| Author |
Message |
    
Alexmcmr (Unregistered Guest)
| | Posted on Monday, November 06, 2006 - 07:02 pm: | |
My 3 yr + 5 mo old absolutely refuses to poop on the potty. He mastered peeing several months ago. Not sure if we created the problem when we first began the training...he resisted pooping for more than three days, so our pediatrician recommended we put a pull-up on him so he could go poop. He eventually did go poop, but we've been in a vicious cycle ever since. He is aware of when he has to go, he tells us (by asking for a pull-up), instead- we sit him on the potty (sometimes we sit there for 30 minutes or more) - he cries, has tantrums, etc...I feel like it's torture for him. The minute we put his underwear back on, he disappears and poops in it. He has gotten to the point of marching to the bathroom, taking off his underwear, turning it inside out and dumping his poop in the potty -then flushes and washes his hands. If he can do all that, I know he is smart enough to sit on the potty and poop. I don't know if he is afraid, or stubborn, or both. We've tried it all, including bribery of things he wants most, taking things from him, etc...nothing is working. Do I need to seek professional help, here? |
Narmin Parpia
| | Posted on Saturday, November 11, 2006 - 09:07 pm: | |
Thank you for your post.
Hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it? Children are so much smarter than we realize. Like is often the case, a child only has to get his way once before he figures out all he has to do is push hard enough and he'll get his way again. No offense meant here.
Your pediatrician had good reason for suggesting your son try a pull-up when he didn't have a BM for several days. If your son was experiencing any anxiety about the process of going poop on the potty, he could have become constipated which could lead to more serious complications such as encopresis, specifically rententive encopresis. It is definitely something to watch for as you move forward in your attempt to train your son to use the potty. Be sure to check back with your pediatrician to eliminate any medical reasons for your son's failure to use the potty.
Given no medical reasons, your son's refusal to use the potty for a bowel movement ( nonretentive encopresis) could be the result of either fear or stubbornness. Or, it could be one other thing. It could be lack of a comfortable environment or position. Your son might not know how to relax on the potty. He may be more modest than you realize. Or, he may not be comfortable on the seat he is using.
To address fear issues, be sure to read the treatment section of the above-noted article on nonretentive encopresis. Regarding environment issues, is your son using a seperate potty chair or is he using the big potty with a seat? Some products offer more security and stability than others. Be sure he has a potty chair or potty seat that is comfortable for him. A favorite of kids who are uncomfortable or fearful seems to be the step-up folding potty seat. We carry two styles, the Contoured Cushie Step-Up Seat, and the Primo Freedom Trainer. Both offer the child a great deal of security and independence.
Another consideration - - Does your son pee standing up or sitting down? There are benefits to potty training boys to pee sitting down. Often times it helps with the bowel movement training.
You know your son well and are the best judge of whether he's just being stubborn or not. People say the two's are "terrible" but I think the three's can be more difficult. It is during this time that children go through many growth changes in their emotional and social awareness. They can sometimes reach a point where they want to control what happens to them to the extent that they hide to poop or have an accident just for the sheer satisfaction of controlling when and where they go. If you believe your son is in this phase of self-mastery, you might want to take a break from training and try again later when he decides he wants to be a "big kid".
I hope you find this information helpful. I wish you the best of luck and ask you to please give us an update from time to time.
Narmin |
|
