Constipation problem in his past is causing potty training problems

[ladybugs4]

My 3 year old son had constipation issues this past winter. We really hadn't begun potty training too much at that point. I brought him to the pediatrician and she put him on Myralax to help him. It did help him go but he was afraid to go because it hurt him before. We kept on the Myralax and did not even talk about potty training for months. We recently met with the pediatrician again and she said if we wanted to slowly introduce potty training that would be ok but continue the Myralax. We recently moved to a new home and state so I waited til we got settled. We have begun the potty training process. We can tell he needs to have a BM because he dances around trying to not let it out so we encourage him to do it on the potty and he has a number of times. The problem is he really doesn't want to sit on the potty and would rather withhold it (even with the Myralax). And he really has no clue about peeing on the potty - he has gone a couple times by accident on the floor and then he cries. We have tried praise, rewards, etc but I just feel so frustrated. I have 4 children - 2 of which are potty trained and he sees them go all the time. My pediatrician says it probably is a control issue- it is one thing he can control. Any suggestions would be wonderful!!!! Thanks!!!!!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Okay, I think that until your chikd passes 4 years, don't worry about potty training! If you press upon him that you want him to poo in the potty, he may regress. Then, you may have more problems. Also, children who have struggled with multiple problems such as moving, and so on, can cause children to become to be delayed in their potty training. Therefore, you should allow your child to be delayed. If he isn't trained in the time you think he should, don't worry, he will be trained in due time. I know that it is stressful to know that he isn't trained in the time that you think or the psychological community thinks he should be trained. That is just my opinion.

[Bilby]

I did not use a potty for my 2 boys at all, didn't even contemplate it. I bought a proper toilet seat insert that goes under the seat but fits perfectly for a childs bottom so he does not have the feeling of falling in.
I bought a small step stool with a grippy bottom so it wouldn't slip. So they had not problem getting up to the toilet to either sit or to stand for a wee.
To encourage him stand up for the wee, put a ping pong ball in the toilet and see if you can get them to aim at it, it will roll with the water movement and is a great game, the ball will not flush as it's full of air and light.
An alternative to the ping pong ball is to put a sharpie mark on the actual bowl and see if he can target it, a bit of metho will get the sharpie mark off later.
I found gently simmering 4 prunes in a cup of water on the stove for 15 mins and drink the water, also with eating the prunes great thing to help with the BM. Grated apple and mashed bananas with yoghurt is a good one also.
Summer is a perfect time for toilet training as they just get around in undies and you can pop them off to the loo in no time, no extra clothes to contend with.
Only once did I have a problem with ds2 and constipation, came and went just like that!
Good luck.

[sosoftail]

I did not have a potty when I was a kid and had to use the big potty though I do think I had a pot adjusted to place on it so I would not fall in.

I lived with my Great-Aunt. My real mother for some reason left me there and never came back for me. Anyway she had a unique approach to potty training. She would tell me I was feeding the fish. I really thought the fish would starve if I did not "poo" and looked forward to the big flush.

She was a hard woman and if I had an accident besides getting a switching I had to first wash out my panties myself in the toilet before they got washed with the laundry.

I don't condone the treatment I got but the "feeding the fish" story worked pretty well with me. CC

[RobertaD]

My nephew went through the same thing your son is doing now. My nephew is now 16 but has had years of therapy and medication because he refused to poop in the potty. He was able to tell my sister that he needed to poop but would not go in the pot, put a diaper on him and he would poop in a flash.

At one point the doctor had him on so much medicine he should have had diarriah but still refused to sit on the pot. I know my sister now wishes she would have relaxed and let him go in a diaper for awhile but he was in daycare and had to be potty trained. As it ended up being a battle of her will and my nephews.

Would your husband take him into the bathroom when he needs to go and have your son sit in a training seat while DH poops? And an older son as well so your younger son can see how it is done?

Maybe get some potty books at the library and change the name in the book to your son's. My Mom had a funny one I think it was called Joshua's Potty. It talked about Joshua peeing & pooping in his diaper as a baby, and his Mother changing him and goes on to where Joshua's Grandma sends him a pot. Is it for flowers, NO! Is it a hat, NO! It is for peeing and pooping in. Joshua sits and sits for a whole page doing nothing and finally pees and poops in it.

I know my daughter was afraid of falling in when we went from a potty chair to the big potty so we picked up an insert that she puts on and takes off when she is finished. She is so proud of her cushion seat.

Roberta

[LaurieS]

ladybugs4, Did your Dr advise you to give yr son more fruits and veggies? That helps with the moving. Be careful not to give to much at once as it could cause more problems.

I have used dried apricots about 3 or 4 (for my adult self) before bed and I'm going in the morning. Also lots of water.

Potty training is stressful and that could be causing the constipation too.

[ladybugs4]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice and stories - I appreciate each and everyone.

[Miss Money Penny]

When I toilet trained my kids, I'd sit them down on their little potty while I sat on the big potty. We made many trips to the bathroom each day, and I always made them sit on their potty for a few minutes even if they didn't need to go.