Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Potty Training, its a pain in EVERYONES arse... LITERALLY!

Well, as you all know I have been going through the potty training trials for about a year now. To push him or not to push him, that was the question. He seemingly had no interest what so ever in using the potty no matter whether it was number 1 or number 2 or if I offered him a plethora of treats and toys in exchange for doing it. He just wasn't interested and this made me wonder. Do I push him now? Or just wait a little while longer? I opted to wait as all the research I did basically told me to hold my horses and he would tell me when he was ready. The research was right, and all those people that gave me dirty looks because my Little Man wasn't potty trained at 2 1/2 were wrong. TAKE THAT!

He started peeing in the potty and now has barely any accidents and is actually going through the night without wetting a diaper for the most part. Yahoo! Let me tell you I really dislike the fact that he is still in diapers, and have been waiting for this day for the last year so I must say I feel very enthusiastic about this transition. There is now only one thing holding him back from graduating to big boy underwear and being fully "Potty Trained." And that one thing is Number 2.

So Now I have Started my research on why he seemingly is having a huge amount of trouble and seems terrified to go Number 2 in the potty and I have found good news people... It's TOTALLY normal! In fact, it may just be something to do with the fact that your child's BM's have been too hard or he/she has been constipated and therefore associates having BMs in the potty as being painful. Especially if you catch them mid-BM and try to shuffle them off to the toilet because by that time they start to hold it and then can't go to the potty once they get there and straining is uncomfortable and they start to become constipated. They may therefore associate having a poop in the potty with pain and diapers with comfort, and no amount of bribing or cheering will help clear that association. In fact, the majority of cases in which a child refuses to have a BM in the potty are associated with constipation. It can take weeks, sometimes months for a child to get over having a painful BM or being consitpated, So what can be done to ease the problem!? I will tell you... just be patient Geez....

  • Soften the consistency of the child's stools by providing a diet full of fiber and monitoring his/her intake of dairy products (Sorry Little Man, very little cheese for you anymore, you'll thank me later when you aren't pooping in your pants because your still afraid to use the potty at 24)
  • Once BMs have become soft and comfortable for the child, begin by keeping track of when your child has a BM in his/her diaper. There may be a routine or time-line in which they have BMs. This will give you the opportunity to encourage your child to sit on the potty when it's about time for a poop.
  • Continue to let him/her have their BM in their diaper if you notice they are going, but empty the contents into the Potty afterward and show them that their BM belongs in the Potty NOT in their diaper.
  • Take the time to read children's books about Potty training to your youngin'. This may encourage them to use the potty like the characters in the book.
  • Have your child sit on the toilet numerous times a day. Do NOT pressure him/her to have BM. Your main goal is to get him/her to relax while sitting on the potty.
  • And last but not least PRAISE! Lots of it! Always remember if your Little One isn't able to have a BM on the potty but at least tries.. that really is a positive thing in itself!

2 comments:

  1. We have the opposite with our daughter. She always does #2 in the potty. But she will have pee accidents. All though I think it is more her being lazy and not wanting to miss out on what is happening. Having two older brothers and living in the country she has on occasion squatted and peed outside lol
    Having 4 kids, I can tell you one thing I learned. Potty training boys is harder than girls. ;) Consistency is the key and it eventually all works out :)

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  2. WeeMan was the same, and I ended up learning his pooping schedule! One day, he was on the potty before he had to go, and boom! He had a poopy on the potty before he knew it was going to happen. He's been out of diapers ever since and has only had 2 accidents in the past 2 years.

    Potty training blows! We have been calling little lady our puppy she has the bad habit of standing in the corner, sitting, and pissing. Brat! She was potty trained!

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