Potty Training Forum

Posted: 24 October 2007 at 9:47pm | IP Logged

Oops, don't mean to dominate the site, but here's another query.

Tom is doing really well with his potty training.  However, when it comes to doing a poo he totally freaks out.  It's the same routine every night.  He tells me he wants a "wee wee" so I take him to his potty. He then proceeds to go into a paddy shouting "no", and no amount of coaxing will make that child sit on a potty or toilet to go.

But as soon as the nappy goes on then he's done!  I just can't seem to get him over his feel of pooing in the toilet/potty.  I'm also worried that he could become constipated as he complains about his bum!

Does anyone have any advice.  Has/does anyone else's child share the same phobia?

Posted: 25 October 2007 at 9:07am | IP Logged

Have you tried getting Max to talk to Tom and tell him that big boys poo on the toilet and not in a nappy like him? 

If Tom is anything like Louis then he'll be wanting to do almost everything his big brother is doing, maybe Max is your secreat wepon.

Other than that I'd sy leave him to poo in his nappy for another week or so and try again.

Sorry not much use.

Posted: 25 October 2007 at 3:14pm | IP Logged

OK I have had the exact same problem with dd2.

She's now 6 and fine so firstly don't panic. She was exactly how you've described your ds. There was no way in the world, even yorkshire pudding (her fave) would not coax her to poo in the potty or toilet.

She'd scream and hold it in for hours...days if i didn't pop a nappy on.

Nappy on she'd go sit under the table and toddle back smelling ripe.

This went on for months. She was dry day and night. I was actually buying nappies just for her to poo in, we didn't need nappies anymore except for that. I was seriously worried about her tbh.

I spoke with family and friends, no one had ever had this happen....thanks that makes me feel great as a mum. Then I mentioned it to my practice nurse, she just said, stop making a fuss. If she asks for a nappy let her have it. So I did.

A couple of weeks after that with us all studiously ignoring the fact she was using nappies she pipes up she wants a poo, so i reach for anappy. NO MUMMY on toilet like big girl. So I took her to the toilet, now she was scared, and asked me wher her poo goes, I explained that the poo monster at the water works needs her poo or he gets hungry. Bless her she sat on the loo shaking like a leaf, I literally had to cuddle her whilst she went TMI i know but it really was a HUGE thing for her.

I ended up doing the cuddle reassure thing in the loo for several weeks, but she did move on slowly.

Now you'd never know it was ever an issue.

Basically my advice, don't force the issue. Some children really do have a fear with pooing. And personally I think its the actual sensation of something leaving their bodies that frightens them.

Don't rush him, don't make it a big deal, just follow his lead, kids have a way of working things out for themselves if you let them. Reassure, and praise what he does right and ignore the nappy thing. I wish someone had told me that before I was tearing my hair out.

Thats my advice to you hon.

feel free to pm me if you want anymore info etc

Kate