Potty Training My 34 Month Old

Updated on July 07, 2008
C.M. asks from Pinetop, AZ
9 answers

Hi, I have a wonderful two year old boy who I have been potty training since december, we are getting the pee in the potty part down but the poop is another issue. He won't do it! I can have him sitting for 30 minutes at the usual time he poops and he will pee and get up then immediatly poop his pants. One time he went on the floor after sitting in his potty chair! I sometimes will catch him just as he starts and put him right in the potty and he will stop and then go like an hour later. What do I do?

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So What Happened?

Thank you so much everyone for your advice! The day I wrote this request I caught my son pushing in a corner and put him right on the potty. He had already went a little in his pants but I put him on the potty anyways. Then I did something I had never done before, gave him a book and walked away. (I usually sit and read to him until he was done) He then yelled "help mommy" so I ran in there and he pooped in the potty! So I guess all it took was some privacy. Today he pooped in his pants again but we were on the go all day. So I have read all your responses and taken the advice. Thanks so much for the encouragement. It sure helps to know that I am not alone! :) God Bless!

More Answers

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B.S.

answers from Tucson on

I had the same problem with one of my boys. Then I realized that he would always squat down to poop in his diapers or pants. He couldn't get comfortable at first going poop sitting up. So I got him a different type of potty, he was able to squat on it instead of having to sit, and that was that! After about a month or two I started holding him on the toilet without an adapter seat, so that he was able to to adjust a little, then we moved onto him sitting on the adapter seat. He just needed a transition. I should also tell you that it isn't working with my younger boy, who poops in his diaper standing up. But I have some time to figure that one out, he's just now turning two. The address below is to the type of potty that I used (not necessarily the brand).
Good luck!
http://www.babybjorn.com/American/products/Bathroom/BABYB...

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S.S.

answers from Tucson on

Some children have a much harder time going poop in the potty than they do going pee. Some have a mistaken idea or fear that if something is leaving my body and being flushed away, then can I be flushed away too?
That may or may not be your child's issue. What the issue is at this point really doesn't matter, resolution for pooping everywhere but the potty is the issue.

He is so young, and he’s in the early power stages. The fact that he can hold it in and chooses to, means he's not ready. Potty training is one of those things that’s best not to force at all until the child shows you that he really wants to do it. Then it happens easily, naturally and with no issues.
Think about letting him go pee in the potty and then putting the diaper back on because he still poops anywhere but the potty. Then show total disinterest and see what he does.

When you show no interest, he may decide to show interest. If so then it was a power issue for him. If he still shows no interest after being put back in diapers, then he truly isn't ready. Either way there is no arguing, frustration or yelling. I promise he won't be in 1st grade with pooping issues.

If having no power struggles or not yelling when correcting behavior interests you, then take a look at our website, www.proactiveparenting.net (notice .net) to see all the supportive, yet firm ways we can help parents change preschool behavior.
Good luck,
The Mommie Mentor

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R.E.

answers from Phoenix on

My daughter did this as well. We were not sure why she refused to poop in the potty, but she would always tell us when she had to go and we would put a diaper on her. She would poop and 5 minutes later we would clean her up and put her underwear back on. We actually did this for 6 months until one day she finally told us she didn't like to poop in the potty because it smelled too bad. I lit a candle and ever since that day she has been pooping in the potty. Kids are funny, but it could be something very simple like the smell.

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M.C.

answers from Tucson on

Try to remember that boys tend to be on a slightly different schedule and devolop this skill a little later than girls. most boys are not potty trained poopy until 3 1/2. Take a deep breath. The less you worry about it the easier it will come to him. I have two perfectly well adjusted teenage boys who have been using the proper facility since....3 1/2. No harm will come from them getting a little more time. My pediatrician had 4 boys and they all finished potty training at you guessed it 3 1/2. She was a great encouragement when I had all my friends who had girls giving me a hard time about it. Best wishes and support to you!

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S.C.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi C., I no longer stay at home with my boys. They are now 11 and 12 years old. I remember like yesterday what it was like when I was potty training them. Getting them to pee in the potty wasn't a problem for them. That was accomplished at about 2plus years old. But, poop time took years longer. I would find my kidos in a quiet spots pushing. At that time I was home with them. I was say that each of them mastered the pooping on the potty at 3 and 4 years of age. However I would here M-O-M yelled from the bathroom for a good hinney wiping until they entered preschool for the younger and kidergarden for the oldest. They weren't comforable wiping until preschool age. Don't fret... He will get it!!!

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T.S.

answers from Phoenix on

My son was 2 1/2 when I started potty traing him in January. He is now 3 and been fully potty trained for about 4 months. He didn't like pooping in the potty at first either. My first bit of advice would be STOP using diapers or pullups if you use them, just use underwear or my preffered method,traing pants. What I did was whenever my son pooped in his pants and not the potty I would tell him in a stern voice that we don't poop in our underwear only in the potty and then I would put the poop in the potty to show him thats were he was suppose to poop. I also offered an reward to encourage him when he did poop in the potty, which for him was a sticker and a few m&ms or an oreo cookie. I would also let him help me empty the potty & flush the toilet...I think it made him feel like a big boy. It took a while before he was willing to poop in the potty but I just kept encouraging him til he got the hang of it. My son seemed to be grossed out by pooping in the potty! For some reason I think they think its gross to go in the potty and not in their pants. I guess because they have went in their pants all their lives up to the point of potty training, lol!

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N.S.

answers from Phoenix on

I'm currently potty training my 2 1/2 year old boy. It was tough to get him to poop on the potty but he likes to do it now. I won't try to tell you that this will work for you, but it worked for us!

We did a lot of "prep work" before we had him actually try it. My husband would let my son go into the bathroom with him when he had to go, and my son would watch, or sit on his potty and pretend to go, or even just play around in the bathroom. We would talk about poop all the time just to get him used to the idea that pooping is a normal every day thing, and not something gross or embarrassing.

Then, when it was time for him to start trying, we told him we would take him to the store to pick out a toy if he pooped in the potty. He would sit down to try but then he would get up before he actually went. I think he was scared.

The first time he finally went, he was sitting down on the toilet and I knew it was coming. He went to stand up (because he didn't want to go) and I sat him back down, he said "no!" but he couldn't hold it in, and tah dah! He pooped in the potty! We ran around the house cheering and clapping. He had so much fun celebrating. Then we went and picked out his toy. And from then on, it was much easier. I think just getting him to do that first one was the biggest obstacle. He actually LIKES to poop in the potty now.

If you want more details of our process, feel free to email me :)

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M.G.

answers from Phoenix on

Try putting a paper towel or TP over the water so it doesn't splash his bottom when the poop comes out

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B.B.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi there! Don;t know if it will help or not, but there is a great children's book called "Where's the Poop?" It opens up a dialogue about where poop goes, and is adorable. Sad to say, but it is one of my daughter's favorite bedtime books right now!

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