Question about potty training

**ilikefree** · 09-25-2003, 02:59 PM

My son will be 4 on Oct. 6 and he's still not potty trained. He's driving me nuts! I know, I've heard just wait till he's ready. Well, he started preschool this year and they have to be potty trained to go. He's only there for 2 1/2 hours a day and usually keeps his pullup dry during that time. But once he's at home, he forgets all about it. He will use the potty when I remind him, but if I forget to remind him to go, it's usually wet. And he rarely poops in the potty either. I've tried a reward chart, praising when he does go and treats. And I'm ashamed to say a lot of yelling. Nothing works. My older son who is now 10 was a cinch to train, but at this point, I'm afraid he'll be going to kindergarten in pullups! Help me before I totally lose it!

**Advertisement** · 09-25-2003 02:59 PM

**FreeIs4Me** · 09-25-2003, 05:04 PM

When my daughter was training - I tried the pullups. They are too much like diapers. She was too dependent on them because they absorb tooo much. I just stopped using those & she was trained in a couple of days! She didn't like being wet.

**bethsheree** · 09-25-2003, 05:33 PM

Have you tried those training pants that are cloth and are thicker in the middle from front to back??I'm not really sure what they are called,but you or someone else might.I used these for my son last year,he is now 3,and he done great with these.He did not do well with pull-ups.They don't completely keep the pee in,but they are a lot better than just regular undies.

**NINK** · 09-25-2003, 05:59 PM

yes, pull ups are the worst invention. regular underare are best because they know they are wet. does he like school? if he does than use that as a reward, tell him only big kids get to go to school and big kids use the potty. remind him alot, he may just have trouble remembering or just be too busy playing to have time to go. you really should take him to a doctor and have some tests doen, if it is a physical problem than all the yelling or rewards or whatever will do no good because he has no control over it. it could also be a sign of a mental disorder, like a.d.d. or a million other things, so make sure he doesn't have anything like that. if all his tests come back fine than here is what you do. take a day when you dont have to work and he is not in school, make every one else leave your house for the whole day. devote the entire day to teaching him everything he needs to know. from how to take down his pants and how to get on the potty and tell him about how it feels in his tummy when he will have to go and show him how to wipe and put his pants back on and flush if he is using the toilet or dump his potty seat in in to the toilet if he is using one of those. have him teach a stuffed animal how to do it. you don't do any thing else all day but potty, you have him stay with you and go often on practice drills, you reminding him and he reminds his stuffed animal. they have tuaght mentally retarded adults to potty train this way. than the next day go on with life as normal, hopefully he will still be in this habit. encourage him, don't bribe. don't scream or yell, you can show disapointment though, tell him 'i thought you were going to be a big boy now?" or something like that, if he poops tell him, well now we have no tiem to play because wehave to wash out your underpants. also, let him go to the bathroom with every one and any one who is willing to have an audiance, it is very helpfull because kids learn by example. hope this helps you.

**twinkiesmom** · 09-25-2003, 06:48 PM

He's at the age where u can reason w/him and he'll understand. My boy had a problem sometimes w/holding his bm (only when he was super constipated) and he'd go in his pants. He was in preschool at the time and was big into superheros and power rangers n stuff. I told him that the super heros went to school, and they are tough. You never see super heros poop their pants, do u? I thought u were a tough kid. Wouldn't u rather be a tough big boy like the power rangers? I've never seen a power ranger poop their pants. And they are tough. They went to school. You go to school too. You are a tough kid, so poop on the potty like a big boy.

I'd remind him throughout the day . . . . remember, you're a tough kid, right? Show me how tough you can be and not poop in your pants, k? Super heros are tough.

Man, it didn't take long and he showed me he was a tough kid. Maybe something like that would work for your boy? I'm thinkin if he don't succeed w/something like above, then try the Dr. But work w/him on it. Good luck!

**jamireles** · 09-25-2003, 07:12 PM

I did the same thing and Freeis4Me did. I initially tried the pullups, but they just sucked everything away. So, on my days off, or on the weekends, I put him in regular underwear all day. First couple of days, we had frequent accidents, but he got the idea - he didn't like being wet either. And I'ld make sure I had his potty out wherever we were. It took about 2 weeks, but he finally got it.

Plus, it helped to let him pick out his own underwear at the store - then he was excited to wear them, and he rememberd that if you get them wet, you can't wear them.

It might take a few days, and maybe several accidents, but he should pick up on it.

**angelinwaiting** · 09-25-2003, 08:08 PM

My son is even older than yours and he is not fully potty trained...he is 4 1/2 years old now and he has never pooped in the toilet

He has a dr appointment on October 13 cause I don't know what else to do to get him to go in the toilet...He wears underwear all day and poops in them all day....he wears pull ups at night cause he hasn't got that being dry all night thing licked yet either...I am not buying him no more pull ups after this pack he is on though...I have tried everything I know to try and several people here has given me advice, but nothing has worked as far as the pooping goes....he pooped in his underwear 3 times today

I have washed out undies til I smell poop all the time now....I am praying that his dr can help him...

My 13 year old son was also nothing like this...he was so easy to train and never wet the bed at night either...he was trained by 2 1/2 years...

Sorry to crap in your thread and I hope your son will go potty soon

**Mystic32** · 09-25-2003, 08:43 PM

I feel for you...I really do! My daughter will poop on the potty. However, she will not pee on it. She`s only 2 1/2 but I just wish she would pee on the potty! I am constantly pulling down her pants. people say your lucky she poop on it that`s great...most kids won`t. Well yeh, but she only poops 1 or 2 times daily, but she`s peeing all the time. I`ve tried the nude thing. Keeping her in the kitchen & letting her be free but nope that don`t work. She holds it til I put pants back on her. She will tell me poddy after she has gone. I`m at my wit`s end. Yes! She poops in the potty, but a the rate I`m going she be forever peeing in her pants..LOL Good Luck!

**socks1211** · 09-26-2003, 05:25 AM

there is a book out called everyone poops u can probibly find it at any book store

**gatorbugger** · 09-26-2003, 11:05 AM

angelinwaiting.........this sounds just like the problem my son had. Ask the doc about something called overflow incontinence. What happens with this is they are so constipated that they feel like they always have to go and can't tell the difference between needing to go and not needing to go and what comes out is only what can get through the constipated part.

**amysusi** · 09-26-2003, 03:51 PM

That's the problem I have angelinwaiting. My 2nd child (a boy) is almost 4 1/2. He knows how to go in the toilet, he just won't. Neither of my boys have gone to preschool because of thier refusal to use the toilet. We tried 1 pack of pull-ups with the oldest, but it didn't work. My husband decided it was time for underwear, and 3 days later, he stopped having accidents. THe now 4 1/2 y.o. however, doesn't care about walking around with dirty drawers, and I'm just flabbergasted on what to do next.

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