Advice on Toddler Playing with Poop

Updated on June 26, 2009
D.J. asks from Bel Air, MD
4 answers

Hi All,

My daughter turned 2 a few weeks ago and decided to begin using the potty on her own. She is excited by the coming out of her ( and where it is coming from). She still has wet diapers but she is on her way:) POOP on the other hand is causing some big problems. She has once pooped sucessfully and intentionally on the potty. Since then she will tell me she has to poop then repeats the statement "I dont like it" when I bring her to the potty and falls to the ground in a tantrum. This ONLY happens when she has to poop. She DELIGHTFULLY goes to urinate. At nap time she used to play around for a while, then goes silent (which is when she usually poops) and then I hear her again. I usually go in, change her diaper and she goes right down to sleep. Over the last month + she has taken off her diaper pooped, and spread it around the room. When I get in the room, she is EXTREMELY upset (as if she realizes she has done something wrong). I don't overreact, I just put her in the bath and talk to her about putting poop in the potty- the she says again" I don't like it". She is really upset by the poop all over her body and wants it to go away and be cleaned and she points out all of the places she wants me to clean it too. My question is WHY if she knows what she needs to do (poop in the potty) and that she doesn't like being dirty, wont she poop in the potty? She knows its coming b/c she tells me on other occations. How do I stop her from doing this and move her towards pooping in the potty? I am the Lysol/Clorox wipe queen.. THIS is my WORST nightmare come true- YUCK!
Thank you SO much!
D

3 moms found this helpful

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So What Happened?

Well, Just as a follow up, my daughter is still having issues with pooping but we have only had 2 incidents since my original letter, luckily less severe. I tried a 24 mos. Sleep sack with a pin in the zipper and she FREAKED out cause she couldn't get it off, so I didnt try the backwards PJ's (at least yet). She is getting better at pulling off her "pull ups" neatly and stepping out of them so last week (and this is funny), she walked in to my bedroom holding her "pull up" HIGH in the air (with a GIANT POOP in it) screaming "LOOK MOMMY, I POOPED"- well, at least she is not spreading it. I about DIED laughing!!! She, was SO PROUD.

Next step is getting it "IN" the POTTY...LOL

Thanks for your help
D.

More Answers

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R.H.

answers from Norfolk on

Well it seems she playing into what she knows. Now she knows when she has to poop. She seems like she doesn't like to be dirty because she's reacting like you would. (she knows what you expect) She's pretty much saying "I have to go poop i know it's dirty and i don't want to do it. " She's trying to find a solution to her prob. of not liking to go but doesn't like it in her diaper either because she have told her that isn't right. So what i would do in your case is start over reacting to the how GREAT it is she goes in the potty or the fact she CAN go in the potty. Going in her diaper is dirty, going in the potty is VERY CLEAN. This is great. You are giving her the solution to her problem.

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A.L.

answers from Washington DC on

It is VERY common for little ones not to like pooping in the potty. It is a weird sensation to them, and most of them don't like it. If you don't have a small potty for her then I would try one of those. It is very common for kids not to want to poop in the toilet even with a potty seat on the toilet seat.

My advice is not to push it. Your daughter is clearly telling you she is not ready and not interested in pooping in the potty. If you push it, it will become a control issue and you don't want that. She is a little young to potty train completely anyway, so I'd just go at her pace. If she wants to use the potty, then let her. If she doesn't, then don't push it. I would also stop telling her that we poop in the potty. Admonishing her for pooping in her diaper will cause many problems down the road.

As far as keeping the poop in the diaper, many Moms have suggested using masking tape around the diaper (where the tabs are) so she can't unfastened the tabs.

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B.E.

answers from Washington DC on

My daughter never played with her poop, however it has taken her a while to adjust to pooing in the potty- she still waits until the very last minute to run to the potty. Maybe your girl is doing the same thing (holding it in), then doesn't know exactly what to do with it. She is still pretty young to be fully potty trained, so I would just keep on doing what you are doing, not reacting to what she is doing and praising her a LOT when she does it right, even if that is just keeping it in her diaper. Also, I would recommend the book "Once Upon a Potty" by Alona Frankel. Good luck!

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M.P.

answers from San Diego on

Can't say I have any advice on the playing with the poop as I (knock on wood) have never had to deal with it. BUT, I will tell you that it is normal for her to not want to poop in the potty and it is typical for a child to be potty trained when it comes to urine and still soil diapers with poop. If you know that she poops right at naptime I would put her in a diaper for naps, and go in and change her right away. I have heard that putting her in a zip up footy pajamas backwards (so she can't unzip it) helps with that problem. My son is 3 and 1/2 and we struggled to get him to poop in the potty up until about 3 months ago and he was peeing in the potty since about 2 and 1/2.

Good Luck!

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