Interesting Potty Problem

Updated on October 28, 2009
M.G. asks from Denver, CO
9 answers

Hello ladies. I'm having a very unusual problem with my soon to be 3 year old and his method of peeing in the toilet. He in the last month has done great, only a handful of accidents, which is very exciting. However, when he goes, he has to strip down naked every time, and will actually stand ON the toilet seat to do it. As funny looking as it is, I'm obviously scared he will fall, so I hold on to his arms the whole time. It also is such a time consuming process, one that I'm sure his teachers at preschool will not want to do when he starts next month. This also makes it hard for him to poop, which he so far has refuse to even attempt. We do have a stool, and a little chair but he doesn't like either. I'm at a loss here, and am torn, because I want to give him praise when he does go, but don't want to encourage this strange method.

I have tried a reward system to no avail. I have tried to sit him down and encourage him to go with no avail. I tried the potty chair that fits onto the bigger seat, and no surprise, no avail. Have any of you ether mothers encountered this or have any suggestions to break the habit?

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L.C.

answers from Pocatello on

My son did the same thing. He eventually saw his dad standing up to go potty and switched over. He never fell in. It's probably what is easiest for him and what makes sense. It took awhile before my son pooped in the toilet too, but eventually he did and he sat down when he started. I would just say to relax a little bit, and let him stand there. If he falls in, just pull him out and wash him real quick in the bathtub since he is already naked. It is a learning process. He won't be there forever. Good luck.

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C.T.

answers from Denver on

Hi M. - sounds like he's experimenting. Stripping down is a way to get rid of "clutter" I think. It will pass. This would be a great opportunity for your husband to get involved to show him how to pee like daddy.

2 moms found this helpful
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C.E.

answers from Denver on

Has he watched Daddy go? I know sometimes Dad's are a little "shy" about that, but it could help him to stand in front of the potty and not have to be on it. He sees how Dad goes and wants to be like him - it helped with our son to watch Dad go pee on a few occassions.

Good luck!

C.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.K.

answers from Provo on

stripping all the way down is pretty normal. Maybe you could add some incentive to pee standing on a stool by putting some cheerios in the toilet and letting him "aim" at them if he stands on the stool. You can buy little disposable pictures to put in there too. They come with little pictures of rockets and stuff. Plus, studies have shown that if men, even grown men, have something to aim at they are less likely to get casual and end up peeing outside of the toilet. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.S.

answers from Denver on

My DS prefers to sit 'backwards' on the toilet. He faces the lid, not out towards the room. This gives him enough space to pee without getting it everywhere and if he scoots up a little he can poop too.

He also did the exact same thing for a month or so, stripped down naked to 'go'. He realized after a while he didn't need to and stopped. Not sure if that'll help :-)

1 mom found this helpful
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A.W.

answers from San Francisco on

We didn't have this exact issue, however we are always running into situations where our son does one thing great, but is not willing to advance to the next thing. Like he will pee but not poo for potty training, or will say "please" but not "thank you", etc.

What has worked for us is to say "ok, really great job on X, but are you ready for the NEXT level? it is really tough! are you sure???" Sort of like the next level in a game... this way the next thing, whatever it is, is not "yet-another-thing-I-have-to-comply-with", but rather the next level of mastery for him to achieve, which actually is what it really is.

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G.P.

answers from Boise on

I haven't been through this, but my first thought was a urinal. I know that some of the kid product magazines like onestepahead.com sells them. Good luck.

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K.D.

answers from Provo on

Have you tried teaching him to go standing up? My boy didn't really get potty trained until we talked about going standing up. Yes it creates more messes, but at 3 years old he might be old enough to start learning how to clean up those messes (plus it's easier for him to reach down to that level to clean).
The poop thing is a whole 'nother story. Most kids poop on a schedule, so figure out what his schedule is and get him on the potty with some stories around that time. It took a while to get the poop thing solved with my son, but when you finally get that solved - HALLELUJAH!
Good luck to you!

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A.R.

answers from Boise on

My 4 year old still strips down at home, but he is more subdue at school ;) Maybe try a little potty or the peter potty (mini urinal)? Something closer to the floor that he can't stand on?

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