Potty Training Help Again Pls!!!

Click on my profile and look at the request I had last month... and my comments on what worked. We just went through this with my daughter - I was desperate to get her potty trained before my third child is born! Once she got it, though, she's been phenomenal - she loves the positive feedback now and has done a great job! Good luck!

For the constipation, sneak some Metamucil in her food or drink, to help the stool soften. The anxiety may have to do with it hurting when she goes, so that would help. Also, use a reward chart and if possible, place her on the potty with whatever will entertain and keep her there (books, you, even the t.v.). My oldest and youngest both had such a hard time because of the constipation that the oldest now has hemorroids, and he's only 8 1/2! I learned after dealing with him, and my youngest has done much better, with no signs of developing hemorroids. Neither are like my middle child, who just sits and "gets down to business".
Good luck!

Well, I have just gone through this as well and with the AWESOME help from the moms at mamasource. My son just jumped the final hurdle and pooped in the potty the night before last. He was also scared. This time, I was able to catch him just before (as he went to hide) and we sat down on the potty. He immediately said he was done, but I knew he hadn't gone. So, I offered to stay or leave him alone (which is what he would normally say if he had a diaper/pull up on) or do you want me to stay? He asked me to stay. I then asked if he wanted me to sing him a song and he said yes. So I did and tried not to look at him in the eyes because I could see that he was a little embarassed about the entire thing. But I made up a song to the tune of if your happy and you know it and sang it over and over and over and over again until I knew he was done and was ready to admit that he went in the potty. So that is how I got him past that.

Now, with the constipation....I went through that with both boys at the begining. I never did the supositories because the Dr. said it would scare them out of going on the potty, but she said to give them prune juice or prunes. My oldest loved prunes! I told him that they were big raisins and he would eat them up. This obviously made him have to go and also made it softer - no pain. Once they feel pain when going on the toilet then they associate it all with pain (that is what the Dr. told me). My youngest didn't like prunes, but he will drink prune juice straight. He does prefer to mix it with fruit punch or something, but he will drink it either way. When we started potty training I made sure to give him some in his fruit punch at least once a day. The reason for fruit punch is that it is so strong that it covers the taste of anything that you add to it.

Try the prunes or prune juice to soften it and it will also make certain to give her the urge to go. Try the singing thing if she likes you to sing to her. I also put my hand on my son's leg so that he felt me there with him, but I made sure not to look him in the eyes unless he was looking specifically at me.

Good luck - it is a hard hurdle to get over and just because she goes once on the potty doesn't mean she will continue to go. I learned this last night as my son, after going in the potty the night before, went in his pants. He is 2 1/2 and he said he forgot. Oh well - I know he can do it and now it is up to me to watch for the sings and make sure he gets there!

Good luck!
Sam

Are you using a potty chair or a seat that sits on the toilet?

My son finally went with me hugging him. He only went once and then he was trained, so you could luck out! I was writing last week about constipation and when my son has a hard time going, he still asks me for a hug. He also asked to play with play doh once because that is what I did when I was first trying to get hime to go. I would bring in a potty table and we would play while he sat on the potty. I have heard too many negative effects of supositories to use them myself. We finally had to use the Miralax lacative (1/2 tsp per day) for a couple of days to get him over the constipation. Only use these alternatives when you have to, don't make them a routine. The end result comes a lot gentler and slower than a suppository, so she should not be as scared. The first time my son went while I was hugging him, he was screaming and crying because he was so scared. You just need to be patient even though you are on deadline, I was too. The more they see you pushing this, the more she will resist. Just don't give in to letting her use a pull up, that won't help you!

I seriously think that all the fuss and stressing over her pottying is setting her back. She needs to do this on her own, with gentle coaxing but not alot of constant fuss over it :-) She is so mixed up over the training and her own feelings about it that now she is sared and refusing to potty! Time to really back off and follow HER lead. I would put her in panties full time (except maybe naps and bedtime for now). Use the plastic training covers if she's having alot of accidents just to save your furniture, car seat, floors. Ask her if she wants to go to the potty every hour and leave it at that. If she goes, great, if not, ask again a little later. If she pees or poops, have her help you clean up the panties and herself and get re-dressed. I would make a bigger amount offuss over the positive aspect... like picking out super cool panties, her own kiddie hand soap pump for when she potties, flushable kids wipes, special box of prizes to select a small prize from whenever she goes on the potty. The more fuss you make over the negative (accidents, refusal to go, etc) the more confused and stressed she will continue to become, setting her back even further. If the tension and frustration subsides, she will likely begin to progress again. This is a learning process and every kid is different and each takes a different amount of time, even without tension.....

Best of luck....

I had the exact same experience. I gave my little guy lots of orange juice so no matter how long he held it in, it would still come out softer!! It worked. He discovered that pooping didn't have to be painful or scary. That and the special underwear ended my potty training frustrations instantly. He hasn't had a single accident since!