Scared of poo - help

[SJ99]

I wasn't planning on training DS yet (2.5yrs) as we're about to move house plus he wasn't really that interested/ready. Anyway we talked a lot about going on potty and so I thought it was about time we got a potty for the house just so he could see it and get used to it. Imagine my surprise when he first saw the potty about week ago and he immediately pulled his shorts down as asked for his nappy off, sat down and did a poo! I was thrilled and made a big deal of it. Since then he has no interest in the potty at all. I suspect that he didn't like what he saw in the potty and it has freaked him out.

Should I just put the potty away and try again after we move? Anyone else experienced this, how did you help your LO overcome their fear of poo?

Hi SJ my dd (20 months) was exactly the same! She asked to use the potty and did a wee and then asked again and did a poo. I was amazed. However she was quite upset by the sight of the poo and hasn't been near the potty since . I'm not too bothered as she is very young for training. Her sister was similar and did a poo in the potty and then wouldn't go near it for ages. Then she refused to wear nappies but refused the potty too! In the end I bribed her with chocolate and it worked a treat after a couple of weeks she didn't need the chocolate bribe and was quite reliably dry.

If I were you I would wait til you've moved and be more relaxed about it, don't make too much fuss when he uses the potty - it seems to put them off, a quiet well done should be enough. Or you could try going straight for the toilet at least then the poo isn't so close!!

Sorry not much help but just wanted you to know this happened to me, twice!!

Good luck

Thanks for your reply, I was beginning to think I was the only one with this problem! I think we'll definitely give it a proper go later in the year. Not pushing/talking about it atm but potty is still in bathroom so DS can see it and not be scared

Good luck with your DD too

My DS pretty much trained himself (wee's only) over a couple of days 2 weeks ago. The problem I am encountering is exactly the same as you. He did a poo in the potty and has been reluctant to do it in the potty again. So I have been washing out dirty pants ever since
I started to bribe him yesterday with some chocolate for doing a poo in the potty and it succeeded
He does however have quite runny at the momoent as he has a bit of a cold so I have taken his potty chair into school in case he needs it there.

oops - missed out the word poo's

My DS was the same, completely freaked by the sight of his poo in a potty - kept calling it a biscuit for some reason

Like some others here it took chocolate to do the trick, he sat on the toilet on his seat and I put a milkybar near the sink in his line of vision. Not suggesting this is going to win any parenting awards, but it worked for us (and no he doesn't get chocolate for poos anymore!)