Standing up/issues with poo

[ProjectGainsborough]

DS (2.7) has completed week 1 at potty training and am pretty pleased with how it's going. A few accidents but he is a champion potty wee-er now.

However, he can only 'perform' if he hovers/squats over the potty. He will sit on the potty/loo seat (with bribery) but will not produce anything.

The real issue is that he absolutely refuses to poo on the potty. I think because he will only go standing up, the poo accidents we've had have been pretty messy and have distressed him.

I've offered endless bribes for a sit down wee/poo to no avail. He is pretty strong-willed and I find forcing the issue is often counter-productive - I think he might be a bit scared by the idea of sitting down, somehow.

Any advice on how to get him to sit down?

[GingerSnapsBack]

First dont worry as it comes to them all in their own time. Ds was nearly 4 before I got him to even look at a toilet and now he's amazing just a few months later. Take him to the toilet when you do your business and show him that you do it too. Give him a book or toy and let him sit on the toilet. Do you have a child seat and stool? If not he may just be scared of falling in. Encourage him just to sit on it. The poos can wait. He wont do it til he's comfortable anyway. Try rewards like stickers and trips to the park etc. You're doing well to get him standing to wee so well done!

[ProjectGainsborough]

Thanks - you're right, I guess I just need to chill a bit. We've cracked weeing in the potty and not thinking that pants are nappies, both of which were huge sticking points, so hopefully we'll get there. It's just the poor thing is so distressed when a poo is coming.

All good advice. Yes, we do have a child seat and he will sit on it, albeit somewhat nervously, so I will persevere with that.

[Rooble]

I think it's a psychological thing - fear of your insides disappearing away into the environment rather than the safe and close confines of a nappy. We let ds poo standing up into a nappy for a while, but he always helped tip it down the toilet, say goodbye and flush. And whenever I went (apologies for this, hope you're not too inhibited!) I talked through where it was, we listened out fir the splash etc - largely because I suddenly realised I'm quite private about pooing, and he'd never particularly witnessed it.
Took about 3-4 months for him to be happy about it - but it does happen. Good luck!

[ProjectGainsborough]

Yes, I had my first 'public' poo this morning, trying all the while to be very cool about it.

Rooble, did you actually put the nappy on him or just kind of hold it underneath?

[CCAB]

Just trying to get some tips on little one wearing pants ? and saw this - he is the same will only wee standing up so when he wants to poo i put another pitty behind him and catch the poo then he thinks thats fine! i just cant get him to be dry with pants on - if he is running around naked he is fine and dry all day using the potty as soon as the pants or trousers go on he just thinks its a nappy ! any ideas. I have a 4 year old who didnt puzzle me with any of this

[ProjectGainsborough]

Sorry, only just seen this. I'm not sure what happened with the 'pant revelation', it just seemed to click. I think it was just perserverace and (endless) repetition that pants are not for wee wee.

He will now only poo in his night time nappy, however, and is still wary of going sitting down, so if anyone has any tips on that side of things I'd love to hear them. I've stopped offering bribes as I think he was starting to see not being able to earn them as a punishment iyswim.

[Fermina]

We are having exactly the same problem with poos as dd usually poos standing up. A week in, she is absolutely fine at weeing in the potty but poos are a major trauma. The biggest issue is that she wants to sit right on the back of the potty which means the poo can't come out because she's sitting on the hard plastic. But she will not sit further forward.

We've had 2 days of her holding it in and then she has sobbed all day today needing to poo. I even put her nappy on but she wouldn't poo in it after a week of trying not to! She eventually did a poo in the bath with much sobbing. Feel so awful for her. Should I just try and push the loo seat or has anyone had much success with those little potty training seats that look like a mini loo?

[bigbadbarry]

My DD1 would only poo standing up and asked for a nappy for a poo for months after she was completely dry and reliable (it helped that she always pooed at the same time of day!). Eventually I cracked and said if she pooed on the loo I'd buy her a bike and she did it the very next day, Little sod ;) DD2 just got it, no issues. DD3 is now doing the same as your son: completely reliable for wees (on the toilet, she won't go on the potty any more) but creeps off in secret to poo in her pants. I have no good ideas but wanted you to know you are not alone.

[HouseworkProcrastinator]

My daughter was completely dry but would not poo on the toilet or potty, asked for a nappy and then went and hid somewhere. If I said no to a nappy she would just hold it until bed time and then when I put her pull up on for sleeping do it then. It only stopped when she was dry at night and I said there were no nappies left. She didn't go at all for the first couple of days but eventually gave in. Pretty common I think for poo issues. On piece of advice (which didn't work for me) the health visitor said to start with sitting on potty with a nappy on to do a poo then once they start to do that. then to cut a hole in the nappy so the poo goes in the potty. They also gave me a book called olie sends poo to poo land.

[bumblebear25]

Have you tried reading Poo Goes to Poo Land? If you email me from my blog I can mail you a free copy. It IS fabulous AND it works!

nannynannynannynannynanny.blogspot.com/2012/02/poo-postman-pat-and-dummy.html

[eeyaw]

My daughter is 3yr 2 mths and we started potty training 4-5 mnths ago. She mastered weeing on the toilet immediately, but as another child who would pooh standing up, she would not pooh on the toilet. We tried the potty, a seat & stool, books, toys, rewards...everything, but no joy. 3 mnths ago she got in such a state - I fear because we put so much pressure on her to pooh in the toilet and not in her pants - that she held on for a week, jumping up and down in tears to stop the pooh (and the pain from poohing as it had become so hard) that she gave herself severe cramp in her thigh - I actually took her to A&E because she was in so much pain. They now have her on Movocol for 4-6 months - or until her muscles in that area learn to work properly (how would we know?). However, as understanding as we try to be, having to fish pooh out of her pants for the last 4-5 mnths is taking its toll. She still has only poohed on the toilet a handful of times, preferring to just fill her pants - up to four times a day. I am at a loss as to how to solve it. Her pooh is soft, so causes her no pain. Maybe she doesn't realise quickly enough that she needs a pooh? Maybe her muscles aren't developed enough to get to hold it once it's on its way? My husband and I are really in need of any advice you have...