Potty Training....AGAIN - Layton,UT

There could be medical things happening. If he isn't drinking enough juices and water, it could cause him to be constipated. Thus leading to painful bowel movements. If he is getting plenty of fluids, but still not having proper bowel movements, you may need to take him to his pediatrician to make sure there is no underlying health issues.

Another suggestion (Please don't take this as being rude. As that is not what I am trying to convey.) Sometimes children will hold their bowels movements in becasue for some reason or another they are ashamed. Does he hear things like, "Ooh, that's gross." or "ooh, that stinks?" Maybe trying to nminimize these words and the negative feedback he hears, will help.

I know you said it's hard to be patient. Potting train is a treachous (chore?). It took me nearly a year to get my daughter completly trained. My son was done in about 5 months. Remember, there is no "set" or "proper" timing when it comes to potty training. Each child, even if they are in the same family, will vary. It is more important to be consistent then it is to get this done in X amount of time.

Hang in there. You are doing the right thing.

It sounds corny - but tell him his poop likes to go swimming just like his pee pee...and the poop really wants to go play with the pee pee. OR you could do a potty trainig chart just for night time. For each night he goes with clean underpants, he gets a sticker and when he gets so many stickers, he gets a new toy (or sucker, or candy...whatever is a special treat for him). Best of luck. My son was in a pull up at night for a couple months before he himself told me he did not need to wear them anymore.

Maybe it's a privacy thing but I can also say that a warm bath is a recommended treatment/aid in dealing with constipation. Maybe the warm bath is stimulating him to have BM, and then with the added privacy in bed???----Have you tried giving a bath maybe earlier in the evening with some alone/quiet play time to ward off the BM in bed.

Best wishes.

FIND SOMETHING OF HUGE VALUE, A FAVORITE BLANKET, STUFFED ANIMAL. TAKE IT FROM HIM UNTILL HE SHOWS YOU HE'S A BIG BOY, HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING, HE MAY USE THIS AS LEVERAGE AGAINST YOU TO GET OUT OF BED. I HAVE A 3 1/2 YR LITTLE GIRL AND SHE WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET OUT OF BED. IT MAY JUST TAKE ONCE OR TWICE GOING IN THE POTTY TO REALIZE HE DID NOTHING BAD AND IT'S OK, HES NOT GOING TO GET FLUSHED DOWN. WE HAD HUGE POO POO PARTIES, DANCING AROUND IN THE BATHROOM...USING STICKERS AS REWARDS. HE'LL GET IT EVENTUALLY, FOR SURE BY KINDEGARDEN. GOOD LUCK.

My son did the same thing. Once I knew the tale-tell signs that he was about to go, I'd take off all his clothes. He would run around trying to figure out what to do before he'd run to the potty and take care of business and I refused to put any clothes back on him until he had pooped. I found that if he had any clothing on, he's make a mess in his clothes even though he completely understood the concept of pooping in the potty. We continued on this route for a few months and he'd hold it as long as he could until he just couldn't stand it any longer. Which made for some difficult bathroom times. But lots of water and fruit helped and now he's doing just wonderfully. It was hard to be patient and it was a long few months of frustration, but he eventually caught on and so will your son. I hope it doesn't take as long for your son to figure it all out.
Best of luck.

Hi S.!

I went through a similar situation with my son when he was three...it was so annoying! My Pediatrician suggested that first I get something to soften his stool to help it come out easier, next when he is going to go...sit him on the toilet with his diaper still on and let "him go" in his diaper but sitting on the toilet, after a few days then she told me cut a hole in the diaper so it would still go into the toilet...after that take it off and see how he goes! Worked for some friends of mine....luckily for me right after I asked the dr....he started on his own..Good luck!

my daughter (3 years in December 2006) does the same thing. I spoke to her pediatrician about this and here is what he said....do NOT make a big deal about it-kids reealize there are very few things they can control and once they figure out this bothers you they will use it as a control issue-

My daughter will ASK for a diaper! She holds her poo all day and asks for a diaper when she gets home-I give it to her and she goes poo! My doc says this is not abnormal. Heis a beleiver that potty training is not to be done too young and three is still an ok age to not be trained.

I did mention sometimes she gets constipated from holding it and he said fruit juices help alleviate that problem.

Maybe ask your son if he needs a diaper to go poo-at least you won't be cleaning up such a mess! And it should pass-I even tried bribing with M&M's (before I talked to the doc) and that did not work!

Hi S.,

Wish I knew what to tell except you can't make him. My son was 4 in Aug and was only stopped wetting at 3 1/2 (in Mar or April) but was still doing the #2 in his pants until this last Oct (he was a 4 and 2mths.) I did buy him a "sponge bob" toilet seat, the toddler kind you put on the regular toilet, sometime in the summer, I did get him to sit on it sometimes, but still had to catch him at the right moment. I was doing the potty chart and told him that if he did it 10 times he could have a new (cheap) toy. Grandma came the first week in Oct and I told him grandma wanted him to be a big boy too and to go potty in the toilet. I even threaten with Santa wasn't going to bring him anything if he didn't go potty in the toilet. Anyway, he went in his pants once or twice when grandma was here and then he started going in, putting his seat on the toilet,putting the stool under his feet doing it all by himself since she been gone. Now he is screaming MOM! MOM! at the top of his lungs when he done, so I can still wipe his bottem. I thought for months that it was a power struggle but I didn't know what else to do, so this might be whats going on. Maybe you can get a toddler seat and see if that helps. Make a potty chart, (put stars or sticker, whatever he like) tell after he does it so many times he gets a new "hot wheels" or rent a new movie, or go some where he wants. Anyway he is still wearing pullups for bed time, so it happens in stages. Someday this will all be a memory and there will be power struggles about keeping his room clean or his grades. Thats what moms do.