Potty training help (boy)

[oregonpachey]

We are trying to potty train DS but he is fighting it. We have rewarded him with treats, suckers, little toys, a potty chart, tons of praise, etc.

He has only gone poo on the potty twice and that was a fluke. If we offer to put him on the potty when he is clearly pooping he freaks out.

Are there any books, videos (he watches Elmo's Potty Time), or sure-fire ways that worked for you? He has "big boy" underwear and we have considered just putting them on him and letting him mess so he understands the feeling of going.

I know it isn't unusual for an almost 3 year old to go but we need to start somewhere.

[Deleted]

We went through the fighting stage. I waited a few months and tried again. For me, it just wasn't worth the stress.

We did continue to encourage him to pee on the potty before bath and bedtime. he did that for almost 4 months before he was actually potty trained.

Timing wise, it really clicked for him the week he turned 3.

[lindyanne]

We had the same issue. We just kept trying but it took a few months. We did a countdown to no more diapers, letting him pick his candy treat, etc. We finally got him a special toy that he could use when he went on the potty but not when he didn't (it's a hot wheels thing that attaches to the wall). DS just started pooping in the potty every time (sort of out of the blue after being hit or miss) at 3 years 3 months about two months ago. Other than a little blip when DH didn't get him out of the tub in time, he's gone every time. It's not always easy but he always does it. I have been giving him watered down plum juice and pedia lax probiotic to help keep things moving and keep it easier until he gets more comfortable with it. www.amazon.com/Fleet-Childrens-Pedia-Lax-Probiotic-Chewable/dp/B0079HLRJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354648550&sr=8-1&keywords=pedia+lax+probiotic+yums

[mollybrown]

We started potty training when my son turned 3, and he pretty much responded like your son. No amount of rewards or praise could get him to use the potty. We left it alone and tried again a couple of months later, same response. We tried again a couple of months later, and success! He was trained at 3 years, 4 months. We knew that he understood what he was supposed to do, and was just resisting. We also chose not to fight him. My nephews parents have been trying to train him for a year starting at 2.5, and he still isn't potty trained. I think turning it into a battle makes it harder.

[barefootcontessa]

A lot of kids have trouble with BM on the potty. I would not push him. We pushed our first son and he ended up constipating himself.

[dragonfly08]

I've never potty trained a boy, but IMO gender isn't the real issue here. If he's fighting you, odds are that he simply isn't ready and that's ok. I'd suggest taking a break and coming back to it later. I had to do that with DD #2...she seemed ready, so I started but it became obvious right away that it wasn't the right time. I stopped for about 4-5 months then picked it back up again right before she turned 3 and although it wasn't a simple process (unlike her big sister, who PT'd in four days!), it wasn't as much of a struggle and we were finally successful.

PPs are right, too, that having a bowel movement on the potty often comes much slower. Some kids are really afraid of it. Also, it helps to make sure he's using a potty where his feet touch the ground; it's harder to go when your feet are dangling in the air without any leverage!

[SusanBAnthony]

We did pantsless. That worked for pee and poop for us. If he is resisting poop, I would let him poop in a diaper for now, but do pantsless for a few days over a long weekend and just get the pee part done. Then once he is more familiar with sitting on the potty, maybe poop will be easier.

[Redpoppy]

We has to up the reward to a Lego space shuttle he was coveting. I put it on the table where he could look at it but not open until he got 50 or so stickers. He got 3 for a poop and one for telling us he needed to pee (he wasn't good about it). Took about 2 weeks. He really wanted the Lego so we just kept reminding him what he needed to do to get it.

[pierogigirl]

DS1 is 3 yrs 4 months and only starting to be consistent about peeing on the potty. I can see progress, but we're just letting him go at his own pace. After 3.5 yrs we'll start getting more serious, and by summer, if he isn't fully trained by then, we'll go hardcore.

[satama]

We went right to underwear. I skimmed the 3 day potty training book. We still let him wear a diaper or pull up for naps and sleeping, for like a month he would just poop then so he could go in a diaper. He had a few per accidents, but not a ton. He just started pooping in the potty one day, and has ever since. I wouldn't fight him, your son probably just isn't quite ready. Give it a month and try again.

[grk2012]

DS wasn't ready before 3. He went a handful of times, and was excited about it, then wanted nothing to do with the whole shebang. Then a few months later there was some peer pressure from daycare kids when the just-turned-3 little girls all were trained in a week, and he developed an interest then. That time, it stuck.

[jena]

I really feel like having the kids see that all poop ends up in the toilet was helpful - we emptied all diapers in the toilet and let them flush.

Other than that, being naked for pretty much an entire summer helped immensely. That and having hard floors so I didn't freak about cleanup.

[vanillacourage]

He sounds like he's not quite ready, and that's ok. I would keep offering/asking if he has to go, but be flexible about it. When DS1 was mostly trained on pee we switched to underwear, and if he had an accident we kept it light ("oh, we didn't quite make it in time, huh? We'll try again next time") and had him watch us turn the poop out into the toilet & let him flush, to hit home the point that poop goes in the potty.