Potty Training a Very Sensitive Skined Boy

I think I might ask the doctor for a referral to a OT for a sensory integration evaluation. An OT should be able to address some of these sensitivity problems.

First off i don't know many babies that like to stay still when ur changing them. I know my 14 month old son hates to be changed and he has very sensitive skin. Meaning he has alot of diaper rashes because of being fair skin. He even got really bad heat rashes this summer in between his legs cause of being so hot. Sometimes it does take time to potty training and like the other said maybe use the toliet seat rings. or a potty chair. Got to make it a big boy project. My 3 year old neice has a hard time goin #2 and sometimes its cause it smells bad in the bathroom she will say. .... u just got to keep tryin and in the end it will work out. good luck

Put him in underwear!!!! The wet nasty feeling should over rule the cold toilet. It's a little messy but if he is really ready to potty train it should not take longer then a week before he starts using the potty full time. This has worked on all 3 of my children. Good luck and have fun :)

K., have you discussed the possibility that your son has Sensory Integration Dysfunction? It's true that some are more sensitive, and it may just be a phase, but the screaming and kicking is a pretty strong reaction - plus the unwillingness to try the potty again because it is "cold" makes me think it might be worth checking into something more. It sounds a little harsh, but you may want to think about getting a doctore who is more "up" on signs and symptoms of autism, add, adhd and sensory integration dysfunction, and see what they think. Sensory integration dysfunction is a problem with the way neurons communicate in the brain. This can make children VERY sensitive in some things and very UNDER sensitive in others - seemingly randomly. My second oldest has struggled with this his whole life. He's 7 and still puts clothes on backwards, shoes on the wrong feet, etc, and can't feel the uncomfortability that tells him they are on wrong. Alot of older (esp. male) doctors are very resistant to diagnosing some "New" diagnoses. However, if the treatment regime can help your son, it is worth a try. So here is my two fold advice:

One, your son needs to be potty trained for his own health. Having done the potty training thing 6 times, I strongly reccommend cotton undies (not plastic covered, or with extra lining) I also suggest having your son watch you warm up the seat (use a blowdryer, friction, or some other means) and then have him sit on it. Perferably, it will be a means he can duplicate for seat warming, or you're going to be in the bathroom with him forever! Lol Also, when you do have to clean him, be very sensitive to his comfort. He may really be feeling what he says he is, even if it makes no sense to you. If his brain is processing its signals funky, he is still feeling the pain. (My son won't get in ANY shower or bath that is warmer than barely luke warm - or else he screams and tells me it's "too hot")Try using a different temperature washcloth, or extra soapy lather on the washcloth, maybe putting him in a laundry tub and using the sprayer would be another option. If it does turn out to be Sensory Integration Dysfunction, then the treatment is not medicine - it's occupational therapy that you will have to do with him to help his neural pathways communicate a little better. It often occurs as a secondary problem with autism, add, adhd, or other disorders, but not always. My son showed signs of asperger's (which means that while he showed signs of autism, he was pretty high-functioning.) for most of his life so far, but this year is doing better in school than he has ever done, and making his own friends, etc. This sensory thing was initially hard for us. We have a lot of children, so limiting his sensory input was difficult, and explaining to the other kids how their brother was just "accidentally" body checking them because the impact felt good to his systems, was difficult. As with most things, the earlier you catch it, the better the healing process goes, so if this is a life-long and not just a current problem, I'd say it's worth looking into. I didn't know anything about it, and I wish we would have started some kind of therapy with Brandon sooner, as he had already suffered damage to his social interactions and self-esteem by the time we intervened. Good Luck!

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Hi K.~

This might sound silly to do at home, but what about lining the toilet seat with toilet paper so it doesn't feel so cold to him? Or using a potty chair instead of the regular toilet (I wasn't sure which one he's been using) perhaps the plastic seat would feel warmer than the regular toilet seat? Or try using those "Kando" wipes for kids....maybe he'll think he's cool stuff if he can try it by himself. And if you have a wipe warmer, put the toilet wipes in there,(you can just buy the refill pack) so they'll be warmer for him.

Hang in there though.....potty training my son was a long road too(we had the same issues with rashes due to the "hidden" poops) but I can happily say he's potty trained (whew).

Let us know how it goes! :) K.

I would suggest getting a second opinion from another Pediatrician. If all is well still, than its time to stand firm, about your 3 year old not wanting to become potty trained at his age.

We're not potty training just yet but my 2.5 year old is doing the same thing as far as not wanting to be changed when he poops. I assume this is a developmental thing? He's seems to be embarrassed and doesn't want us to know he did it. He used to tell us Uh Oh when he pooped but now he will not say anything until we're carrying him to get changed. Hopefully you moms can help K. and I both.

K., My son is the same way. He has major sensory issues. I first noticed things when he was a baby I would put lotion on him and he would scream like I was hurting him. The ped. would give the same answer I would get so fustrated. Maybe getting one of the soft toilet seats would help. And using heated wipes. I know this sounds gross but with my son a lot of times I would have to just stand him up in the tub and let the water come down and the wiping is minimal. Then bleach the bathtub. I know this is hard and fusterating but my son is almost 11 now and he is ok with the potty stuff. And has been for a while but it is a hard thing to go through I had his sister when he was a little over three. So going through it while your pregnant and have a newborn is tuff. He does use adult miost flushable wipes for when he goes #2 It does not hurt him as much. Good luck, M.