Potty training advice - please help!

Mrs.McDonald

Hello! I haven't posted in a long time but am in desperate need of opinions/advice.

My daughter turned four this past June but has yet to make the leap of pooping on the potty full time. However, she does pee just fine on the toilet.

I've tried everything - jumping up and down, M & M rewards, charts, presents she gets to open after going on the potty, a talking potty and a potty ring that sits on our toilet with a stool.

She no longer takes a nap and therefore doesn't need a pull during the day. When she did takes naps she would wait for that pull up to poop in. Now without the pull up she goes in her panties throughout the day.

As soon as I see she's going I run her to the bathroom and sit her on the potty, hoping she'll go. Once in a while she'll get a little bit out on the potty, say she's done, but then a short time later, go more in a panties.

She doesn't have a problem GOING. She will ask for a diaper, which I now refuse. And she goes willingly to the potty to pee. I don't even have to ask her - she just goes for pee. But not poop.

I'm not to sure what to do and it's horribly frustrating. I know you're not supposed to get upset and they will do it on their own time eventually, but it's so hard.

She started preschool this year and has had accidents at school in her panties. Today I told the teachers to call me if she did poop so I could come pick her up. We talked about it before I dropped her off and she said she wouldn't go in her pants. Not even a half hour after I dropped her off she went in her pants.

I thought she'd be upset having to leave her friends and fun activities. But she told me she didn't care when I asked.

Anyone out there have any ideas or thoughts? Any and all advice would be appreciated!

suv75

Has it always been like this? I'm potty training my 2 year old and he's been holding his poop in. Won't even go in his nap time pull up. I hope to God this doesn't continue til age 4!

Mrs.McDonald

She doesn't say why she won't go - her answer is always "I don't know."

It doesn't seem to be hard when she gets the poop out so I'm not sure if it hurts - I wouldn't think so

When she does go I always smell it first and ask her if she's pooping. She immediately says "No!" and runs away from me. I don't ever get angry or yell. I just go up to her check her and say lets so to the potty. Which at that point she follows me to the bathroom. Sometimes there's just a little in her pants, sometimes a lot.

Then I'll have her sit on the potty - at first she didn't want to for very long and if I pressed the issue she'd cry and scream so I'd have her get off. I didn't want to make it a bad experience for her. Now she's a little better and at least sits on the potty for at the most 5 minutes, but sometimes nothing happens. Other times she gets a little out which I make a big deal about!

She always seems very proud when she does go saying "Look - I went in the potty." And "I'm so happy mommy!"

Her teachers are pretty supportive and think it's pretty common. But they're not sure what's going on since I've tried a lot of things. I haven't yet talked with her doctor, but I'm thinking of making an appointment. Maybe it's something I'm not aware of? Or maybe it's just her not willing to do it yet - I'm just not sure

I've never tried just letting her run around naked - that may be something new to try. I'm home with her most of the time (I own my photography business and my husband works 24 shifts) so I've been with her at times 24/7 for a few days at a time and have tried just staying home, making regular trips to the potty, watching her closely, etc etc. But maybe it's time to give it another go. It's been a while since we have done that.