Comments on: Snow day, potty trouble

By: Heidi

Heidi — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:51:15 +0000

Hi there, I am so greatful for this post and all of the responses. We have been going thru this with my second little one. Her brother did not do this. She is just about 2.5 and she waits for either nap time or bed time to go in a pull up. We have tried EVERYTHING!!!! (so I thought) I finally bit the bullet and took them away. Decided that I would deal with the mess. No mess. She just started pooping in the potty for the first time on day one like it was nothing. Day one, nap time.. Dry- no poop. Bed time, 20 min after putting her to bed she called for me and pooped on the toilet. She was so proud. And I did not push her at all. Peice of cake. I may be pulling my hair out in the middle of the night when we are covered in pee… but I hope not!!! Seems like out 6 month problem may be solved in one day just by ditching the pull ups. So thanks to your readers!!! And good luck to you!
Side note, we are in Puyallup.. will this damn snow ever go away???

By: Debbi

Debbi — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:39:55 +0000

We are going through the EXACT same thing you are. My son is super bright, but for some reason when it gets to the poop in potty he goes all “I have no idea what you want” and “That’s just not happening”. He will wear undies all day (except when my other half forgets to put him in it because we are consistent like that). I figure that when yours is trained i will pull the internet up to him and say “There now stop stalling!”.

By: jenB

jenB — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:25:09 +0000

All I know is that they seem to do it when they are ready. Charlotte has only been consistent with the poop for about 3 months and she will be 5 in January. Not a dumb kid, just a stubborn take your time, I WILL DO THIS WHEN I WANT type of kid. But it was hard as fuck not to be 1) annoyed and 2) patient.

By: Jessamyn

Jessamyn — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:35:43 +0000

Same deal here, Linda. I think I’ve commented at some point before about this. We have been trying to get Katie to poop on the toilet (regularly) for at least TWO YEARS NOW. And we’re still not there. We’ve had some joyous celebrations over big poops that we’ve coaxed out of her. We’ve had a couple of exciting times when we were putting no pressure on and she went to the bathroom and pooped all on her own. It didn’t stick. Just last month we finally decided no more diapers at all. It was underwear or the toilet. And let me tell you, if that’s the choice? She often has no problem using the underwear. We really don’t want to go back to diapers now, and at least she *tries* on the toilet now with regularity. We have tried every suggestion above plus a lot more, and I’m guessing the final answer is that she just has to be ready. But for crap’s sake, I really, REALLY hope she is ready before she is five. Less than 3 months to go. (Please, please god.)

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:04:25 +0000

Alright here’s the deal, home-slice only craps when he sleeps or takes naps, so just combine where he goes with when he goes. Duct tape him on the potty every time he takes a nap or goes to bed. This may not seem like a very child friendly approach, but it beats the hell out of my first idea of punching him in the stomach until he poops in the lawn, and then hosing him off and tossing him through the window onto his bed for some quick naptime. (or else he gets the hose again)

By: stormy

stormy — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 05:51:18 +0000

Same trouble with a stubborn boy who is now four. He will go when he’s ready. And just so you know, the first poop was a joyous occasion marked with a parade and new toys and not another poop in the toilet until two months later. So yeah, when he’s ready. Just keep encouraging. Don’t stress.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:40:03 +0000

Shawna — I potty trained my neice about 10 years ago, her parents didn’t want to take the time to do it, and I was changing most of her diapers anyway. I think I read the book Toilet Training in Less Than A Day. It was either that one or the three day book. Basically I told her that she was going to learn to go to the bathroom on the potty and start wearing big girl panties (Care bears!) I’m not going to be very helpfull explaning what we did that day, I definitely recommend the book, but the key was after that day she was in big girl panties no matter what. When she had an accident, she cleaned it up and then would need to practice going from wherever she had the accident to the potty three times, and she was responsible for rinsing out her panties in the bathroom sink. This wasn’t framed as punishment at all. She didn’t have more than a handfull of accidents, and after the 3rd day, didn’t have any.

By: Kelli

Kelli — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:46:17 +0000

So,that video? Funniest thing ever. I love at the end when Dylan just topples over on the floor, big grin on his face the entire time.

By: Jess

Jess — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:43:50 +0000

I don’t have any of my own kids, but I do teach autistic preschoolers. We have potty trained by finding their most most most most beloved toy/food/candy/whatever and ONLY letting them have it when they go on the potty. This only works if you are really consistent about witholding it when they have not gone, but once they realize what they need to do to get it, it doesn’t take long. I’m not sure if this would work as well for a typical kid who doesn’t perseverate on things, but maybe it’s worth a try? Also, I saw a commenter above suggest Miralax… I obviously can’t do this at school, but if you are not opposed to it, it might give him more chances to be successful.

By: wm

wm — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:27:12 +0000

I heard about a woman who runs a potty-training boot camp in Wisconsin, where kids learn how to use the potty in a day. Her philosophy is that at some point, it becomes a decision, not an accident, and that a decision to go in one’s pants is unacceptable. If he goes in his pants at nap or bedtime and you think he could choose to do differently, I believe her suggestion would be to have him clean up the mess.