgusted, but to my complete dismay... IT WORKED! That was when she started and kept doing it consistantly! Ugh, I HATE to give him credit for something so gross, but it's kinda funny. She was SO proud! (You should have seen her cheesin' for the camera! And he named the photo "Megan's pride"... he's sick =) So, maybe... MAYBE he'll do it for someone other than you. Just a thought. Hang in there... it'll happen soon enough. Here's another thought... will he be going to preschool? (Not immediately, but in the near future?) Maybe telling him he has to do that and be a really big boy to go to preschool?
Hope this helps!
If not, at least it probably made you smile =)
~K.
We had the same issue with our son at about the same age. I made the mistake of thinking it was my job to "potty train" him....when in fact, they don't need trained. Kids will do it on their own when they are ready. Yes, incentives and treats help get the process going, but the rest is up to your child. The more you push, the more they resist. So we finally just gave up the pooping on the potty for about two weeks and he just decided he was ready to do it and has since.
M.-
We actually stopped using the incentives for everything except for when my son went to poop on the potty. At first it was for everytime he tried to go and then everytime he actually went and then for just when he went #2. It seemed to work for us. We also have made up a poopoo on the potty song and the first time he went by himself we called everyone we knew and sang them his new song. He was so excited and pleased with himself after that, it didn't seem so scarey.
Hope this helps
T.
T.
