https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:12:38 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2744800 Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:26:11 +0000 looch 2744800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bloved: So my son is 6, and he's in kindergarten. He's able to attend normally, but we did have some issues in the beginning of the year with stomach aches that I attribute to stress and anxiety over starting at a new school.</p> <p>He had the classic signs (soiled underwear, large/toilet clogging bowel movements when he did have them) and I didn't know any better until we went to see a gastro and she diagnosed him with a blockage. So, we did a clean out and he's had issues on and off since then (October) but we do have him on a regular schedule of Miralax because his main issue is diet. He just doesn't get enough fiber to be regular (which is another separate issue that we're on the path to correcting).</p> <p>He's also on a toileting schedule, he has to sit after every meal. The goal is to get him to go in the morning, which he is hit or miss with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2744417 Tue, 06 Jun 2017 15:10:23 +0000 bloved 2744417@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: really? How old is your son now? Has it impacted him socially/doing age appropriate things? My big concern is (1) camp looming ahead at the end of June and breaking his heart telling him he can't go and (2) most the pre-k classes in my area say the kids must be potty trained. I already moved him to the 2s class out of the 3s class for potty issues and I felt a 3s class should have been more accommodating.</p> <p>Do you find your son has a lot of anxiety in general? My ped had already recommended a therapist to us for general anxiety issues (he has a lot of nightmares and voices concerns about fires, accidents, etc). However I never managed to find a therapist that would take him so young. Ian wondering if therapy would help with this too.</p> <p>Sorry for picking your brain, just curious about your experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2744272 Tue, 06 Jun 2017 11:02:38 +0000 Alba4 2744272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It has been a long process over here too. We started officially training on his 3rd birthday. Pee was easy for him, but poop was always the challenge. We really let him find his own way, but guided him through bribery (candy), praise, and sticker charts. He was stuck in the rut of holding his poop and going in the pull up for what seemed like forever! He turns 4 in 3 months and he is officially trained and hasn't had an accident in quite some time. My advice is to stay positive and he'll get there!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2744166 Tue, 06 Jun 2017 08:01:05 +0000 looch 2744166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bloved: Yep, I know a lot about it, have been dealing with it for at least 2 years with my son. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2744125 Tue, 06 Jun 2017 04:26:53 +0000 bloved 2744125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ok so I have been trying low key all week and I have not totally seen a difference (other than it initially reduced my stress level, which was an added bonus). I have not really seen any change in poop on the potty success yet, nor about his attitude towards it (yesterday after an accident I said it was no big deal and he said "it is a big deal! It's not ok!"...is that shame on his part? More of the power struggle? Argh!?)</p> <p>However, his daycare teacher mentioned something called encopresis to me yesterday (her niece has it and she thought it sounded like my son) and it does seem to fit a lot of what we are going through. I am going to call his doctor today to see if that is a possibility and if so, what we would do about it. </p> <p>Here's a link to the encopresis in case anyone is interested: <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/encopresis/home/ovc-20253388" rel="nofollow">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/encopresis/home/ovc-20253388</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741738 Tue, 30 May 2017 12:45:40 +0000 looch 2741738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For bowel movements, my son's gastro told me that kids are most likely to have a movement after a meal, so have them sit on the toilet about 10 minutes after a meal. A lot of the issue with poop is that they hold it, it solidifies and then they have accidents (leaks) because the rectum gets stretched and they don't feel the urge. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741736 Tue, 30 May 2017 12:41:51 +0000 MrsSRS 2741736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My vote is to be low key about successes too. Remove the power and the big deal completely. You did it? Cool, pottying is great. You had an accident? Bummer, clean it up. Calm, fairly neutral tone in your reaction either way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741494 Tue, 30 May 2017 05:13:15 +0000 bloved 2741494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kemma: that makes sense. One more quick question- did you still make a big deal of her successes, or did you just try to minimize the whole thing (good and bad)? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741489 Tue, 30 May 2017 04:10:46 +0000 Kemma 2741489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bloved: I read somewhere that kids can only control three things - eating, sleeping and toileting - so when they experience a trauma or big change (like a new baby, new carer etc) it's usually one of those three things that goes out the window, and from what I've seen with the kids I know, it's totally true!</p> <p>I tried to be the cool Mum but I will admit to losing it on more than occasion! Our accidents were more pee-related so clean up wasn't too messy but my girl knew that she needed to put her wet clothes into the laundry and get a towel to help soak up the mess, she also lost some of her toys that got weed on. I'll be honest and say it took a full year before I would've said she was really, truly toilet trained. Fortunately, once we got over the hump we've had very few accidents and she's night trained without too many dramas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741423 Mon, 29 May 2017 18:59:28 +0000 bloved 2741423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: @Kemma: @caterw: @ShootingStar: Thanks for the support ladies. Honestly, even just hearing I am not alone is huge! </p> <p>@ShootingStar: We did try that with the "super" incentive. For him, it was this imaginext pirate ship that he was lusting after. We bought it and put it on top of the fridge and told him he would get it when he pooped on the potty. He did wind up earning it, but then he has totally regressed.</p> <p>I think the regressions are the weirdest thing/hardest part for me. He will have weeks where I think we finally have this done. I pick him up from daycare and he will literally shout "Mommy I poopy-ed on the potty" full of pride and beaming. But then randomly he will totally regress and not make it to the potty in time ever for several weeks (we are in one of those swings right now and it is so frustrating).</p> <p>@Kemma: The control thing is interesting. I wonder if that is it for him. So, when she had an accident, did you just act like it was NBD - not even mention it, just silent clean up and on to the next thing? Or did you really make her clean it up without help (I have tried this and wind up with poop everywhere!)?</p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: 2 years? My heart goes out to you. I hate this whole process. And while I will support him and encourage him as much as he needs, I am starting to find external pressure is creeping in with the message that he is "too old" to not be potty trained (ie - he can't go to camp if he is not potty trained at 4, I pushed him back a class at daycare because [and this breaks my heart] apparently kids in his class were making fun of him for having accidents), etc.. So I want to be this "cool, go with the flow" mom but I also want him to hurry the heck up and get potty trained!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741310 Mon, 29 May 2017 08:27:06 +0000 ShootingStar 2741310@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had success with poop when we found something he REALLY wanted. In DS's case it was playing with his t-ball set with Daddy. He kept asking during the week and it was really hard to find the time, so I finally told him if pooped in the potty at school we'd play that night. </p> <p>Well he came home and asked to play with it and I told him no because he'd pooped in his pull-up during nap time at daycare. He then went straight to the bathroom and pooped! We made a huge deal about it with lots of praise and some chocolate treats and went outside to play t-ball. After that it got a lot easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741294 Mon, 29 May 2017 07:24:56 +0000 caterw 2741294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kemma: I kinda did the same thing- I turned the control over to DD at 3.5 but I also threw away the pull-ups. If she pooped her pants, we had to leave where we were no matter what, or stop playing to clean it up (which I made a verrrrry long and boring process). I also night trained at the same time so she wouldn't hold it until nap/ sleep and then poop in a pull-up. We had a few days with lots of accidents and a couple late nights with accidents in the bed, but she had been totally trained for over a month now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741280 Mon, 29 May 2017 03:44:00 +0000 Kemma 2741280@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What worked for my girl was to just stop talking about it and let her do her thing, as frustrating as it was. I knew that she could manage her own toileting if she wanted to and she knew that I knew - for my girl it was about control / power, and the more I pushed her the more she dug her heels in (we also had the arrival of a new baby).</p> <p>My advice would be to give him free rein but let him know that if he's chooses not to toilet nicely then he needs to clean up his own messes or he can wear a nappy.</p> <p>Hang in there, Mama, you'll get through this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741225 Sun, 28 May 2017 16:32:19 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2741225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is 4 1/2 and we are ALMOST there...this summer will be two years. The only thing that consistently works for us is huge praise for successes (and lots of stickers, but not on a chart) and trying to keep the pressure off. It has been the most frustrating thing ever so I get you! If you want to chat more about it let me know... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-training-help-needed#post-2741142 Sun, 28 May 2017 07:24:28 +0000 bloved 2741142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So we have been potty training for over a year now and we're still not successful! My son turns four in a week so all advice appreciated!</p> <p>Backstory: last April my son was nearly fully potty trained. Then, In the same week, his (amazing) daycare teacher left and his little brother was born. Since then, we've never been fully successful with being potty trained for poop. We'll have weeks where things seem fine and like he's trained and then a total regression!</p> <p>I have tried: incentive charts, 3 day methods, pull ups, underwear, every 30 minutes sitting on the potty and probably more that I can't thing of now. </p> <p>Someone please help! He's supposed to go to camp this summer but I can't send him if he keeps having poop accidents! </p>