Number two - Pooing

Hi Agim,

We have also been potty training for a while now....it is actually a year now already.
(My LO had bladder problems...so it was complicated.)

I have done quite a lot of reading and from what I can remember, is that children either learn to do number one or number 2 succesfully in the toilet first. Usually it is first the number 2 (that's our experience), but sometimes it is the otherway around.
If you have any idea how sensitive the whole potty training project is, and the effect it has on a person for the rest of its life, you will be cautious with your responses in my opinion. I can imagine you are getting frustrated, but keep in mind he is only 2,5.

It is still very normal for children to only potty train at age 4. Therefore I would suggest being kind and supporting and stating what is expected of him but say that you know that he will start to poo in the toilet when he is ready. THis approach is much kinder than trying to force a child to pottytrain, which will backfire in anycase and could cause damage to the self-esteem etc.

good luck, I know how difficult this can be!

I would get frustrated at the fact he's laughing at me while cleaning him up and get me thinking that he does it on purpose. One of my sisters-in-law would say leave it on him until it itches, lol, then they'll know not to do it again.

I stand corrected on what I am about to write - it has been a while since we did potty training, but...

I seem to remember that when I was doing the research on how to potty train, this was actually quite common, and one of the reasons was the sound the poo made as it hit the water, so if you are getting him to sit on a normal loo, perhaps put a bit of toilet paper in first so the sound is not "scary'.

Another reason was they did not like to see parts of their body flushed down the loo - some children see their poo as still part of them, so you need to somehow get him to understand that that is where poo goes and he is not flushing part of himself away, or desensatize him to the process - get him to watch you putting the poo from his undies in the loo, wipe him a bit with toilet paper, before using wipes / wet cloth. Get him to flush the loo etc.

Explain the process of flushing - poo in loo, flush, water takes it away to the sewer (pipes under the ground) etc. Make a story of it and make it sound lie the poo is off on an adventure.

Hi There,

Almost sounds like my boy, but he is only 2.5 years of age now. He wee's in the toilet, but prefers to poo in his nappy still, only thing is he tells us when he wants to poo and then we put on his nappy.

What i would do in your situation is try to explain to him that it is not nice to make a poo in his underware, if this should happen infront of his friends they will laugh at him. Try and let him understand that he is a big boy now and everytime that he will poo in the big toilet, he will be rewarded with something you know he cannot resist. But only if he makes a poo in the toilet.

Al advise I have with this is that this is a game of lots of patience and endurance.

Good luck!

Hello Ladies

I need some advise please , my three year old son refuses to do the number two in the toilet. He would rather make poo in his pants than use the toilet. He is ok with making a weeing just the number two that I battle he just wont do it.
He laughs his head off when I have to clean him , I dont know what to do.