Because the flush is loud

Okay, so I'm sure that everyone that has raised children past the age of 4 has dealt with this on some level, and knows that this, on the grand scheme of things, isn't all that important. But it's important to us right now, particularly since we're on a bit of a time crunch here with school starting soon.

Trevor will turn 3 in September, and is set to start daycare in August. To be in the class with kids his own age, he must be fully potty trained. We've got the peeing thing down, excellently and rather quickly. It's the #2 we're having issues with.

He just will NOT poo in the toilet. I don't know if he's scared of it, scared of sitting, of falling in, of losing control of this or what. I read somewhere that some kids don't like to do it in the toilet because their BM is something they created and they feel attached to it, like it's a part of them. Judging by the girlish screams to "CLEAN ME!" when he does poo, I'm guessing Trevor doesn't harbor any overzealous attraction to the stinky stuff. But I still can't make him go where he ought to.

We've tried throwing him on the toilet when it's time, asking him repeatedly if he wants to try, talking it up like it's great ("No really, it's fun, like a game! Just try it, you'll see!"), holding him hostage on the throne until he does his thing (only led to a ton of screaming and angst since his poor legs started shaking from sitting too long--I'll be hearing about that one when he's 30, I'm sure), bribery...I even took away all diapers (aka escape clauses) so that neither of us could be tempted.

He knows when he has to go. He pees all day, wearing big boy underwear, but when that urge strikes, he immediately runs to his room and brings me a diaper and says "Now, please". It's not that he's not recognizing the signs. When I say, only half-hopefully, "Wanna try the potty this time?" he only looks at me and shakes the diaper. Like, I obviously don't, Mom, so don't even try that with me again, or I'll make sure I poop the runny kind.

So we're at a bit of wits' end now, especially since today the Potty Issue cut short our swimming time at my sister in laws'. He had to go home, so that he could hide in the laundry room and poop, which he did, within 10 minutes of walking in the door. When I asked him "Why the laundry room?" he said "Cuz it smells good in dere". I'm not sure if this means it smells good enough to mask the odor of his task-at-hand, which is pleasant to him, or if he's saying he wants to try to get rid of that scent...but maybe I should try hanging dryer sheets next to the commode.

Think that'll work?

How did you get yours to do #2 in the potty?