How did you convince your little one...

[BlsdMama]

To go poo on the potty?

 

This sounds like a CRAZY question from a veteran mom, lol.  But I have a kiddo who is just over 2.5.  She is my oldest to potty train.  She'll go on the potty and does a lovely job but will NOT poo on the potty.  But the minute she goes she wants CHANGED, whether in panties or a diaper.

 

She knows she has to go - she'll wander off and hide, lol, until the job is done.

 

I've never waited this long to potty train.  I just keep her (mostly) in a diaper until she poops for the day and then put her undies.  Then there are no unpleasant surprises and we're both happy.

 

Now, if you ask her, "Hey Cate!  Where does poop go?"  She'll tell you, "In the POTTY!"  full of smiles and giggles. 

[Guest]

My youngest finally figured it out at 3.5. No advice. We tried everything. One day she yelled, "I need to go poop" and I asked if she wanted to poop on the potty (like I had asked for 6 months) and she said yes. It was just a matter of her deciding to do it.

[bensonduck]

My DD had this issue. We did it in steps. Underwear for the day - if she needed to poop we had her ask us for a diaper. I would diaper her and then she would go. Next step, in the diaper and also in the bathroom. That is where we do our pooping. After that, the next step was going to be in a diaper, sitting on the potty in the bathroom- but we didn't need to get that far. She decided one day to go on the potty in the bathroom instead of asking for a diaper. I think she was 3y3m.

 

I got the gradual progression idea from Elizabeth pantley's excellent book The No Cry Potty Training Solution.

 

Good luck!

[maize]

I've just waited, so far the latest potty trainer was 4 years old.

 

I assume you have tried bribery?

[imagine.more]

Poop jail ;) 

 

I feed them a fiber-filled breakfast and lunch with prune juice to drink at lunch. Then I set them up in the bathroom with a basket of books to read, a water bottle, and put up a baby gate. I instruct them cheerfully that it's time to go potty and they need to go poop on the potty and then they may come out. I tell them to take as long as they need and that I'll be nearby to help if they need it. Then I walk away.... Eventually they go potty. If they haven't after 1 hour I'd let  them out and try again later, but yeah basically they're in there until they go and it's never taken more than 1 hour because after the lunch and breakfast and while sipping water that whole time they find they really do need to poop. Unconventional and time-consuming but it does work. This idea is originally a John Rosemond one actually, I found it when I was desperate with my 3.5 year old firstborn who had been pee trained a year and still would not poop on the potty. 

[Storygirl]

Ugh. We had this issue when one of mine was two. She knew what to do, but wouldn't. We bought a big Barbie set and put it on a table and told her she could have it when she used the potty. Didn't work. After a long time (weeks? months?), we told her that the big toy would go back to the store soon if she didn't go. No dice. The toy went back. We tried several other incentives. No results. We promised her a Build a Bear. Nope. We could lead the child to the potty, but we couldn't make her poop.

 

It was frustrating.

 

Then one day she disappeared from sight. I called to find out where she was, and there she was in the bathroom, doing her business all by herself. And from then on, she was fine. I don't know why, because she has always been an extremely compliant child otherwise, but she just had to wait until it was her own idea.

 

By the way, we bribed another child with a boxed set of Wiggles board books that I had picked up on clearance. He loved the Wiggles. Somehow he managed to go six times in one day, just so he could collect all of the books. We were amazed.

[redsquirrel]

If you put your poop in the potty you get a chocolate chip. It worked every time and took about three times and we were done with the bribe, lol. 

[Joanne]

I don't.

 

I never potty trained my kids.

When they were ready, they told me and we went to WalMart or Target and got underwear.

[Amy in NH]

No pants.  Three were potty trained under age 2 this way.  It took longer for the 1st kid because ex had a thing about naked body parts.

[dirty ethel rackham]

When I first skimmed the title, I say "How did you CONCEIVE your little one?"   Ummm ... the old fashioned way?? 

 

We used to sit the kids on the potty from the time they were very young (like 18 months) and read to them. I swear, I have Everyone Poops memorized.   This wasn't so much to train them at that young, but to help them practice and not be afraid.  It's not like I expected them to be trained at that age, but it was like playing big kid.  When we were actively working on it, we made sure they had lots of foods that kept the stools soft.  We had more difficulty with the oldest, but not because he wasn't compliant, but because he had an undiagnosed bowel disorder. 

[SKL]

My kids were younger, but initially I was strategic about when I asked them to sit on the potty, based on their pooping pattern.  After they got used to that, they had no desire to have it in their pants.

 

Mine generally went shortly after eating something.

[Guest]

Many of my kids wouldn't even try until they were three. My current kiddo is two and some change and I've been pleasantly surprised she has wanted to poop. We bribe with plentiful jelly bellies.

[RioSamba]

Bear in the Big Blue House and bribery. We are strict with screen time, but around this age we allowed Bear, and the potty episode is amazing. If you can get your hands on a few episodes (so it's not like a broken record) it's a big help. DD wanted a particular item (I won't name it to protect her privacy). She was an unusual little 2.5 year old, and she understood that if she consistently pooped in the potty, she'd get that item. DS received M&Ms to "celebrate." He was also 2.5. I stuck to positivity, encouragement, and no pressure. I tried to make pooping in a pull up a total non event.

 

Your dd reminds me of another little girl I knew years ago. One day she asked her mother to take her to the store for panties. She said she was ready for pottying and would no longer use pull ups. They bought panties, and that was it! She was under 3, but I think older than 2.5.

[zoobie]

I wouldn't push it. You can try asking her to poop in the bathroom, then poop in the diaper while sitting on the potty, then without. My first 2 were so easy. Number 3...she was completely out of diapers at just past 3. I had to wait with her until she was ready. Her poop on the potty bribe was going to Target and picking out any My Little Pony she wanted. She finally did, and we stopped in the middle of dinner and went to Target. I was NOT chancing anything. She then reverted to forgetting to pee and needed diapers for that, but she never pooped in one again. (Knock on wood!!!) Making anything into a power struggle with this kid is a huge mistake. :)

[shawthorne44]

I don't.

 

I never potty trained my kids.

When they were ready, they told me and we went to WalMart or Target and got underwear.

 

It helps that the kid's underwear is so darn cute.  I think we bought the underwear when she was about ready, and she got to pick them out.  

[Chris in VA]

You know, I guess it was a pretty smooth process, because I honestly don't remember! I didn't potty train firstborn until 3 though, The rest were a tiny bit earlier, but basically, they were just ready.

Can you give more time?

[Prairie~Phlox]

I took away something my son REALLY wanted to do & that was to go outside with his brother & sister. He had to watch them play outside from the window. It took about a week of them going outside without him & finally he ran to me & said "I gotta go poop" he went & got to go play outside & the rest is history.

[Farrar]

I think it might help to reframe your thinking. 2.5 yo is NOT late. It sounds like your other kids trained on the early side, which is fine, but plenty of kids need until around the time they turn 3. I'd back off and be patient. For us, fixing something seemingly unrelated in my kids' lives was what they needed to train. In their case, they needed to be separated for bedtime. But I think there's something to fixing something else - easing the stress in another part of the kid's life.

[Guest]

We did stages. One of them had constipation issues and was wearing underwear and pooping on a diaper on the floor for what felt like FOREVER at the time, but when s/he decided it was time s/he used the grownup toilet and never looked back.

 

The constipation issues went away when the diapers did and s/he never had any more problems.

[AuNaturel]

My daughter didn't potty train until 3. I tried everything-- books, shows like Bear in the Big Blue House, bribery, and then I bought the doll. She had a blast putting the doll on the toilet and feeding it, so it would go. After a few days of doing this for hours, along with praising it and clapping for it, I said to her, "your baby is doing such a wonderful job! Why don't you try?"

She wanted to drink water while on the toilet too. I let her. She peed and was happy, but we didn't take the diapers off. Pooping took a few more months to achieve. I didn't push it, I just reminded her as soon as I notice the pooping stance/face.

 

We also did rewards but I used stickers instead of candy or sweets. I also bought her a sticker book so that she could keep her sticker collection nice.

 

My daughter had an attachment to her diapers/pull ups. She honesty didn't want to give them up. I tried the underwear route, and it didn't work. She cried. Even when she didn't need them anymore, she wanted them. I eventually weaned her off.

 

My son just turned 2 at the end of May, so although he's acquainted with the potty and peed twice in his potty seat (since 18 months old) he isn't ready. He likes to sit there but will wait until he's off of it. He would rather do it on my floor then in his diaper, and will take his diaper off, hide and squat, but won't go near the toilet or potty chair. I know he has the control but he just won't do it where we want him to, and I don't plan on forcing him. I know that once he is comfortable, he'll be a pro.

 

Unlike my daughter that would do it unconsciously or pee on the floor (in horror of herself) because she took a while to become conscious of it and in control.

 

I've heard that switching to cloth diapers makes it very easy. I plan to do this switch in a few months with my son to see if it works. Disposable diapers make it too comfortable by keeping the moisture away.

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[Mommy22alyns]

My YDD was very stubborn, but those little mellowcreme pumpkins did the trick.

[FO4UR]

I have tried the wait until they are ready.  One of my boys was about to turn FOUR and I just told him that 4yo's cannot wear pull-ups. He trained on his EXACT birthday. (I should have told him 3 a year earlier...)

 

 

My youngest will be 3 in December.  I think she'd be completely done with pull-ups if I weren't so stinkin' distracted by homeschooling the Big Three.  Just being honest.  She does great when I take her potty every hour or two.  I think what *I* need to do is put her in big girl panties so that the threat of mopping up her mess motivates *ME* to prioritize her potty needs for a few weeks.

 

 

A step-stool helps mini-poopers.  Some people struggle to poo without some support for their feet.

[MercyA]

This book was surprisingly helpful:  Where's the Poop?  as was this DVD: Go Potty Go!

[MeaganS]

All 3 of mine did this. I told them that now that they were dirty they had to take a shower to get clean (normal, not cold or anything). They all hated showers at this age so it only took once or twice before they chose to go in the potty. Might not be PC but it worked and they don't seem worse for wear.

[Katy]

Pull ups are the devil.  Switch to cloth training pants that are just cotton flannel and plastic.  It's a mess for you to clean, but much less comfortable for them to go in than super absorbent pull ups.  Also if you pay attention they probably go at the same time every day.  For mine it's about 20 minutes after dinner.  Preemptively going to the toilet helps.

 

In the mean time dangle something in front of them that they want to do that they aren't old enough to do unless they are potty trained.  No, you can't go to that because only big kids that are potty trained can go to that.

[Carol in Cal.]

I borrowed a video called It's Potty Time from a friend of mine.  I still remember some of the catchy songs, such as Super Dooper Pooper.  DD is now 19.  Who really got trained here, I ask you?

[happypamama]

Time. I'm not really too worked up about diapers, so I'm not in a big hurry. Two of mine were about 2.5. One of my boys wasn't ready until 3. On his third birthday, he was in diapers 24/7. No kidding, within a month, he decided he was done and was taking himself to bathroom, wiping, flushing, washing his hands, no accidents, dry at night, even. Completely easy. My fourth child announced that he needed to pee when he was about 1y10m, so I took him, and that was pretty much it for diapers at home. He did regress a bit when his baby brother arrived a couple of months later but picked it back up again. My current 24mo asks to go pee and will take off his diaper, take himself potty, flush, and wash his hands all on his own, but he doesn't poo on the potty yet. He'll get there. I'm not really worried about it. I agree with a PP that 2 is pretty early.

[happypamama]

I borrowed a video called It's Potty Time from a friend of mine. I still remember some of the catchy song, such as Super Dooper Pooper. DD is now 19. Who really got trained here, I ask you?

ROTFL, I remember that video and still remember the song too. I watched it (and many episodes of the purple dinosaur who will not be named and who is not allowed in my house at all ever) when I was working as a nanny as a newlywed; those little ones are in college now.

[Spryte]

I wait till they are ready.

 

Most recently, DD had been peeing in the potty, but was like OP's child and wouldn't poop. We went for a well child check, I mentioned it to the doc, who cheerfully said, "She'll do it when she's ready!" That night, DD pooped in the potty and wanted me to call the doc and tell her. :) She's pooped in the potty ever since, no accidents.

[KrissiK]

My youngest was over three when she finally finished potty training. I don't think I did anything unusual, although as long as she was still pooping in her panties I made her wear pull-ups because I got tired of cleaning up the mess. She just decided to wear panties one day. I guess she got tired of pull-ups!

[AnnE-girl]

My DD was fantastic about knowing when she had to go and being ready for underpants by 2/2.5. However, she would not poop in the potty for at least six months after she was dry all the time. She would ask for a diaper because she didn't want to go in her underpants, but it took a while to actually poop in the potty. We gently pushed, but she's very stubborn so pushing too hard would have backfired.

I would just give it a little more time.

[Guest]

Kids have very little control in their lives. This is one area that they can control so some of them decide to wait. I wait until they are ready. This isn't a battle I choose to fight.

[Junie]

Any advice for getting a child ready?  Dd5 is still not potty trained.  She has some delayed physical development.  I think that she truly doesn't know what it feels like when she needs to go.