Re: Toilet Training, Particularly #2s
Asked by Rhadika

Question:
 

OK, so Master Ratbag, age 2.5y/o has basiclly got the wees in the loo down pat! With the occasional accident but he is now taking himself of his own accord and needs to

be reminded from time to time, which is ok because we have made huge progress.

The problem now lays in the fact he refuses to poop on the loo. We have tried everything, positive encouragement, leading by example, bribing etc etc. We don't get angry over accidents but he still refuses and will do it in his jocks and if I'm not in the room with him he will proceed to draw on the walls with it on the odd occassion. We do tell him off and get a little peeved about the art work. (so totally gross)

How can we encourage pooping on the loo and until he gets the hang of that, make sure he's not drawing on the walls with it?

Any one else experienced this and have some advice to share. Or even if you didn't experience this how would you handle it? All responses will be muchly appreciated. Cheers. xx.

My Advice:

 

My kids are way past the potty stage - all young adults now (the youngest 17) but I have not forgotten those toilet training days.  One thing to realise is how scarry a lage toilet might be for a little person.  The ones at home are mostly built for adults unlike the ones at day care that are at least child sized. Little ones really do fear falling in. If you are using the tiolet rather than a potty consider buying a training seet that fits onto the tiolet.  The other issue is that it is quite difficult for any one to poo when your feet are not touching the floor.  When my kids where small their daddy make them a little wooden stool that they could firmly plant their feet on. He glued a peice of carpet onto the top to that it wasn't slippery.  We called this the helpfull stool as it came in handy for washing hands and helping with all sorts of tasks around the house.  It really builds a childs confidence when they can cope with things by themselves. 

The other thing I would advise is not to make to big a deal of something that is quite normal and natural.  Praise and reward when successfull and when accedents happen a cool response is the best approach.  Any over reaction when accidents happen is going to reward the child one way or another.  "Oh well! heres the cloth and heres the bucket now I will help you clean up the mess you made", is a great response to accedents.

Most of all don't be over anxious.  The child will always pick up on the fact that a parent is anxious and this can cause anxiety in your little one.  Anxiety will always cause set backs in any area of development.

Be assured this is a milestone that your child will master.  I have never met a normal healthy child still in diapers past school age.