Potty Training Problems - Mount Holly,NJ

I have have seen some kids do the same thing when I helped in a daycare. Some kids won't poop in a potty only in their diaper. It sounds like she does fine with the panties except when she has a bm so keep her in the panties and ditch the pull-ups. I have seen that this works with some kids, when they have a bm in her panties or pull-up take her with you and dump it into her potty chair, this way she sees that her bm should go in the potty.
Another idea is, if you notice she always does a bm in a certain spot of the house, (say she always goes to a certain corner of the house to fill her diaper) maybe you could try to put her potty in that spot, sometimes that works.

I say drop the pull-ups completely. She knows that sometimes it's ok to just respond to that sensation and go in whatever she is wearing. But sometimes it's not. She's getting a mixed message that is setting her up for failure.

You may have her make a bm a few more times by accident in her panties but she will learn that when she feels that sensation she needs to go to the bathroom because it is never ok to just go in her pants, wherever she is, whatever she was doing.

Sounds like you will have no problem getting her out of them.

Hi L.,

I would not go to pull ups unless absolutely nessasary just because your confusing her by going back and forth. My daughter is turning 4 next month and she has been potty trained for over 2 1/2 years now. What i used to do with her is take her any time i got the chance and when I went, she got to chose the big potty or her little potty. It didn't matter if she didn't go, it was just taking her as many times through out the day, you can make a schedule if that works. Take her every hour or so. (now i am not a stay at home mom so i didn't do all the work her dad and grammie helped alot) It is consistancy that works. When she first wakes up is a great start because like we are we have to go as soon as we wake up. I didn't push her to go, and honestly she didn't get rewards just praise. for the first part she did still wear diapers at NIGHT and NAPS ONLY for about a month, she has had only two accidents since being trained. If she has an accident simply clean her up and put undies back on her, it may be a mess and stressful at times, but she will learn that she doesn't like being wet and dirty. And you will find a good way to help her! Good Luck!!!!

Hi L.,

My son did the same thing...would go just fine (tinkle) in the potty, but not the poop. And, he had gone once, so I knew he could do it. I know they say that it can be "scary" for them to go poop, but this is what I did and I swear, I felt like a heel for doing it but within 1 weeks time (I think really 3-4 times of pooping in his pants) he was trained.

** I would ask and take him regularly to the potty. If he pooped in his pants, I would go into the bathroom w/him and have HIM rinse them out in the toilet (of course they can't do it all, but it's really just the fact that they have to do it at all). He looked up at me with his sad face and said I don't want to do this and I calmly said well, neither do I and until you can go like a big boy, you will be rinsing out your undies. It didn't take long! Also, I agree...don't go back and forth w/the pull-ups. Save the pull-ups for overnight use.

Best of luck!!

36 y.o. mom of 3 boys 11,9, and 4. Married 13+ years and work full time in healthcare. (Youngest child is only at a stay at home sitter's 10 hrs/week).