My 3 year old son has been peeing on the potty both sitting and standing for almost 2 weeks now! He is doing great! He hasn't worn a pullup to bed for three nights now with NO accidents! I am so proud of him. I am also concerned though because he will not got number 2 on the potty. He hasn't had a bm in atleast 2 days, and I think he is holding it in because when he was wearing a diaper/ pullup ( Got rid of the pullups 3 or 4 days ago)he would have 2 to 3 bms a day. Usually I can tell when he is trying to go because he will go to a corner or somewhere private, so when I see him doing this I now take him to the potty, but then he doesn't have to go. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, what helped? I imagine it must be uncomfortable, so I am tempted to put a pullup on him to see if he will go then. He ate some prunes yesterday, so I thought that would help too, but not yet! Help me help him, please:)
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I am still a little worried and might make an appointment with his doctor tomorrow because he didn't go again today. I even put a pull up on him for a little while, which he was resistant to. I really thought that would make him go, and since it didn't, I am starting to think he is very constipated. It's just not normal for him to not have atleast 1 bm a day. Someone suggested an enema. I guess I will just see what the doc says.
Try reading Everyone Poops by Tari Gomi on the toilet. Also feeding high fiber foods. Ask him if he would rather sit on the toilet by himself and call you after.
We made our son at least try to go everynight. Might sound silly but I would read him a book and he would go. This worked for us.
No pull-ups. I'd keep taking him to the potty and give him a book to read while he sits. Make sure he's drinking and keep taking him with a book. Good luck!
We had the same issue with my daughter. I spent so much time reading to her on the potty. I gave her books to read as well. Then I gave her the option of me waiting outside the door and she was very open to that. Sometimes she needed privacy. (She was the same way as your son--wanting to hide in the corner when he needed to go #2) My MIL also started a "Poopie Bag" --I didn't like the name, but whatever : ) She placed small gifts in a colorful bag on top of the refrigerator and when she went #2 she was allowed to pick from the bag. This honestly was the thing that motivated my daughter to try. We made a big deal about it each time she went. In a short time she was doing great. She still has "false alarms" where she sits on the potty and nothing happens but I am just very please she doesn't have accidents.
Good luck and hang in there!
My nephew did this...it took at least 3 months to get him to have a bm on the potty. He had so many accidents. He knew he had to go, would only go in the pull up, then would bring one of us the pull ups and the wipes and ask to be changed. He did this almost up to his 4th birthday. It was awful. We got rid of the pull ups and we were doing wash 4 times a day. We took all of his toys away and that helped for a little while, our logic (maybe not the best) was if a child can bring you the diaper and tell you to change him, or go in the corner because he has to go, he can go on the potty.
We took everything away from him and promised him a trip to the zoo if he would go on the potty. That finally worked. I hope it doesn't take you nearly as long.
If he doesn't go soon, you might want to worry. Kids have the ability to hold it to the point of creating a blockage. I tried all the things you are talking about and after a few days I put a pull up on him, and he went poop. After a few weeks of this I just gave up on trying to force the potty, and just let him go in a diaper. This went on for quite a while, but he never had an accident in his underwear. I should also mention that he also had a new baby sister arrive and started preschool and moved houses in just a few months time, so I'm sure stressors and lack of control of his environment caused much of this problem! Look at your son's life and see if there are outside stresses or if you think he's just being stubborn. You know your son better than any of us, so you will know HOW stubborn he can be. We tried CIO to get our son to sleep and he was still going strong after three weeks - this lead me to know that he was very strong willed and would probably hold his poop to the point of causing a medical problem, and I was not about to let that happen. Go with your gut, you can force the issue or not, it's up to you!
Perhaps he doesn't understand the poo goes in the potty as well as pp.
Put the pull up on him, then go about your things. When you discover he has gone say good boy now lets but the poo in the potty. Empty the poo in the potty and again tell him is is a good boy for putting it in the potty. Don't put a new pull up back on. You are using the pull up to incourage him to have a bms not ot pp.
Good Luck with your little one.
Do this a few times and he will get the hang of it.
The key is to get him to relax. But having not gone for a couple of days is not something to worry about. But it may mean an accident waiting to happen. Just try and see if he wants to sit on the potty and read a book. Especially if he says that his belly hurts. Ask him to sit on the potty and read for awhile. Once he relaxes long enough to go he will and it be a good way for him to see there is nothing to be frightened of. Take a few books and lots of time and it will help!
Keep trying...Put him on the potty regularly to keep going. He can't hold it in forever! LOL! Keep encouraging him and give him a book while on the potty. He'll get the hang of it.
