We have been trying to potty train my son who is 3 1/2 for awhile now. He does really well when he is at daycare. The teacher says she doesn't us pull ups at all when he takes a nap. He also is good about going on the potty when we are out shopping. The problem is at home, it is hit or miss. He also will not go poop on the potty. Does anyone have any suggestions how to get him to poop on the potty. He has gone a few times but only after I take him screaming. I don't know what to do.

Any suggestions would be helpful!!

Have you tried a reward? I used to keep a jar of m&ms on top of the medicine cabinet (where no one could reach even with a chair) and my son would get two for pottying. Maybe you could do it just for poop?

I have a different potty training question. My 15 month old granddaughter is show signs of being ready to potty train, but isn't this way early? She lives with me full time. I have gone as far as putting a potty chair in each bathroom and I put her on it when she looks interested. She has peed each time I've done this. She also goes and hides when she poops, which is another sign.

I don't think it is early. I was trained by 12 months. I think alot of kids would be trained much earlier if it weren't for Pull Ups and items like that.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

I second the chocolate reward...or whatever 'goodie' he likes. As Dr. Phil says, find out the price of poker! Perhaps he has a thing for Matchbox cars.....maybe you could have some at the ready in a 'goldfish' style bowl and he gets to choose one afterwards or it could be a trip to Dunkin' Doughnuts when he fills up a motivation chart....make one by using an index card and creating sections, purchase an inexpensive rubber stamp and allow him to stamp each time he goes potty. Once the card is filled in (perhaps 4-6 stamps/stickers) he can trade that in for a trip to Dunkin' Doughnuts, or a matchbox car or something. Key...consistancy with rewards and immediate pay out for filling up a card....a little work up front but by finding out his 'price for poker' will help with the system!
Good luck!

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By grace alone

Good luck! That's all I can say. I had the darndest time and my son was 4.5 before he was trained. Ultimately, my MIL did it (thank goodness for her).

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I agree with you...After potty training three kids, I think they all would've been potty trained earlier without the use of Pull Ups. With my last child, I was having such a hard time training him. I went away by myself to my friend's wedding in NJ. After a weekend alone with DH, he had him trained. I was amazed. How'd you do it? He said he just took away the Pull-Ups. To this day DH brags to everyone that what I couldn't accomplish in six months, he did in just two days! ~Lisa

First of all, put him in regular underware all the time and don't switch back to Pull-Ups.

When you are home, take him to the bathroom at regular intervals -- maybe start with every 30 minutes, then every hour, etc. My son had the same problem -- totally trained at school, but not at home. If I asked him if he had to go, he would always say 'no' and then usually have an accident soon after. I had to take him to the bathroom at regular intervals, which he did not like (he would cry and scream). I told him when he stopped having accidents, he would get to choose when he needed to go to the bathroom on his own. I also rewarded him with Matchbox cars. At first, he got a car every time he went potty. Then it was for staying dry all day, then for two days in a row, etc.

My DS was potty trained at school right after he turned 3 (he told me he would only go potty for his teachers and not me -- he's strong willed, can you tell???). He will be 4 in May and has just recently stopped having occasional accidents. My older DS potty trained in a weekend when he ws 3 1/2, so my experience with my younger DS was much more difficult.

Sarah........mom to Jason & Devin

Just like when they were babies, we have to figure out what works for THEM as an individual. My DS was really tough to train and I worried about him having accidents for a LONG time. DD was trained in like a week and has had very few accidents and I never really worried about her.


Don't stress yourself out, relax, take a little time, do something fun maybe and then go back to it in a few days.

All kids are different, he'll get there, don't worry.

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