Potty Training - Puyallup,WA

It may sound weird, but kids tend to go poop around the same times of day. Start keeping track and if there is a pattern, change the times you make him sit on the potty to those times.

Also, I agree he is old enough to get it now. Does he have a potty trained friend around his age? Sometimes it takes talking about or to someone he loves that is his age and letting him know that they don't have accidents. It's a little bit of a shame reaction, but it works when rewards don't..

I suggest having him take care of the clean up when it happens - under supervision, of course. This broke my 3 year old son of similar accidents. I would have him dump the poop from his underpants into the potty and then rinse his underpants out. He did not think it was very fun, and after the second time he started using the potty regularly again.

2-3 times daily is alot. Is it runny and he can't get there or are you giving him so much fiber that it takes a long time to go and he doesn't want to have to sit and wait for it to work itself out and his legs fall asleep? I would put him back in a pull up to lessen the laundry and the chance for bleed through to outside clothes. Does he wipe himself when he does go on the potty? My kids do unless it is runny and then I come help them. Also maybe he got backspashed by one plopping in the water and didn't like the feel of it. Sorry to be so descriptive but kids interpret things differently and something new to them always throws a wrench it seems or gives new questions about something. One other thought is, is this for attention? Has your workload increased or some other thing that has taken time from him and this is his way of getting attention from Mom?

My son, who just turned 4 the end of December has been doing this also for the last couple of months. The best I can figure is that he is constipated. I think that he is having gas and it is hard to tell when poop is actually coming out or just gas. Does your son show any signs of constipation? I am hoping it is just a phase that will pass.

A. - 4 years old is too old to be regularly doing this. You've tried the nice approach, and he is not listening. This is where it becomes a discipline issue, because a 4 year old is very aware and able to understand requests/commands and consequences.

In my opinion the next time this happens you need to tell him that's it, that's the last time this happened. Have him help you clean it up, like suggested earlier, and then say "From now on if you poop in your pants you'll have a time out because you're a big boy and can make it to the bathroom in time. Let me know when you need to go, and I'll come with you if you want", etc. Don't be menacing or angry, just lay it out. Then if it happens, do and say the same thing all over again, and calmly put him in the time out. Repeat as necessary. If he does make it a whole day, celebrate! Use a sticker chart or something, like was also suggested.

Calm discipline with potty training doesn't scar children or make them afraid of the toilet like some would lead you to believe. It is just another time when kids learn who's in charge - them when the poop when/where ever they want to, or you when you have your child potty trained and make sure they behave politely in human society!

I wouldn't ever shame a child or do this with a two year old, but at this point for your son I think it's the proper response.
js

My son constantly "missed" the toilet when peeing. Once I started having him clean it up, it stopped. I imagine if you do the same thing with your son it will help. I, also, had a friend that would bathe her child in cold to cool water if she had an accident.

I agree with having him help with clean up.

When my son was having pee accidents and he found out that he could not start school until it stopped, it stopped real quick. He needed an extra incentive t get him to take the time out of playing to not soil his pants.

Figure out about what time is his time to go pooh...

Then purchase a special book or two that are only for the potty time.

place him on the pot when you think it may be his time...

give him the book, and sit and talk to him or read it to him.

If that doesn't work try having him help you wash out his poohy pants in the tolet and show him how awful and stinky it is...
make him help you everytime he does it..
Explain that school is just right around the corner and lil boys who pooh in their pants can't go as it is against the rules.....

Grammy Bear

Man, my daughter does this with pee, argh!

I finally just had to learn her "I need to pee" signals for her, and I'm hoping that by pointing them out and then sending her to the bathroom, she will get used to dry pants and seeing her own signals (in her case, she starts hitting people--she has done this since she was a baby, who knows why, but as soon as she starts throwing punches, it's time to pee).

So far so good, we're down from 2 or 3 accidents a day to 2 or 3 a week.

It also has to do with how tired she is, and if she's mad at me (or needs attention) I'm pretty sure she sometimes does it on purpose, sigh.

Hey A., I have no advice for you because my son does the same thing....just with pee. He is now 5 1/2 and has been potty trained since he was 3 and 1 month old. For the past 6 or 8 months he has been peeing in his pants just about every day....I even took him to the Dr. to rule out a bladder infection. I think they just get too busy playing and can't get to the bathroom fast enough. I have tried just saying no big deal and tried yelling at him and tried ignoring and tried sympathy but nothing works....I hope someone writes with great advice!!!! Have you tried taking him to the toilet every hour to try and poop in the potty or tried rewards if he didn't poop in his pants? Good Luck! What about making him clean it up himself....I know it's a big hassle but that's what finaly got my son potty trained when he was 3....we would stick him in a teppid bath of running water and he would wash himself up with a washcloth....it only took about 4-5 times and he was potty trained. When I ask my son why he pees he says it's because he can't feel that he needs to go...does your son have any issues like that? I'm not sure, just some things to think about. Again...good luck...kids sure keep us hopping!!

Ageed, definately make him clean himself up. He will not like it and therefore train himself.

try a reward/sticker chart. Mark each day he goes poo in the potty with a big star sticker and let him choose a "prize" from the prize box...have hersheys minitures, stickers, little teeny prizes etc. to movtivate...yes it is a bribe but it isn't a permanent bribe just for a month or so to get him firmly entrenched in the habit of using the potty, after several weeks of daily use of potty with no accidents spread out prizes then taper off. I don't usually approve of bribes but poop is icky to clean off clothes so totally worth it!