2 1/2 Yr Old Potty Training

Yep - had the same problem with my son. The "baby" is now 25 years old and a very well rounded, likeable and successful human being even though he pooped in a diaper until he was almost 4. Same scenerio: the need to go, put on a diaper, change the diaper. Easter Sunday 1987 was the magic day the diaper disappeared and he "rose" to the occasion! Don't fret...nothing lasts forever and in the scheme of things it's really not that big a deal. He'll go when he's ready and not before. Good luck.

J., I had the same problem with my 3 year old boy. From what I heard, because I had the same question a year ago, it's a boy thing. My 7 yr old girl had no problems at all when potty trained at 2. My little guy is doing a lot better now but it was horrible at first. He would hold it for days and days. He would want to sleep when he knew he had to go and he'd want us to carry him all the time. His first time was perfect- no problem...it was the second time and there after. As bad/harsh as it may sound, we had no choice but to ignore him. We would explain things to him, read a book with him while he sat on the toilet and still wouldn't go. We tried all sorts of things until, as I said, we ignored him. We knew he had to go but slowly let him decide on his own. My husband would turn it into a game, which I think also helped...he would race my son to the toilet. My son didn't like the pain he got from holding it so we told him that his pain would go away when he pooped in the toilet. I say give him some time; you'll hopefully see a big difference once he turns 3. Trying to put diapers back on is only confusing him. Good luck !

I've heard that if you set them on the potty with the diaper (when you can get it on him), it's less traumatic because they think of their BMs as part of them, and seeing it flushed away is scary. So if you can get him used to sitting there to do his business, even with the diaper on, it's probably a step in the right direction.

J.
Great advice from some of these other moms who have already responded! Personally, I believe the whole concept of potty "training" is a myth....especially at
18 months!? It is great you are capitalizing on his interest and offering him tools (the kid size potty, encouragement, etc)but the whole learning experience needs to be owned by him. It needs to be his choice and his accomplishment! If the diapers are gone now, then he needs to learn for himself that poopie big boy pants are, well, poopie and no fun! I have heard of many parents who give rewards and/or stickers on a chart as the child has more success. (candy can be a great motivator!) Since stickers are a success with the peeing, try it, or the candy with the pooping too. You can't really reason with a 2-year-old, so let him figure it out for himself...I know this is easier said than done!
He is still very young, and obviously very smart and sensitive. My son was not out of diapers until he was on the verge of turning 3, and was not really totally reliable until 3+ and he was in daycare and had lots of good role models and 3 teachers giving encouragement!(the price of daycare was worth no potty hassles in our house!)
Interestingly enough, my DAUGHTER was pushing 4 before she decided she was interested enough to try the toilet on any regular basis. I casually put the mini potty in the bathroom with no fanfare when she was 2.5 and she ignored it for almost another year. She would pee in it out in the yard in the summer if we let her run around naked!! When she finally decided to get serious, she wanted nothing to do with the mini potty, she went straight to the big potty.... (she's really got a mind of her own, and I wanted nothing to do with it!) You will be able to look back and smile...promise!
Enjoy all this silly stuff, it makes for great stories later when they are teenagers. My oldest is 16, and we make him laugh, (and squirm) with all the goofy stuff he did.
Best of Luck to you guys and your little "Pooper"

How nice that your two and a half year old "lets" you put a diaper on him. If you don't stop that you'll be diapering him until some little friend of his makes fun of him and hurts his feelings. Don't enable a child to do the wrong thing mom. Let the child see what you have done on the potty, and when daddy goes #2. Make a big deal of it and praise yourself and daddy..don't say anything negative about the child. When it clicks in his little brain, he'll start going and you can praise him. Good luck mommy.

Yes I had the same problem with my son who is now 3 - I began potty training him at 2 1/2 and he got that licked pretty quicky and was TERRIFIED of pooping. I was very worried for a while but he eventually did it - it took about one month of poopy pants putting on diapers and lots of tears. We did give him an initiative to go - we were going on a trip and told him grandpa woundn't take him fishing unless he pooped on the potty kind of mean but it worked :)

I think it is okay to put the diaper on him. He is still little and at least he is going. My niece had so much anxiety about going poo she would only go once a week and it was very painful and created even tension because of it. My daughter received a stool softner from the doctor to help her go because of the anxiety she was having and holding it in. After about a month she was fine. Then every once in awhile for about six months I would have to give her the softner for a couple days. I do think the little potty is easier for them because they can bear down. Our little potty is made so they squat which makes elimiation easier.

Hi J.,

Is your son sitting on the potty at all? Maybe you can have him practice sitting on it when he doesn't have to go. Let him sit with his pants on at first but as he becomes more comfortable have him sit without them. Bring toys and books to keep him entertained. You could also get him a fun potty training video for both of you to watch and then you could sing some of the songs while he sits on the potty. Sometimes they're afraid of the big potty because they think they're going to fall in and get flushed away. Try to make it fun for him so he forgets that he's sitting in the potty and stay a little longer each time. Good luck!

Tell him the diapers are all gone. The discomfort of pooping in his pants will be enough to get him to go on the potty. It may take a few times, (messy and gross I know) though in the end he'll get over the fear of pooping in the toilet.

we didn't have this problem so i don't have many words of wisdom, but are you using a little potty or the big potty? Whichever one you are using, maybe you could try the other...with my son we put his small potty in the living room on a waterproof pad and let him sit in there until he got used to the whole potty thing...the distraction made it easier, i think. i have heard that usually bowel movements are more difficult to train for, but i don't really have any magic solutions, sorry, good luck.