Potty training problem

We are doing cold turkey on diapers right now. At least, we've started today. I expect a messy week but the boys were 3 in June and they are really tall and they just look too big for diapers (does that make sense - anyways, I can't imagine they aren't ready). Anyways, we tried this a few months ago but a family tragedy shook up the house too much and it wasn't a good time to stick with it (I didn't think my mother could have handled accidents on her furniture and we were there every day for a while). The very first poop that Ezra tried in the potty was uncharacteristically hard and it hurt him. It hasn't happened again. (I don't know why that one was so hard but...) Now he's scared of going to the potty. He says it will hurt and it's too hard (which I think means the poop is too hard, not that it is too difficult). I've tried to talk to him a million times but he's not budging (imagine, a stubborn 3 year old). My nephew had a serious holding it in issue that landed him in the hospital and resulted in him having physical problems which caused him not to be toilet trained until he was 7.

Any advice?

 

good luck on the potty training!!! woooohooo! ours have come a long way in the 2 wks that we ditched the diapers! I'm so proud of them. but... my ds still won't poop on the potty... what is it with doing that?!

 

Dried apricots! Give him a few at every meal and it will really get things moving. We had to do this with one of my daughters but it was great. Sorry to be gross- but her poop was so mushy that there was no way for her to hold it in. Once she had a few happier experiences she stopped worrying about it hurting.

 

My son Anthony had this problem. He refused to go on the toilet because he was scared. It was driving me bonkers. So he would just go in his underwear. And then he would look at me and go, "It just fell out Momma!" His hands stretched outward and palms up-like there was nothing he could do about it! LOL!

So he held it for a few days, go in his pants. Hold a few days, go in his pants. FINALLY-when we were camping, he went in the toilet. I bolted him to the toilet and he made it. I thought all was well. It wasn't. Once we got home, he was holding it again. Then he added that his stomach was hurting him. So I sat there, and we talked while he sat. I told him his stomach hurt(or his butt) because he was holding in his poop. I told him he had to let it all out, and once he did-it wouldn't hurt. And when he did finally go-I would ask him if it hurt and he would say no, and be very excited.

I also told him he could hold my hand and squeeze it really tight if he needed to to help him push. And for Nicholas, I found a polished heart shaped rock my aunt gave the boys when they were born. I told him it was the special pooping rock(lol) and to hold on tight to it and it would help.

And now-less than a month into potty training-the fear is gone! Such relief! I hope he gets over the fear! I also heard of miralax and the like to help them go. I bought some, but never used it. Good luck!

 

LOL at the pooping rock! What a great idea! I don't know why, but my boys have always pooped in the potty, but have pee accidents still almost daily. Has he ever pooped in his underwear? When mine did for the first time they were so disgusted and I put on a big show about how disappointed I was that it rarely happens (not to say that it doesn't but I can count on my two hands the amount of times it has happened in the past 5 months. Good luck. This is NOT my favorite time of their lives!

 

:laughing: That is so funny! And a really good idea. :good:

I agree with giving him some dried fruit (apricots, prunes, etc) or something else that will help soften things up. Hopefully, if he goes a few times & it doesn't hurt, he won't be afraid anymore. Good luck!