Potty Training a 2 1/2 Year Old Boy-help!

Are you using a regular toilet to train him or a small "potty" for kids? Boys find the idea of standing up to pee fun and usually have no problems with using a regular toilet. When it comes to defecating, the feeling of sitting on a big toilet with the open space below can be scary. Try getting some toilet seat covers and use those without tearing out the hole. If they feel the paper right below them, it may make him more comfortable going. Also, if there is a timeframe that he usually goes, take him in there and read him a book or use another form of entertainment until he goes. Hope it helps!

I potty trained my son at 2 1/2 yrs. I put the potty where he wanted it which was in the living room. Which was nice because it was always in his sight. I put big boy underpants on him with plastic pants over top of them. So when he had an accident he got wet but it didn't go all over. He really didn't like the feeling of being wet. So the first day he had 7 accidents, the 2nd day he had 3 and the 3rd he was dry all day.I did realize that he needed to see what he was doing so the little potty was better than our potty.

Some other tips I've heard is put them in underpants with the plastic one's over top and keep them in the kitchen. Feed them salty foods and give them lots to drink. Keep putting them on the potty every half hr. I hope that helps. At the very least it's a few ideas to help.

C.

try doing a sticker chart for everytime he pees or poops on the toliet. That is what I did and it worked!

Hi, My daughter would go pee pee in the toilet with no problem but when it came to pooping she didn't want anything to do with the toilet. A friend of mine said that some children associate poop with being part of them. I would bring my daughter in the bathroom with me when I had to go poop and let her see it after I was done and then we would wave bye bye. It sounds gross but the next day she went poop on the potty.

M.

Hi Dina,
First of all relax. Benn down this road before so i will tell you what was told to me. Dont force him. But I will tell you to watch him after he eats . You'll see him stand in one spot almost everytime he needs to make a bm. Al least that's what my son did. When this happens suggest to your son lets try to make on the toilet.
Also dont make a big fuss over it. Play it down as much as possible..
Good luck
N.

My cousin had the same problem with her son at 2 1/2. But she was able to have him potty trained (at least for the daytime)in about 1 week. I recently asked her for advice as I also have a son who's 2 1/4 and I would like him potty trained before my next baby that is due in the first week of Oct. She said not to use any pull-ups. Just let him wear normal underwear. Once he make a mess a couple of times and most likely will not like it he will learn to tell you he has to go. Good Luck!

Hi Dina.

I hear you!! I have 3.5 y/o twin boys and it took them a while to get used to using the potty correctly (and hey lets face it... some time they still have accidents).

I tried the pull ups for a while... I was actually doing the pulls and also having them use underwear which I think confused them.

If you are willing... I would just move to underwear only. Then have him sit on the potty at timed intervals. To get him used to the idea of going on it all the time.

When I first started potty training the boys (having them wear only underwear) I have them go every 15 minutes (I used a timer)... as they got successful at that then I extended the time. now I will occasionally make them go to the bathroom if it's been several hours and they haven't gone on their own, or if I see them doing the "pee-pee" dance. I find that if they are playing... I will occassionally remind them as well.

I hope this helps.

GOOD LUCK.

I have 3 boys and my older 2 both PT at 2.5. It CAN be done. Pull UPS did not work for me, they would just pee in them. I let mine run around bare and so they could see and then know when they had to go. With regard to #2, that takes some time. Have you tried a positive reward system? Stickers, small toys? That worked for us. That and patience!! Don't give up, just keep doing what you're doing, he will get the hang of it!!

What worked for me with both my son & daughter has been to get rid of the pull-ups completely, even at night. He will know the difference and will be less likely to poop in undies. If and when he does have an accident you need to be firm and tell him that it is not ok. No waivering from you, show no sympathy or weakness. Do not humiliate or get angry, just tough. My kids are very strong willed and I had to show them that I was stronger. Rewards failed. So take every diaper and pull-up out of the house, be consistant, and be tough. Good luck. Potty training is so hard!

Hi
I just finished potty training my 3 yr old. I started the week of 4th of july..stayed home full time and had my son in underwear....well we got thru the peeing part and he too refused to poop in the potty....he got to the point where he held it in so long it hurt real bad.

He even pooped in his underwear which was not fun to clean up but as of now 1 month later, he is peeing and pooping away.
Don't give up...just keep at it.....peeing is step 1...the rest will come too....

At 2 1/2 my son had no interest at all....at 3 he still didnt but he hated being wet and dirty in his underwear....

Keep persevering...it will happen.
Linda
www.wah4yourfamily.com

Hi Dina, I know exactly how you feel! Although my kids are much older now I went through the same thing (both with a daughter and son). The one thing I can promise you is that there NO WAY you can FORCE your son to use the potty when he needs to poop. If you do, you will learn how strong willed a child can be-mine went about 6 days until I finally gave in and put a diaper on. My child then "exploded" for about 2 days. I had learned my lesson.
If you can be patient, he will use the pot when he is ready and it will be so much easier and quicker. Keep giving him plenty of water, let him sit on the potty and if nothing happens let him get up. I never liked the 'pull-up' type pampers (or other type) becaus my kids would think they were diapers and not even try to use the pot. Make sure you have plenty of underwear available. I took my kids to the store and let them pick out their own 'big boy/girl' undies. Re-enforce he is a 'big boy' now and he can use the potty. Have him sit on the pot, but if you don't get any results you can use put a diaper on just for that then switch back to undies.
When my kids were little, the ran around in their underwear during the summer when we were home (and sometimes even naked) because of the heat and this made potty timing easier. Just watch for signs for when he needs to go and be ready. I have taken care of 3 year olds through almost 4rs olds who were not completely potty trained. There are children in kindergarten who also have accidents. It may take until he knows all his friends and other kids use the potty and he won't want to be the 'odd man out'. I don't know of and child who wasn't potty trained by the time they graduated, but I do know alot of exhausted moms (me included0 who tried to rush or furce the issue.
Good Luck!

i dont know the things you've done to try and get him to poop on the potty, but i was told that if they don't want to try taking the pull-ups and him to the potty after he pooped and show him where the poop goes. show him by dumping the poop into the toilet and flushing (or letting him flush). i myself haven't gone through this yet, as my daughter is only 16 months old and she does pee on the potty and 1 half poop, but we haven't really gone too far into the potty training...we just do a little at a time while she's still so young (we'll be starting full-time in 2 months). good luck, if i hear any other suggestions i'll let you know. let us know what does work for you in the end!

Hi Dina,
My son was not potty trained until almost 4 years old and I tried everything. Nothing worked. Your son will not go to Kindergarten not trained....trust me. As I look back, I must have been bored to be sweating the small stuff.

HI,
I had the EXACT same problem with my son who is now 3. Getting him to urinate in the potty was fairly easy, but he refused to sit on the toilet to poo. He would do it in his underwear which needless to say, was disgusting!! I did some research on the subject and it made me feel better to know that this is a very common problem for kids to have. I chose not to push, because I feared that it would become a control issue and ultimately, he is in control of it. I was afraid he would start "holding it in". Every time he told me he had to poo, I would simply ask if he could try it on the toilet and he always said no. Then one day he was with my husband and he had to go and my husband got him to do it in the toilet and we made a big fuss over it and he has been using the toilet ever since. So, I don't necessarily have a suggestion of how to get him to do it, all I am saying is if you give him some time and encourage him often but don't make a big deal about it, he will do it when he is ready. I can't tell you how much I worried about sending him to school in Sept. and now it is a non issue. I suspect he did it when he was with my husband because my husband wasn't always trying to get him to do it. Maybe just back off a bit for a while or even see if your mom or a friend can ask him to try it. Sometimes they will say no to mom and yes to everyone else! Good Luck.

Hi my son is gonna be 3 August 17th and i have the same problem he'll pee on the potty but nothing else. I was told that pooping scars them so it's better to stick with the peein part first and once they get that down to a T than work on the other although i try to enforce both and it's hard so i understand where your coming from. It does take time and it's very frustrating but what can we do. I'm a 27yr old mom of 1 and 1 on the way due in 4 weeks. I have put cheerios in the toilet and let him aim for them and that worked for a little bit now he'll just go when he wants to.Hang in there your not the only one!