"Potty Training" - Kearney, MO

My son also was "potty" trained shortly after 3 years, but would ask for a diaper to go "poopy." My daughter was similar and I'd rather clean up a poopy diaper than poopy pants, so I didn't make a big deal about it. My daugher eventually just decided on her own to use the toilet for pooping and never looked back. With my son, we set a "deadline" -- that being his 4 year old birthday, as "all 4 year olds are big boys and go in the toilet." Once he did it once, he was fine. I'd say don't make a big deal about it and when they are ready, they will use the toilet. Good luck!

Hi, S.. I am a preschool teacher, and have potty trained many children. It is frustrating when they don't poop on the potty and choose to go in their pants. I have one right now doing the exact same thing as your nephew. Children have so little control over their environment, but this is something they ultimately control. I would try taking him to the store to pick out a toy that he will receive after he has pooped on the potty. Also, I would not make a big deal when he goes in his pants. Sometimes, any attention is attention, and they will continue to do the behavior even though they don't get a positive response. I have to bite my tongue sometimes and just clean it up. Good Luck.

My son would usually go off to poopy in his closet at night after I put him to bed, but he wasn't comfortable going in the bathroom. So I moved the potty chair to him. I put the potty chair in his closet and every night before he went to bed, I would set him up on the potty and he would go. Once he got more comfortable with going on the potty, we then worked on moving the potty into the bathroom and eventually onto the regular toilet. If you can pinpoint where he goes when he messes his pants, maybe you can follow him with the potty chair. Good luck!

My son was the same way! It took a bunch of 14 yr old kids to announce that they had "to go poop" everytime they went potty. Soon after my son wanted to be like the big kids and he started going in the toilette. A week later he was potty trained. I had tried books, tapes, movies... It took 14 yr old girls.. hahaha
good luck!

My sister had the same problem. Her son would go and get a diaper, put in on, and come to her after he'd pooped. Her pediatrician told her to let him sit in it for a while. She sad "Mitch, Mommy is busy right now, and Mommy doesn't have poop in her pants because she uses the potty. I'll change you when I'm finished with what I'm doing." My sis is a neat freak, and it was the longest 15 minutes of her life, but she only had to do it once and he never pooped in pants/ diaper again.

Sometimes it helps little ones to see the big people in their life poop on the big potty. I know this sounds gross to a lot of people but it does work with different little ones. You might also try not to make a big deal out of it when he does mess his pants. The fact he is hanging his head means he knows it is a mistake to potty in his pants. Clean him up and sit him on the potty reinforcing that the poop goes into the potty and not in his pants. Positives always outweigh negatives.

Do you use a potty seat on a big toilet or a little potty? My daughter just recently started being able to poop on the big toilet, she needed her feet on the ground to poop (she could pee on the big toilet much earlier). Do you know when he usually goes? With both my daughters (though I started younger) I had a bucket of toys, really fun toys that were only used on the potty, so when I knew it was about time to go, I'd put them on the potty with the bucket and they'd get so involved in the toy they'd not even notice the poop. My older daughter is 4 and still likes to have something to read or play with on the potty, but I guess that's okay with me!

K.

When I began having difficulties with my daughter doing the same thing. I took her to the store and let her pick out a "poo-poo" potty. It was actually just a portable potty for public restrooms and things, but it fit more nicely for her on the regular toilet seat. She also thought it was cool that she got to pick it out. It actually comes in really handy. After that, she got really excited to use the potty. You may have already tried this, but I thought I would share anyway. Good luck!!!

Hi, S.. First of all, what a kind soul you are to take on the responsibility of someone else's child - God bless you! I my experience, I didn't let either of my kids wear big girl/big boy panties/underwear until they were fully potty trained and I had let them pick out what they wanted beforehand as an incentive. I kept reminding my son that babies wear diapers and that since he was a big boy, he needed to use the potty, not to wear diapers. I said the whole "I know you're not a baby and that's why you need to use the potty" in a very positive way - I don't want to give the impression that I berated my child for using diapers!Also, when I was sure that he COULD do it, but just WASN'T doing it, on purpose, I told him that there was only enough money for either diapers or toys, but not both, and as long as he continued to wear the diapers, there wouldn't be any new toys (or books, special things, etc.) I know that might sound cruel, but again this was what I did when I knew that he was not having accidents, but just not wanting to bother with using the potty. Once he used the potty to poop (and wet) on a regular basis, we made a HUGE deal of it and went to Chuck E. Cheese and let him pick out a toy. We also told him that if he wanted to keep the toy and continue going to CEC (and other places), he needed to continue using the potty. Good luck to you, S.!

My grandson and a friend of ours had the same problem. We found out that If we took the pull ups and big boy underware off and just let them wear their shorts they wouldn't poop in them. They would use the potty.

Hope this helps.
D.