#2 only in a diaper

sugaray

Fri, Jan 09 2009, 11:00 am

my son is 4 yrs old and still refuses to go # 2 on the toilet. he has been trained since before he was 3 and only wears underwear. but when he needs to go # 2, he asks for a diaper. we have tried everything. prizes for trying, books and videos while on the toilet, etc. I think the problem is that he cant go in a sitting position because he like to stand while he goes. I make him stay in the bathroom next to the toilet while he goes but I cant seem to graduate to the next stage (im trying to get him to at least sit on the toilet in his diaper but he refuses to even do that). we are pretty chilled out about it and are really not putting pressure on him. when we have put pressure (my dh is more forceful that I am about it), he starts to hold it in and gets constipated. my pediatrician's advice was to give him miralax so that when he sits, hell go easily. but that hasnt worked either because thats not really the issue. have any of you had this issue and how did you deal with it? any suggestions are welcome. thanks!

MommyLuv

Fri, Jan 09 2009, 11:09 am

We're in a very similar boat here, with DD who over 3 1/2. I dont have time to really post now, after Shabbos I'll come back to this...just wanted to write that you're not the only one dealing with a 'big kid' in diapers. Tongue Out

shopaholic

Sun, Jan 11 2009, 11:43 am

Sugar Ray I hear you. I wish I had somne advice but I can only tell you my story. DS (now 4.1) did the same thing. What finally made him stop was when he got diarrhea in sthe summer when he was a few months before his 4th b-day. We ended up running him to the toilet & having him do it there. That night, he was feeling better so we went cold turkey & put him to bed without a diaper & he's been fine ever since. I guess he was just nervous, but with diarrhea he couldnt hold it in. So, my suggestion, looking back, is try a laxitive or suppository to make him go.

kitchen designer

Wed, Jan 14 2009, 7:53 pm

At least he asks for a diaper! My son would go in whatever he was wearing. Yuck. But other than that my story sounds like yours.
I think we are finally getting somewhere. This is what I did:
I told him that every time he goes in the toilet he will get a small toy, and every time he goes anywhere else he loses a toy. He started out and made once in the toilet which earned him a toy which made him very excited. The next 4 times we weren't so lucky and I started my toy collection way up on a high shelf where he could see them but not reach them. Then we had about 5 days where he didn't go at all. He then went in the toilet! So far since then he has gotten all but 1 toy back and I haven't had to take anymore. So B"ah I hope that we are done.
Just giving rewards didn't work with him.
Maybe something like this would work for you, you know your kid and what might inspire him. Just try and think a little out of the box.
Good luck

ShakleeMom

Wed, Jan 14 2009, 8:40 pm

This is gross and TMI but this is what we did. I would take ds and sit him on the potty every day from when he came home from playgroup until bedtime and read to him, sing to him, feed him there, etc. never would he poop. Finally, one day (6 weeks later) I walked out of the bathroom for a minute and when I came back, I smelled something. Lo and behold there was a piece on the floor. He felt it coming so he got up, scared to do it while sitting. Some kids are just terrified to let go, WHERE WILL IT LAND!

I picked up the piece (with a baby wipe) and threw it in the potty and made a victory dance, hurray hurray – as if he made it in the potty. Next day, same thing happened, but only after 15 minutes. Finally, he got the hang of the idea, it’s supposed to land there… I was happy it was on the floor / potty, not the diaper or pants.

MommyLuv

Thu, Jan 15 2009, 9:10 pm

We have this issue too. DD is still pooping in a diaper, though she was fully trained before she turned two and regressed at one point.

She asks for a diaper and then goes into the bathroom to do her thing. Til about a month ago, she refused to even try to sit on the potty with the diaper on, which is a big step. Then she got a stomach flu with days and days of diarrhea. It leaked once, and it really disturbed her because she is very neat and finicky, so she agreed to sit on the potty (still with the diaper) in case it leaked again.

Anyway, that was the last development and I really hope something changes soon...But there's not much I can do without traumatizing her. I'm sick of changing her diapers, and it's weird when you have this big, smart, capable kid who can dress, feed and express herself so well, and you're still changing her dirty diapers... Confused

We have some great toys that I take out show her once in a while. We call them the poopoo prizes. LOL

They're waiting for the big day when she will finally go in the toilet.

Strudel

Thu, Jan 15 2009, 10:01 pm

MommyLuv is there anyway dd could help you change her diapers? Say she's a big girl now, and she'd be helping clean herself if she went on the toliet. Another thing you could do is empty tyhe diaper down the toliet (gross I know) and verbally confirm this is where the poop should go.
Also, do you think dd is afraid of sitting on there, maybe feels like she's going to fall in and she can't relax? You could try a sturdy seat with sides to help her feel secure, plus maybe something with an intersting texture (soft material, kush ball) to hold or a book to read. This may help relaxation and might help address any sensory issues she has.