I feel helpless | Imamother

STRONGMOM

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 2:00 pm

My 2 1/2 year old boy is in the middle of being toilet trained. He got the concept of going for number one overnight. No diapers anymore. Great.
Now....number two is a huge problem. He holds himself back for a whole week!!! To make sure it doesnt happen he just lies on the floor and make sure to hold his tush very tight for nothing to happen.
I dont know what to do to help him. Hes in pain. He spends his days on the floor. I try to stay calm to encourage him to promise big presents...I explained to him everything...Nothing I do seems to help him. The only option is to wait till he cant take it anymore....till the next time!!!
Its been going on for 3 weeks now. the same scenario. he ends up going once a week only.
Any advice?

greenfire

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 2:22 pm

wow ... now that's the real meaning of "backside retentive" ...

perhaps you can make a chart ... buy cute underwear ... a treasure chest with little prizes for each time he makes ... prune juice, bran - to help make it easy on his tummy ...

not really sure ...

good luck!!!

gryp

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 2:40 pm

It's a tough one because kids are plain scared of it. My trick is to keep them on the toilet long enough for it to happen the first time, and it will get easier from there. Whatever you can think of to keep him on the toilet will work, we read books, I put a tape recorder in the bathroom and turn on a favorite tape, a new favorite toy, whatever.
Good Luck!

GAMZu

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 3:02 pm

Is it because you are denying that diaper? Maybe just for once, let him go in the diaper without making it seem like you are allowing it or endorsing such behavior. As if it happened without you wanting it to.
Just to relieve him. Then take it from there. ??

cdawnr

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 6:55 pm

Just to give you moral support...my 3 yr oldis doing somehting similar, although he only holds for about 3 days and then has an accident. I gave him prune juice hiddenin his apple juice to get him to poop cause I was getting concerned about the bowel backup

Squash

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 7:10 pm

my oldest did that, but he slept with a diaper and always held it in till the night. he was just scared. it took a few months and promises of a big truck to get him to go on the potty.

I know, it seems like you're "giving in", but I would let him have the diaper, poor child. Eventually he'll just get over it.

RedVines

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 8:15 pm

my daughter is doing the same thing as you child squash....she wears diapers at night and at the same time has a movement. we have tried everything Prizes, candy etc. now she started pishing during the day in her underware, so I said forget it! now she is back in diapers...aaahhh, it is nice to know that I am not the only one in the same toilet bowl.

dr pepper

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 8:44 pm

So he doesn't get diapers anymore? The damage of holding it in for a week is much more than the damage 1 diaper a day will do for your PTing. Let him go in a diaper and slowly coax him out of it.

My dd refused to go #2 on the potty for about a month, so she went in her diaper every morning when she woke up. After seeing how big a deal it was to clean her up and how gross a poopy diaper was, she eventually gave it up.

Fri, Jul 20 2007, 12:56 am

We had the same thing when we were toilet training DS at 2 1/2 and still had a diaper at night. He made in his diaper when he got up or after he went to bed for quite a while.

Once he had (eventually) been pooping for a while in the toilet we took away the diaper at night so it wasn't an option for him anymore...he had the odd accident but generally went in the toilet after that

Ima'la

Fri, Jul 20 2007, 6:19 am

My kids were also scared to do #2 in the toilet. These gradual stages (with adjustment for indvidual children) worked for us:

1. Put a diaper on when he tells you he needs to do #2 and take it off right after.

2. Let him go sitting on potty with diaper on - get him used to going on potty, while still feeling the security of the diaper

3. Encourage him to go on the potty - I know it's gross - I bought a seat for my toilet and was really hoping to skip that stage, but the toilet is big and scary, with that big empty space under their bottoms - my kids just felt more secure on a potty. And pretty soon, I moved them over to the...

4. Toilet. With promises (from the start) of a big, exciting prize for the first time they do #2 on the toilet. I found once we got over the hurdle of the first time, it was smooth sailing after that.

Good luck!

zigi

Fri, Jul 20 2007, 9:06 am

wow its good to see that ds isn't the only one with this problem, he used a diaper for naps and at night for #2 now he finally is able to go by himself on the potty. it took 3 months from being trained for #1

raizy

Mon, Jul 23 2007, 9:05 pm

I guess your son is not yet ready for toilet training . I say give it up and try again in a few weeks. but holding on to #2 is much worse then not being toilet trained.