My 4 year old will pee but not pooh in the potty. Help

Amy - posted on 01/11/2011

Find the one thing he really, really wants and then make a chart for stickers for it and each time he goes poop give him a sticker towards it. For my son, he really wanted to go to Build A Bear and make the owl, so after about 20 tiny owl stickers we went and made it. As Dr. Phil says, you need to find their currency.

Lisa - posted on 01/11/2011

Michelle, I had that problem when I first started to potty train my youngest son, but I just told him we are out of candy, sorry but you can have a sticker, or would let him help me with one big project every time he pooped on the potty (like washing the dishes, cleaning the wall with spray (h2o in a spray bottle), cooking, or arts and crafts. anything that seems like a big deal to a lil one. it really really helped he would try to poop all the time just to help mommy with a "big project"

Michelle - posted on 01/09/2011

All good advice! I made the mistake of giving my 2 1/2 daughter tootsie rolls and now I don't know how to break the cycle because she relapsed on our trip home for thanksgiving. I wish I would have started with stickers instead of candy! She does tell me when she has to pee and takes her diaper off and goes but when she has training panties on and is playing or watching tv she forgets and has a lot of accidents! Help!

Frances - posted on 01/07/2011

My daughter did the same thing, I wasnt sure what to do because my older kids did not do this. She would wear panties and after dinner we had to put on the pullup. We tried putting the potty under the table (that is normally where she would hide to go) or would rush to the toilet when we knew she wanted to go and sit there for up to an hour. The thing that finally worked for me is rewarding her with stickers if she went in the toilet. The first time we made a such a big deal and high fives so she knew she was being praised and it was the right thing for her to go in the toilet. And in a matter of days she was all potty trained. I could not believe it. We only gave her one sticker each time and kept it up for 2 to 3 weeks and now she is 2 years and 4 months and has been 100% potty trained for about 2 months.

Brooke - posted on 01/07/2011

Also, I had the same problem that my eldest would pee but not pooh in the potty, we eventually figured out that he thought it was disgusting. We bought him a seat to fit over the toilet, so he could flush it away, and never looked back!

Brooke - posted on 01/07/2011

Nakedness is much easier in the summer, but I would definitely forego as many clothes on the bottom as possible.
When my son was born, as I changed his nappy his big brother and I would discuss how gross it was to have to change the baby, and I would tell him how grateful I was that he was a big boy and could use the toilet, as it made it much easier. If you give him the idea that you don't enjoy that particular time, he may see it as less of an attention-getter, and more of a pain in the butt! (Pardon the pun)

Lisa - posted on 01/06/2011

how I got all of my children to go to the bathroom pee and poop is I let them run around with no pants or underwear on. and it worked for all of them! (3) they were all completely potty trained by 2 1/2. so, it's worth a shot as long as you don't mind a naked baby running around. lol

Stacy - posted on 01/06/2011

I would suggest that you ban the Pull-ups all together. No Pull-ups at all. He will probably have a few accidents, but it may be worth it in the end. If he is in school, obviously it may be a little harder... but keep to the NO pull-up procedure.... he should learn faster that way. It worked with my daughter.

Heather - posted on 01/05/2011

i would say get him right out of the pull up. He is old enough to get it right especially if he was doing it before. Pull ups are just expensive diapers so why do anything diff if his system is working for him. I would just tell him that he is too big for pull ups now and he is gonna be in big boy undies. If he has an accident it will feel uncomfy so you suggest he goes in the potty. Then the 1st couple accidents you tell him you are really sorry this must feel really yucky and you help him clean up and rince his undies but after a few times of this you can tell him that he is big enough and you know he can do it becasue he used to do it so if he makes the choice to go in his pants then next time he is in charge of cleaning himself and his undies up (i know it will be messy adn you will have to come in after to finish the job but after acouple times of him doing that he will prob give up that battle). Do't ever let him think you are upset or discusted just put it back on him "it must feel really yucky to be all sticky", "im sorry, i hope you decide to make a better choice next time" "u must be so proud of yourself when you go poo in the potty" "I know you must feel so much better when you make the choice to go poo in the potty", etc. If he used to do it and quit then he is playing games with you so you need to switch it up and change the game and keep him responsible for his own poo so that he will actually take responsibility for it. Don't play into it the way he wants you to. It could be a tough few days but if you come up with a plan and stick to it you will be golden. Good luck...remember consistencey is key!

Michelle - posted on 01/04/2011

My son who is three is the same way.. Im really not sure what to do to help you bc Im having problems with mine.. I don't understand why its so hard to potty train..