How in the heck do I potty train my almost 4-year old boy??

Question

He will turn 4 the end of October. He will go #1 in the toilet, but refuses to #2 in the toilet. My husband says we need to spank him for it, but I am standing very firm on not spanking him. Any suggestions??? I've tried just about everything!

Answer 1

Good for you for not listening to your husband! This issue is your son's issue. If you insist he will resist. Is he going in his underwear or pull ups? If he is using pull ups, count out the remainder of them with him and say "After 8 more pull ups you get to use the toilet." If he is going in his underwear hold him responsible for ALL of the clean up. Say to him "I looks like you need to change." Give it no more attention than that. He can shake the poop in the toilet, rinse them out, put them in the laundry, clean himself, and put on clean clothing. He will soon learn that it is much easier to use the toilet. Good luck!

Answer 2

You should stay with him in the beginning. He's afraid of falling in most likely. I have Twins and they were potty trained at 3 but we still have one that won't sit on the big toilet for #2 sometimes, she will use the small toilet more often but is coming around. Spanking is not the answer. Good luck and hope this helps.

Answer 3

There are many movies, cartoon type and animitated type, that teach and encourage children to go potty in the toilet... it sounds corny, but it does wonders, esp for my younger sister...the movie has songs and your son is at the age where he could understand the movie and its concept its trying to point out. ALSO, as far as spanking goes, i think it would be a good idea to enforce a lite spanking each time he goes #2 in his pants and not in the toilet...over time, he will realize that the ONLY time he gets spanked, is when he makes potty in his pants.... he will learn not to do that eventuallly...trust me! also, if your absolutly against spanking, you could try giving him a time out, with no toys, no one around, and let him cry in a corner until he stops...then sit him down, hug him and explain to him that big boys dont make potty in their pants... once or twice wont do the trick...so its important you continue this repeated action...he will get the picture.

Answer 4

I feel your pain. I just got my 2 yr old to go pee in the potty. Actually we did threaten him with spankings. Like a light switch, once he finally went, he wants to go all the time. There is a time and a place in this world for almost everything (expect for the sick and deranged stuff). You must dumb things down for small children. They don't understand complex rationality and logic. They however do understand cause and effect. If they understand that to avoid a bad effect (spankings), they must avoid a bad cause.(doing something wrong). For the bleeding heart hippies out there, there is 2000 years of proof that it works. Are you telling me it didn't work for the "Greatest Generation" ( the one that made it thru the great depression and WW2)?

Answer 5

he is almost four, that is RIDICULOUS. He needs to be disciplined. If you don't want to spank him, send him to his room every time he does not use the toilet for number 2, for the rest of the day, missing all activities and meals that are left in the day. Put his pj's on him and say "see you tomorrow". Make it clear that this is what will happen if he chooses not to act like a big boy. don't turn it into a power struggle, just "You choose; this is the consequence of your choice".

Answer 6

Yikes! Don't spank your child for that! When I was potty training my child, I gave him a book to read. The one thing that you should always tell your child is that you will be very proud of him going to the bathroom on the toilet, make it sound like a very big thing. Tell him that he will be able to do "big boy" things if he acts like a "big boy". Make him feel big, and be proud of him. It's very difficult in the start, but it will work out in the end! Trust me!

Answer 7

My son was 3 and still not doing #2 in the potty. I bought him some special underwear with his favorite Thomas the Tank. I let him wear those as long as he was clean. If he had an accident he had to wear plain white underwear. Of course he wanted Thomas more and the accidents became less and then not at all. Giving an incentive always works. ok so maybe it could be called a bribe too. lol
Good luck.

Answer 8

Try the reward system. Most little ones are afraid of going #2 in the toilet. My daughter was, and we just kept at her. The main thing is being consistent. You don't have to hit, just be strong and consistent. Explain that he is a big boy now, and that it is time for him to start using the grown up potty. When he does go to the toilet, reward him, give him compliments, make a big deal of his "first time". That will work, for sure. Also, give him a timeline, and stick to it. "After such and such time, you will be using the grown up potty", for example. Good luck!!!

Answer 9

He obviously wasn't ready to be potty trained when he was. So now you'll just have to deal with the messy underwear. As for you husband's method...ask your husband if he wants the child to learn how to hit or learn how to poop on the toilet? Spanking only teaches a child how to hit. I suspect that he was spanked as a child...see it works.

Answer 10

Does he have his own potty seat? My son would not use the regular toilet b'cause he was afraid to "fall in" First I got him one of those adapters that fit on the grown up seat but he still did not like the idea. Then I got him a potty pot of his own and he loved it. At first he would just sit and play but eventually there came the time when he could not hold it anymore and just went. When he did, I praised him so much that he wanted to use it all the time! My son was 3 when he finally used the potty so don't worry too much. They will get the hang of it. You just have to be very, very patience and it will pay off big time! :D