Disciplining Potty Trained Son for Pooping on the Floor?

Pooping on the floor is NOT an accident, it took intention to pull down the pants and go. In the pants that can be deemed as an accident, but not on the floor.
I would have him help clean it up, telling him how bad pooping on the floor is, germs, the stain, so forth.
Then I would start taking big boy toys away until he starts going without accidents. You are NOT out of line, pulling his pants down and pooping and then being that example for his brother is not okay!!! Accidents do happen, regression does happen, if it continues, I say go back to pullups and make him re-earn his big boy priviledges, be matter of fact about it and say "guess I was wrong, you aren't ready for big boy pants yet", don't be angry about it just whatever and be consistent. When he can prove himself to know what to do and start doing it praise him. Kind of like going back to square one but I am betting he will change his tune soon enough.
Good luck

I know this is a whole lot later so i hope you don't mind. My three year old girl going on four next month has been peeing and pooing in her pants after months of no accidents. She also says they are accidents but when it happens all day I don't think they are accidents. Other people were saying to put him back in a diaper just for shock or whatever. I don't agree with it. I did that with my daughter and she didn't care. She just went ahead and peeded and pooped in it. Also right now she still wears night time pull ups but if i don't get them right off her in the morning she will continue to pee and poo in them. Anyways (sorry!) I finally took all of her books away when she went in her pants. Then as she kept going in them I continued to take things away. She didn't go once in her pants on Saturday and she got her books back. She did go in her pants again this morning so she did not get her toys back. Hope this helps somewhat! Good luck!

I wouldn't discipline him for accidents in his underwear or bed. It's normal for kids to have accidents. But pooping or peeing on the floor is being naughty --- I'd have him help clean it up. Each of my boys have done the same. I don't think I actually had either one clean it up. I was too caught up in the moment and put each in time out. I'm just talking tough.

well i'm not an expert, but i would punish for this. i would first make them clean it up as best they could, then they would be in time out at least as long as it took me to clean the rest. i think it was an experiment. i was once babysitting a 3 yr old and her 5 yr old neighbor who was playing with her that day had convinced her to bring the potty chair into a closet and use it. i was so glad i caught them before they peed because it could have been a big mess. but that was an experiment too, and once i explained to them the inappropriateness of it, it didn't happen again. also, boys think gross things are funny. so they try things that seem appalling sometimes. but they need to know that a line was crossed this time. good luck!

you are right that he does know what he is doing!! i think that he pulls his little brother into the game because he thinks that they won't get into trouble??? well that is not the case! i think you should tell him in advance that there will be a consequence for not going potty in the toilet!! such as time out in the soiled cloths. this is not the time to give in because it is so unsanitary and could make the baby sick. he is always on the floor and hands in the mouth. he might not understand all that but, you are right to nip this in the bud!! this is the first of many tests that he will put you through. sounds like he likes the attention and reaction. put a diaper back on him for a little shock treatment. you are doing the right thing!! good job stay sstong and consistant. good luck and god bless!!

Well, I don't think it needs to be ranked up there with malicious and/or evil behavior. You don't even need to put anger in there.

Just make sure he understands that HE is doing the cleaning. HE picks it up. HE puts it in the toilet. HE gets the germicide and sprays it. He scrubs the carpet or whatever. HE will wash his underwear (to the best of HIS ability) by hand and then take it to the wash machine.

So long as he understands there's follow-up to any choice he makes. You cannot make him be disgusted by something you are but you can make sure he cleans up his messes.

I also want you to understand that this could be something more that just laziness or something nice like that. He could be telling you something is wrong in his world. It's best you pay special attention to your son's life: interactions, new people (including--and especially--babies), lack of interaction with someone he's bonded to (like you if you've picked up a job, added hours, have a new hobby, etc...or Dad if dad has to travel now, any other person). It isn't all that unusual for young ones to revert if they feel stressed or there's another child they feel is getting more attention by not being potty trained...it isn't so much being naughty as being wrong in their assumption of how to get attention they feel they're missing. KWIM? If you're just certain NOTHING is amiss AFTER a complete and thorough inventory of his world and interactions, talk to your son's care provider to rule any physical problems.

If everything turns out just splendidly perfect then you'll just have to help him not have accidents by keeping him with you at all times until he's able to control himself again which means he can't play or watch movies/tv unless that's what YOU'RE doing. This will get really old, really fast. You have to be overly dramatic about it, never leaving a room without him and having an over-the-top "concern" in your voice. It works if you're committed and able to be patient to attain a goal. (don't get me wrong; I'd totally understand if you found it difficult to be patient with poop on the floor!) BUT once you bring anger and power into it = you both lose!!!

That was definitely no accident! He had already planned out what he was going to do by taking off his clothes. Make sure little brother is around when when you discipline the 3 year old, you don't want to leave him with the impression that this was a good thing to do. I would let the three year old know in no uncertain terms that you expect him to use the toilet and from now on, he will be the one cleaning up any "accidents", not you. If he continues to have accidents in his pants, go back to diapers and let him know you won't be able to do as much fun stuff or buy toys since diapers are expensive. Take him to visit a preschool, rec center class,kid's sports or something similar and let him know that he might be able to attend one of these when he is a big boy because these places don't allow diapers. My 3 yr old went to visit a preschool and I asked the teacher about diapers/pullups and she told my son he couldn't come until he could go all morning without them. He trained in 48 hours : ) Good Luck!

I don't know if I would jump to disciplining just yet. I might try huge praises when he goes in the toilet and maybe a reward. Everyone I know that disciplines with potty training makes it harder and it sometimes backfires and the child regresses. They need to know how proud you are when the go every time in the potty. I just potty trained my son, and I still make a big deal out of what a good big boy he is. He is excited to go to the potty because he knows no matter what mood I'm in, I'll praise him up one side and down the other. Do what you feel is best though, only you know your child. Good Luck!!

Pooping on the floor? That takes effort, not an accident. I would make him clean it, then I would "clean" him. Put him in the sink, and clean his hiney (with his help of course) with nice cold water. "This is what happens when we don't poop in the right spot, we have to get all clean again". It is a natural consequence, so not really discipline, but was a great deterant for my daughter who also knew better to go in the potty, not in her panties. After 2 times, she went in the potty because she didn't want to have to "clean" up.

Good luck...I think it is time to play hard ball.

Make your son clean up the mess every time. Don't get mad and don't punish him; just make him take the consequences of his actions. He is only three so you may need to go back later and finish up for sanitation issues. Make him do the whole thing from start to finish and make him to a good job. Usually that will nip it in the bud.