Help with Potty Training - Athens, OH

Updated on October 20, 2006
S.M. asks from Athens, OH
11 answers

My son is 2 1/2 and recently decided he no longer wants to wear diapers, only "big boy underwear". This is great news for me, except that he's not really potty trained. He does fine until it's time to go poo. Then he runs and hides, or takes off his pants and goes on the floor. He knows he's supposed to go on the toilet, but he just doesn't! Any advise for getting him to use the toilet?

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J.

answers from Cedar Rapids on

A friend taught me this, and it worked great when my older son was 2 1/2 and just potty training. I told him that if he pooped in the potty, he could blow out a candle and we'd sing the "happy potty day" song. It took a few days of just talking about, but then he finally pooped in the potty. I lit a birthday candle, we all sang the song (same tune as happy b-day), and he blew out the candle. He LOVED it. We made it like a big celebration, after that he pooped in the potty everytime.

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S.T.

answers from Huntington on

I had the same problem with both of my kids. My experience was that my son was MUCH harder to train than my daughter. He was a little over 3 when he finally quit diapers for good(I thought he'd break me before I broke him lol). In training them, though, peeing was fine, but poop time was a hastle. I finally got tired of fighting and just told them that they only get 1 pair of big kid underwear a day & if they poop or pee in them, then they have to wear diapers the rest of the day. It didn't take long before they got tired of being in cumbersome diapers. Every time they went poop in the potty, we would cheer & give high fives & call Gran & Papaw to tell them what a big kid they were growing into. They got a big kick outta that.

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A.W.

answers from South Bend on

I went through this with my daugther who is now 3 1/2. We started potty training at 2 1/2 and well this past summer she finally got the poopy part down.Its a different feeling and muscle than pee. you'll get through it and u'll repeat the benifits! i could always till when johanna had to go potty (go run and hide) and i would pick her up and run her to the potty and encourage her to go. Its frustrating but he'll get it just like she did. I took a good 9 months...it takes time...

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E.C.

answers from Parkersburg on

My friend had this problem with her son. He always went and hid in the same spot, behind a recliner, so she put a potty chair behind the chair! It worked for her so maybe it will for your little one too :)

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T.B.

answers from Omaha on

trust me Im dealing with the same Issue with my daughter
Its been soooo difficult to get her to realize hey pee/poo in the toilet not in ur pull ups. or diaper's
She hates her diapers. but darn it What will help to give them a clue I know we have to be patient one thing...
she runs around as well like to show off. I have no idea what to do :(

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K.B.

answers from Omaha on

Praise him when he does use the potty. When he has an accident, clean it up and nicely but seriously tell him that next time he should use his toilet. You can try to find the usual times over the course of a week, then put him on the potty when it should be about time for him to go. I know my son often likes books or toys to play with while he's on his potty, and at different times we've put his potty in his room or playroom where he's more comfortable. Also, both Pampers and Huggies have E-letters dedicated to child issues, including plenty of tips on toilet training. You can subscribe to them at pampers.com and huggies.com. Perhaps they'll have suggestions that work for your son. Good luck!

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C.H.

answers from South Bend on

In my experience with my four year old she went when she was ready. Plus they say once they start hiding to go poo they are at the right stage. I tried everything. I bought that potty throne that says TAA DAA when they go, I made a chart with stickers for pee, poo, wiping and hand washing, I tried the m&m thing. The candy thing got old. She started stretching the truth about the potty so she could get free candy. She finally came around when she turned three. Just be patient and keep encouraging him. He will come around.

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M.E.

answers from Lexington on

My sister-in-law had the same problem with he daughter when she was potty training. She peed fine in the potty, but would hide and poo poo on the floor. She had to watch very closely, but when she figured out her daughter's poo-poo cues, she just picked her up and put her on the potty b4 she could o on the floor. She told her if she still wanted to were big girl panties, she had to pee pee AND poo poo in the potty. If she couldn't do both, she had to put her diapers back on, until she could. After about a week of wearing diapers again, her daughter started going poo poo in the potty.

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K.H.

answers from Omaha on

Hi S., I have a 3 1/2 year old that just started potty training not to long ago. He took a while to get motivated. Anyways, the way I got him to go in the potty was he recieved one m&m for peeing and two m&m's for going number two in the potty like a big boy. If he didnt not go or had an accident he did not recieve any candy. Once he learned the concept of the reward system..it went really well. There are a number of ways that you can potty train your child..it is up to you what works best. Good luck.

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K.M.

answers from Charleston on

My son just turned 3 years old & we just recently went through potty training. I was expecting a baby in June & wanted oldest to be potty trained before the baby came. Well I got him to peepee in the potty but he would come to me & want a pull up on to go poopoo. I let him continue the pullup til we were all out of them & I showed him the last one & said that that was it & next time he would have to use the big potty. (He always hated his lil potty chair) Since he would always hide & poopoo, too. I knew it would be a battle. So he would come to me & ask for a pullup & I told him that we didnt have anymore & I would have him sit on the potty. He would hold it in. I found that with him, I would have to leave the room. Of course, I stay where I can see him because he does like to make messes in the bathroom. He is embarrassed to poopoo in front of me, so I leave & he just yells whenever he needs me to come in & wipe his bottom. Hope that helps some!

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A.H.

answers from Des Moines on

Hi,

I have a 3yr old son and he did the same thing when he was potty training. What I did was if I know he was going poo, He would always hide and I knew, anyway I would take him in the bathroom and make him sit on the potty. I would have him count to 3 then push and grunt as loud as he could. Week later he was completely trained. It gets frustrating cleaning it up but he will so get it.

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