Potty Training - Saint Paul,MN

My daughter also had a hard time with #2 we tried everything and the thing that finally worked was a booked called "Everybody poops" it talks about differant kinds of animal poop and differant colors. It is kinda gross but she thought it was hilarious. So we finally got her to poop on the potty by asking her what kind of poop she was going to make. Only a potty training parent can appreciate this conversation : ) It worked well because she thought it was funny to say "I'm going to make a 2 hump camel poop. She was fully pottey trained after 2 days of reading this book. Good Luck!

My friend had the same issue. She took her son to the store and let him pick out a special toy. It sat in the box, out where he could see it, until he went poop in the toilet on his own accord. He then got the toy. If he went poop in his underwear, the toy went back up out of reach until the next morning. He ALWAYS got it back in the morning. He would only lose it if he pooped in his pants. She said this only happened a few days and then it never happened again. She had been struggling with him for quite awhile until she tried this.

With my girls, it just took them doing it once and then they got it. Getting them to do it the first time took some convincing. For mine, it just took an extra incentive - like a Nestle Crunch Ice Cream Bar - if they did it.

Good luck!

We potty train by having the child not wear anything on the bottom while at home. A big shirt for a boy or a dress for a girl work well. With my sixth son, we are currently potty training and I placed the potty right out where we spend our time so that he doesn't have to go far when the need arises. Once it's more of a habit, we can move it back to the bathroom. Since most kids are somewhat regular with BM, I would just watch carefully as to when he might need to go and hep him get there the first couple times for a BM. For my kids this has worked well and I tend to potty train on the early side once I see that they have the understanding and verbal skillls which has been around 2.5. When I put training pants on they are much more likely to forget to go and use the training pants instead of the potty, especialy for BM. Good luck!

Hi Sara,

We are just going through this with my son too. He was actually afraid to go #2 on the toilet, but I really tried to convince him to try it. We all made such a big deal about it - even singing a song. The song that goes "mommy stole the cookie from the cookie jar, who me - yes you - couldn't be - then who?". But we changed the words to "Mommy goes poopie/potty in the potty chair...." Then we sing with his name and all his family and friends names. It worked for both of my kids - they love the song. I know it's cheesy - but it worked for us. I guess for him to know that everyone does it.

Also - when he does go #2 on the toilet - he gets a really, really, really big treat of his choice (usually a candy cane or a sucker or something). We are still working on it - but he is doing so much better and isn't afraid anymore. Good Luck!

Does your little one wear underwear or pullups? We just went for the underwear and he finally got it. He was 2 1/2 - still are not trained at night here - he is now 3 - but hopefully that will come one day. We tried pullups - he thought those were a diaper. Didn't like the undies with the extra absorbant layer either, he wanted big boy underwear and didn't like them wet. We were lucky. The fist week of potty training (officially) we were out at public events, he used the public potty, port-a-potty, etc w/o difficuties. He will even use the big potty at stores and go #2 whenever he need to, so we are lucky.

With my son, who is fully potty trained now, we used the reward system...he got a handful of M&M's for going poop on the potty, and we made a really big deal/celebration after each time he went. This is what worked for us...but it does take a little time for them to coordinate everything, and I agree with the rest, not to push it. We just rewarded the "good" and ignored any accidents...best wishes!

I think I might be in the minority. My son was completely potty trained during the day except for pooping. He might have done it once on a whim when he was barely 2 or so, but for the most part he was dead set against it. He would ask me for a diaper then go up to his room and poop, then come down and ask to be changed. It was causing a number of problems. I tried every kind of bribe. I bought little dollar store toys and he could choose one if he pooped, but that didn't work. Finally, 2 months before he turned 4 I said enough is enough. I refused to give him the diaper. I sold his cloth diapers, made new "big boy night underwear" (trainers) so he didn't need a diaper at night anymore, and I told him he was going to have to put his poop in the toilet from then on (he rarely ever pooped in his underwear and only on accident in the midst of a power struggle, and the saw the night trainers in the same way). He carried on the first time but he finally pooped in the toilet. He was so proud of himself he had to call everyone he knew. He did it without a problem from then on. I am not one who usually pushes a kid into doing something before they are ready, but he truly seemed ready, he just needed a push to get him over the fear. It was a nightmare I do not wish to ever repeat. Hopefully the baby will be easier to potty train! Heck, even if he's around 3 when he trains that will be fine with me! Its a heck of a lot better than 3 years and 10 months! Oh, and the funny thing is that now my older son is a firm believer in pooping on the toilet and tells me on a dialy basis that we need to teach the baby to go poop on the potty. The baby is only 14 months and not quite ready, which is what I tell him!

Yeah, don't push him into something that he isn't ready for. One thing and just about the only thing that a three year has control over is his bowels. If you try to force a kid to train before they are ready....you are asking for a host of behavioral issues that are not necessary. The activities will be there next year...chill out...play with him, don't train yourself to catch his bowel movements...wait until he shows an interest...leave the potty seat out, he'll poop in it when he is ready!

Good luck!