My 3 year old son (just turned 3 at the end of April) is pretty much completely potty trained in the pee department. He will tell us or just go to the potty when he needs to pee (except at night, which I'm not worried about at this point). But he still poops in his underwear and usually once a day. This has been going on for about 3 weeks now and he keeps saying he'll try the toilet next time but then just goes again in his undies and asks for new ones. I do not want to go back to pull-ups at this point, but I am feeling bad for the daycare teachers who usually end up with the underwear mess during the day. We've tried catching him in the act but so far have not been able to. We don't get angry with him when it happens, but we discuss the accident and that he should go poopy in the potty just like he goes pee. He always agrees but never follows through. Any suggestions? We already picked out a toy that he wanted and it is sitting unopened just waiting to be his reward for going poop on the potty. Doesn't seem to be motivating...
My son was 3 in March and what you are explaining is exactly what my son does. It's frustrating,but just keep trying. I'm hoping some day it will just click and he will start to go in the toilet. Good luck. I just keep praying that the day will come real soon. Good luck.
I had the same problem. My pediatrician told me it can be a very scary feeling for kids when they have to get used to the poop dropping out of their body with a bare butt. He likened it to how an adult might feel if we had to stand up straight and poop and just let it drop to the floor - most adults would have trouble relaxing and doing that! So he told me to put a diaper on my son when he needed to poop and to have him sit on the potty with the diaper on and poop in his diaper while sitting on the pot. My son did this three times and by the fourth time he said he was ready to try. He couldn't do it so we used the diaper while sitting on the toilet a few more times and then we had success. It was a two day process and we had been trying for months before that. Hope it works as well for you!
M.-
I also have a 3 year old almost 4 in June. He finally started going. He did the same exact thing. Poop in the underware and he knew he had to go everytime. He would take off and go hide. Then come to me for a change of underware. I even said you poop in your underware you go change them your self. Ha ha. He never did and of course I gave in. They will go when they want to! I know its hard to hear that but it is the truth. My son all of a sudden told me mommy I have to go poop and I said lets go thinking to my self ya right and he really did. I made a big deal out of it and we called all our uncles and aunts and grandpas and grandmas to tell them. It actually started at daycare. They really will just shock you and start going. He is close trust me!
We were in the exact same place with our son.
A couple of things seem to have worked for us. We have put him on Miralax - a really small amount just to make it easier for him to go. Then everyday 2 times a day he has to sit on the potty to try and poop - we give him a timer and we set it for 8 minutes - if he poops before the timer goes off (Beat the clock as we say) he can get up - otherwise he has to sit there for the whole time. After we had some success we told him each time he has an accident we add a minute to the timer and each time he goes on his own we subtract a minute.
Our daycare has been great about doing this as well - I bought a $8 digital timer that he keeps at school - when we first started this I had him go right after breakfast and then right before nap.
It might be worth a shot! Good Luck
We had a similar situation with our son not that long ago. Obviously, water, fiber, fruits and veg. But I think what really worked, and someone told this to me. Wrap a bunch of cheap presents from the dollar store, grocery store, wherever. Candy, soap, toys, crafts, anything you think he may like. Keep them in the bathroom and make a big deal out of it.
He can open a present for each poop in the toilet. When he poops in his pants, "Oh, that's too bad, we can't have a present this time."
I think I wrapped about 10 gifts, and he was ready when they were all gone.
It's bribery in its purest form.
Good Luck!
Hi there! From personal experience, I know as a kid I always hated when the toilet water would splash me when I would poop. So, I started to throw in a little bit of toilet paper and wahlah, no more splash. Maybe ask your son why he doesn't like to go poop on the toilet (if you haven't already) and if it's the splashing, give this toilet paper trick a try :).
All the best!,
L.
