Hi all,
Wanting some help with my 4 year old. Having troubles trying to get her to do number 2's on the toilet. I've tried everything getting a seat and step, reading books, singing, being silly, encouragement, even bribery, all with no success. She will sit for at least an hour with me sitting close to her and she will just sulk saying it either hurts or she just wants a nappy. I've taken her to my GP and she is in Perfect health, eats a well balanced diet and is thriving ! She has like any other child has come into the bathroom when I myself go to the bathroom and will happily sit and chat. I've had conversations with her and she just refuses and says no it's disgusting to poo on the toilet. A few months ago I told her there were no more nappies left and that now she was a big girl she would need to do her business on the toilet like her family and friends do , she ended up holding it in for close to a week ! I had to put a nappy on her as is it really bad for her to hold it in for this long and the GP agreed. She's had no experiences where this would be traumatising for her at all and the last time I took her to the doctor he told me to just let her use nappies. As she is off to kindergarten next year I would like to have her fully toilet trained, she has no problems with doing wee's on the toilet and will sleep though the night no problems, never a wet bed. Please someone help a sister out !! Thank you!
7 Replies
I used to have this occur quite a lot in my work setting.
We used to only allow nappies in the bathroom/toilet cubicle/room. That way the child was still pooing in private, in the bathroom etc. Once they had mastered the skill of pooping in the toilet room, we'd then teach them to sit on the toilet while wearing a nappy. This basically 'pairs' pooping in a nappy with pooping on the toilet. Over time we'd cut holes in the nappy, we would cut the holes bigger over a long period of time until the poo would fall into the toilet. Eventually the nappies would be uneccessary.
If a child looked like they wouldn't be able to master that skill in time for school. We would teach the child to put on a pull-up at kindy to poop in, in the toilet cubicle. Then we'd teach them how to take the pull-up off, clean themselves up, and dispose of pull-up. Often they get frustrated with how long this all takes and decide to poop on the toilet!
Very interesting! Yes i bet getting her to do the clean up would motivate her. Op do you clean her after a nappy poo but ask her to do it after toilet? Also tp or baby wipes? My girl absolutely hated wiping herself and getting her hand dirty. You might be rewarding nappies without realising it.
My girl resisted for a while but she responded to prizes. Not right away, she fought it but pretty soon changed her mind. Start giving prizes and big praise for tiny steps, give her a teaser.
It was interesting. We worked with a lot of kids who were difficult toilet trainers. Some kids who came to us were in there teens! So I hate it when people say 'they'll do it when they're ready' because some kids never will do it on there own.
I've actually toilet trained adults.
Hi ladies ! I am the one who posted, today I didn't even raise the subject with miss 4 as I watched her hopping around the house whimpering because the poo was coming. I left her alone, hey presto she went on the toilet. YAY !!! Thanks for your help hopefully this keeps up
Awesome news! Hopefully that's the end of that and you don't have to do anything :)
Yay awesome ! Hope it continues !
My son was the same ! We really concentrated on the grossness of it being in the nappy (in a playful way not judgey ) and always talked about how clean /easy it was going to the toilet and how cool it was that it just flushed away when any of the rest of us used the toilet! We also got him to carry out his pooey nappy to the big bin On his own and said if he chooses to use the nappy that's ok but that was his job . We also combined this with the option of once he did it we would go to the toy shop and he could choose anything ! This one resulted in several just sit on it and see attempts before we got anywhere and lots of talking about what he might choose to buy before we finally had success ! Then he realized how easy the toilet was (no need for dirty nappies and the poo just fell away so not gross yay! ) ;) and that he got a prize ! After that we did a sticker chart so he got another prize after 5 stickers and then another prize after another 10 stickers and then we did another after 20 more stickers and then stopped it but had no issue with not wanting the toilet !
I do think they need encouragement but I also think they need Time and eventually it just clicks and they get it ! She will get there mumma ! Stay patient stay