Potty Training - Virginia Beach,VA

Hi. My son is also three and did the same thing! I just resolved to leave it alone and not press the poop issue. Then one day he just starting going and I haven't had to change a poopy pull-up since. I say just let him decide. It took my son about 3 wks after I stopped trying to force the issue to decide on his own. Good Luck!

Try searching past Mamasource postings. This topic comes up a LOT and I know it's been discussed before so there is probably good advice in the archives, and I know you'll get more today about readiness, etc. My thoughts: (1) is he on the regular toilet or a self-contained small-kid potty? Some boys are OK with peeing into the big toilet because they can stand up to do it and it seems fun, but sitting to poop is sometimes a bit scary (they fear falling in, there's that "bare" sensation that's cold to them because they're used to pooping in a close, warm diaper, etc.)
(2) Make the potty MUCH more interesting than cleaning up his messy pants or diaper. He should be helping you clean up when he poops in his pants during the day. Don't act like it's a punishment but treat it calmly and firmly without fussing at him, like it's "something we just have to do each time, and you have to help." Then have on hand new, interesting books he can only see when he's sitting down on the potty--no other time, and keep up a supply of new ones to introduce the moment the current one isn't interesting enough to make him want to sit a while. Don't scold if he sits a while and doesn't poop; eventually he will.

Remember, at his age, sitting to poop may be both a bit scary and it interrupts his play--he can probably get his business done faster by squatting in a corner and thinks he'll then go on with his activities, but if you make cleaning up something he must do each time, and you make the potty time more interesting, he eventually will come around. Eventually. It may take a long while yet -- don't expect full and perfect training for a while. Be aware that you may even encounter setbacks on peeing and staying dry during the day, especially if there are changes, or his body changes, or he wants more control of his life -- for instance, if he gets sick, his brother gets sick (and gets more of your attention), he starts preschool, you move house, he has a growth spurt...be aware that kids do have these setbacks and don't punish him for them. Praise him a LOT for doing well and praise him often. Good luck.

Hopefully, you'll be writing in a few days that you're completely potty-trained. If not, don't panic. Boys take longer than girls. Our son was almost the same age as yours when he potty trained a few months ago. We didn't have the problem with him pooping, but I hear it's really common among both boys and girls.

As for staying dry overnight, that may take a little while and really depends on his ability to sense when his bladder is full. Our pediatrician had told us that boys don't get that sensation as quickly as girls and is the reason most boys take longer to potty train.

If he's waking-up wet, I'd keep him in the diaper for your sanity. You'll only get frustrated if he's continuing to wet the bed, and the wet diapers are an obvious sign he's not ready to go overnight without an accident.

Good luck!!!!

Wow, this all sound normal.. To get him to start poohing in the potty take him with you around 30min. after you both eat. Take a potty training book and maybe one of his favorite books.. just sit there until he is ready... or not... just keep up the routine. His body and mind will get the message.. also make sure he get a bigger star reward than he gets when he pees. Now, the night time wetting, decrease fluids around seven pm. sipps if he is thirsty.
It takes a long time to get the potty process down. The most inportant thing is not to force this or ridicule him. Sound like your on the right track.. Oh, I took my son to the store as his little books says to do, and let him pick out his pull ups..he paid for them at the counter..hope this helps

My 3 yo son still wakes up soaked. We had my daughter in a nightime pullup until she turned 4. some kids take even longer. As for the pooping, well, we still haven't mastered that one. Our pediatrician said to give them as much fiber as we can during this time so it is impossible to hold it in. We will have great success with pooping on the potty for about 2 weeks and suddenly back track again. My son likes to wait until 5A and go in his pullup. If he is awake and has to go during waking hours in the potty, he will, but that doesn't happen often. For both my kids, when I caught them in the act, I did insist that they sit on the potty and we rooted them on and then made a huge deal out of it. He still gets a reward everytime he goes. If you can, try to figure out what bothers him. My daughter had bonded with her poop and couldn't stand to see it flushed. We had to make up a story about sending it to a party. Crazy, but it worked. My son is just more comfortable going standing up. This will eventually pass.

My oldest did the same thing except he asked me to put a pull-up on him when he had to poop so at least i didn't have to wash underwear all of the time. Maybe he'll let yu do the same.

hi victoria,
this may seem particularly unhelpful, but i think you are doing wonderfully and would not change a thing! congrats on getting peeing in the potty down, and a huge round of applause to you for not freaking out about wet nights, and for allowing your son his dignity and autonomy about being private for pooping. it does take longer, and while you can force it, i totally disagree with the advice to do so, or to make a crying frightened child stay there against his will. remain upbeat and encouraging, avoid confrontations that will result in misery and constipation, and offer bright rewards for the day that will arrive (and it will and sooner than you think) when he makes up his mind and never looks back.
khairete
S.

For us, we went to the store, and picked a toy for him, and brought it home, and put it high up on a shelf. Where he could see it, and he knew that it was for pooping in the potty. It's bribery, but it worked! It took him a few weeks after peeing to get the poop. My son was scared to do it, but since I knew that he was able, I forced him into it. it was awful while going through it, but I forced him to sit on the potty. He cried and cried, but he couldn't get off until he went. I would put him on when I knew he really needed to go. It only took a day or two, and it worked. He's never looked back after those few bad days. Good luck!

This is normal , give it a little while longer and he will eventually want to do a poo on the potty aswell as he will not like the feel of being dirty. As for the being dry overnight , that can take longer , my son was ready to stop wearing a pull up at night about a month after training in the day , my daughter however has been potty trained for almost a year now (she's almost 4) and still needs a pull up at night , in the morning it is so wet there is no way I could leave it off , she is such a deep sleeper that she would just not wake up if she needed to go.