Ok, I have a 3 year old who is working on potty training. Here is the issue, not huge, but just annoying I guess. He will hide to poop. I will smell a poop and ask who is poopy. He blames every one else. And the scary thing is, I can usually tell by the smell who it is (sick, right?!). I ask him right out if it is him that is poopy and he will say "No, its X." DCM says he does the same thing at home, blames it on his brother all the time. She gives him a time out for lying. Not sure that is the best thing to do. Thought I would ask you all.

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I wouldn't even ask. If you can tell who it is (don't worry; I can too usually!), then just say, "Dcb, you have poop! Time for a change!" While changing him, I would talk to him about--"You know, when you feel like you have to poop, tell me and we can have you go poop on the POTTY!!" and be really excited about it. If you see him starting to hide, catch him on it--"Hey, dcb, I bet you have to poop. Let's go poop on the potty!" and take him (if he's willing) and after getting him on the potty, leave him be (stay nearby, but out of sight--some kids prefer to poop in private).

Time out for lying...no, not the best approach. Kids this age do NOT understand the difference between truth and fiction. It's just not something they can understand. Chances are good that someone, somewhere (at home, maybe?) yelled/yells at him for pooping in his diaper and that may be why he's blaming it on others.

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If you know who is poopy then don't ask!
Don't timeout for potty training related issues.
That is just asking for trouble!

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My rule is that punishment (time out, removal of priveleges) will never be associated with potty training. If I see them pooping and they're learning to use the potty, I make it a really happy, exciting thing to go potty and put them on it if they want to. If not, I just change them and don't make a big deal out of it. All attention around potty training should be positive IMO.

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My thing would be if you can ASK a child if they are poopy and they CAN answer then they NEED to use the potty I wouldnt even be putting diapers on him. I dont understand the waiting till 3 or 4 to potty train to me thats just nasty. A child is MORE then capable of using the potty at age 2 and BEFORE 3 and some children even 1 can use the bathroom UNLESS the child has a SPECIAL NEED I dont see why kids these days are being trained at 3 and 4 years old.

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I completely agree with this!! I just finished potty training my dcb 2 1/2 and the last 2 wks I've been able to get him to poop in the potty quite a bit. I give him a gummy bear as a incentive and we make a huge deal out of pooping in the potty!! We clap, giggle, jump up and down.. I never give time outs for wetting there pants or pooping. I want to promote positive outcomes always with potty training. If there is a poppy in the pants we say uhhh ohhhh lets go put it in the potty and flush...then sit him on the potty to see if he needs to go more. Most of the time he'll have to pee. If not we try next time. All the kids are regular so they go about the same time everyday. I just keep a real close eye on there movements and when there acting strange off to the potty we go...there are a lot of accidents in the beginning bc we both are learning together. He is going all the time now and is always waiting for that gummy bear...lol!!

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Him getting a time out at home might be the cause for his continued lying. Maybe he feels like it's a bad thing to have an accident. I usually just tell the child they had a poppy accident and need to be changed. If they disagree I say something like "Oh maybe I'm wrong. Let's go check together." If I am wrong (sometimes bad gas smells like an accident) I ask them to try going on the potty. If they don't want to that's fine too and we just return to the toy room. I also make it a big deal when they do go. I have no electronic toys for them to play with save a singing puppet for potty trainers going on the potty.

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