Running out of diapers

Do you think my stubborn, day-pee-trained, and fully in control of their bowels 3.75 year olds would decide to poop in the potty if we “run out” of diapers, or do I need to continue to be patient and wait for them to decide to do it on their own -- which, according to them, is when they are 35 years old (they say “we’ll do it when we’re mommy and daddy’s age”)?

The girls ask for a diaper every time they need to poop. As I mentioned above, they have great control of their bowels. They can hold their poop all day (since they don’t want to go at daycare) and can also push some out whenever they want to get some attention or if their sister is pooping. This has been annoying but manageable up to this point when they've basically pooped once a day, but in the last few weeks they've started pooping (or trying to poop) 3 to 4 times a day. I thought we could ease into this and they'd eventually want to give up the diapers, but they are just digging in their heels (well, one is more than the other, and she has her sister committed to refuse with her).

They needed a little push (day care cutting them off from diapers and M&M’s) to pee in the potty, so is running out of diapers a good push to get the pooping to happen, or will we be getting into major withholding and constipation issues? What do you think?

 

I pulled out the trusty ole sticker chart with my Sarah when she refused to poop in the potty. I did the pull-ups for months because when i first tried the sticker chart thing with her it just didn't work. Then, I decided to pull it out again, and whammo..it worked. Who knew?! She just was ready. I say let them know that when they run out of diapers, they are going to start pooping in the potty like big girls. Count down the diapers with them so they know when its going to happen and then go for it. Try a sticker chart, and maybe print out a toy that they would like to have and tape it above the chart, and let them work for their toy. All they probably need is a little nudge..my Sarah was pooping in the potty consistently from the first time she let one drop in the potty. After 8 months..seriously...of pooping in her pullups and peeing in the potty we finally had success.

 

I know it's probably not looked well upon but I always use the threat of a suppository. If I know they have to go and they are refusing then I ask them if they need a suppository and that was usually enough to get them to go. I did it with all three of mine and I only need to use that threat for a few weeks before they got comfortable pooping in the potty.

I would definitely say that once the diapers run out they should be prepared to start using the potty.

 

I think anything is worth a try at that age. I will tell you that poop was the hardest and we are finally making some headway with Tyler and getting him to go on his own. I just had to wait until HE was ready.

 

This is what we had to do with my stubborn DD. She would hold her poop for days and days. Miralax everyday and that threat is all that ever got her to poop for a long time. But she would not poop in her pants or a diaper, she just would not poop!

The good news is, she's a pooping champ now. She snapped out of it eventually, although it seemed like it took an eternity.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I feel more confident now about my plan. I really hope that all will go well and we won't have to resort to usage or threat of suppositories, but it's good to know about that option. We should be out of diapers by the end of the weekend (I want to legitimately run out so I don't have to lie and won't have the option to cave in), so the day of reckoning will be here soon! I'll let you know how it goes.

 

What worked for my DS1 was to buy a few small toys he loved (for him it was race cars) and hang it from the top of the fridge. That we he could see it and long for it and when he went poop in the potty he would get one. It only took about 3-4 days to be totally pooped trained after a long time of being pee trained. All the promises of a treat if he got stickers didn't work, he is very visual so seeing his toy all day worked wonders.
Good luck