Potty Training Question

[Mirrormonkey]

So we are practically fully potty trained during the day, except for poop! I don't know what to do. My little guy holds it all day and will only go when he gets his bedtime diaper. He has pooped on the potty a few times, he even pooped on the grass in the backyard which was hysterical! I just hate seeing him holding it in all day, he is obviously not comfortable. Any hints or tips on how to go about making him feel safe pooping on the potty? Also how do I even begin nighttime potty training??? He will be 3 next week if that helps...
Thank you

[jillmamma]

I have heard that some people have success with an incremental approach. Step one: let him have a diaper whenever he feels the need to poop, then just clean up, and back into undies
Step two: still have a diaper to poop, but he has to do it in the bathroom
Step three: still have a diaper to poop, but sit on toilet with diaper on
Step four: cut hole in the diaper, put on to poop while sitting on toilet (so poop goes through hole)
Step five: sit on toilet to poop

Another thing that may help is to make sure your kid gets lots of fiber and liquids to keep things moving so he does not get bound up. Rice and beans does the trick for DD.

Good luck!

[amandaleigh37]

I don't have advice but this is what worked for us. My DS got peeing in the potty down pretty easily, but like yours, wouldn't poop in there. Well he also always used cloth dipes/wipes and was always fascinated by the disposable wipe box at a friend's house (which I never let him play with because he wanted to pull them all out.) So I got him some of those flushable Kandoo wipes, and told him they were his special big boy potty wipes! And when he went poopy on the potty he could get two out - all by himself. Would you believe that's all it took? he was so excited about the stupid wipes that he would poop and then ask for them right away!

[radishes]

Oh boy do I remember this! My 7 year old wouldn't poop in the potty for MONTHS. She wouldn't even go in her diaper. The only time she's go was when she couldn't hold it any longer. When she started holding it for days and nearly a week a sometimes, I was beside myself. She was petrified of the toilet, even the kiddie potty. I ended up promising her that if she pooped in the potty (she was really well potty trained otherwise) I would take her out and she could pick out a toy. I don't usually do that, but since she was so afraid, I felt she really needed a goal and, well, a treat. That made her really want to try, but even then, while sitting on the little potty pooping she tried to get up and run off. I just held her knees gently and she was so surprised that nothing terrible happened while she was pooping. I never did night-time potty training, it just sort of took care of itself.

[Mirrormonkey]

Thanks!

We have a bowl of mini airplanes/cars/trains etc and everytime he pee'd he could pick one toy. Once peeing was down we told him that he would only get to pick a toy if he pooped, so he said he did not want any toys anymore! If I even go near the bowl he flips.

I like the steps idea, I will start with that and see how it goes. Bribes just don't work well with him, he is a stubborn little monkey.

[nznavo]

I've heard this is very common for boys. Mine went through it. He was out of diapers when he turned 2 and it took another year for him to be comfortable pooping on the toilet. He had never sat to pee, which might have made a difference. My approach was to leave him be. He did it happily when he was ready. I second giving lots of fluids and fibre.