They are STILL pooping in their underwear

We went to underwear 15 days ago. We started outside naked, and they loved it. They caught on pretty quick too using the potty.

They NEVER, ever have pee pee accidents; but ALWAYS have poo accidents in their underwear, unless they are naked. I never get angry, just ask them what happened, and they say "I forgot to hold it." We sometimes give mini choc chips as rewards; but I am scaling back b/c it was getting ridiculous! And they are ok with that. (and yes I take them to the toilet ALL THE TIME.)

DD also pooped in the bath 3x last week; GROOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSS! She holds it all day, and then usually has an accident at night. I TRY AND TRY to get her to poop on the potty, but she says she doesn't have to go.

They both HAVE pooped on the potty several times, and are SO PROUD. But it's just so infrequent. And mine poop 1-3 times a day.

DS has to be potty trained for pre-school in September; DD does not (she will be a special needs student - sort of) but does not know that. They know that they cannot go to school if they are in diapers.

I know they are trying, but I am just looking for any advice. Do I get a new big toy, and have them poop 10 times in the potty before they can get it? Are they not ready? I just can't imagine going back to diapers; especially since school is soon, and my parents are comig in 2 weeks for 2 weeks. I am just SOOOO sick of throwing away underwear and shorts, and so sick of cleaning it up. Diapers are so much easier. But I cannto go back. Right??? Any advice? Is this normal? NONE of my friends kids have accidents.

Many thanks! Kathleen

 

Two of my three sons took longer to poop train than pee train. I didn't even start with any of them until they turned 3, but we were 3-4 months past that before they completely figured out pooping. My oldest would either hold it until we gave him a Pull-up, or he'd have accidents. One of my twins would hold it and poop in his underwear. We promised toys, new underwear, candy, etc. I put them on the toilet every 30 minutes. It didn't matter. They weren't ready. When they finally were, they never had another accident.

You know what worked for one of them? He spent a few days at Grandma's house, and she was patient with him and spent as much time in the bathroom as he wanted, reading him books and making potty time an enjoyable experience, whereas I was getting stressed out about it and being much more pushy. He came home poop trained! It is so hard not to get upset and impatient about potty training (definitely BTDT!), especially when you have a school-related deadline. But I think it really helps to try to relax about it.

Good luck!

 

Pooping is still a problem here too, and we still have reverting A LOT. It's very frustrating. Honestly, I have not found a cure for it but I have started offering more chocolate for the peeing and pooping. Kevin seems to have really taken to it. He needs the extra encouragement and he really loved chocolate. I don't have to remind him to go, he will remember on his own and he just started going in the potty again with poop. SO maybe it is working. Pooping is definitely the last thing they learn. I would do pull ups for school. Are they ok with that there?

 

I wouldn't go back to diapers. With DD1 we would let her put a pull-up on if she wanted to poop in it - this went on for probably a month or so, then she just gave it up on her own. She would wear panties all day and do fine with pee in the potty. Having the pull-up option really relaxed everything and ended the daily drama.

As far as preschool, that's still a long time from now in "kid-time". What do you have 5 or 6 weeks? How long and how many days a week will they be in preschool? From your OP I'm thinking they can probably make it through the preschool day without a poop accident even if they are still pooping in pull-ups.

UGH! PTing is the pits - Good Luck!!

 

I like the idea of offering her a pull up to poop in. Once I put a diaper in the potty and she pooped in it right away. I will definitely try that again.
Yes DS can go in a pull up, but if he poops I will have to come get him. He is going to a private preschool 2 days a week, 9 am - noon. DD is going to a public preschool, 4 days a week, 8:45 am - 11:15 am. She actually can go in diapers, but again she doesn't know that.
I am SOOOOOO glad you said not to go back to diapers, and am SOOO glad it is not just my kids. I feel like such a freak b/c they seem to be the only ones having accidents.
PHEW!
I'll forge along............
THANKS LADIES!

 

Also, don't stress so much. 2 weeks really isn't all that long into potty training, especially since they are just hitting 3. Also, talk to the preschool, Marcus' preschool said they "had" to be potty trained, but, the reality was that they expected accidents with 3 year olds, and really wanted more for them to have the skills to go on the potty--like pull their own pants up and down, and know what to do in general. They also preferred we send them in underpants rather than pull ups, and would change them when needed--and yes, this was a private preschool. Also, you still have 5-6 weeks, which is a ton of time.

 

We are about a month and a half into PTing and I have one who is totally trained and the other who still poops in his pants or night pull up. He will pee in the toilet all day long but will not poop. I dont stress. It will come. I refuse to go back to diapers. :gah:

 

I would NOT go back to diapers, but would:

1. Talk to the Ped -- make sure there is no physical reason for the accidents. If they are in fact holding it, they can end up with major constipation issues and an enema on a toddler is no fun [especially when they both need it, but that is another story ]. Even if they are pooping several times a day, they can still be constipated.

2. Have them pick books and sit on the toilet for 20 minutes after they eat -- this was our Ped's rec for the same problem. Initially we read to them and when they relax enough, the poop will come out. At 4, mine still sometimes take a few books into the bathroom when they have to poop.

Are they getting plenty of water? Pear juice is also supposed to be good to get things moving. Do they drink/eat a lot of dairy products? I know this is gross, but is the consistency of the poop?

Best of luck!

 

my son still poops in his underwear about 50/50 - he can do it in the potty but just won't if the TV is on or he's playing....so we started taking toys and TV time away from him - he can do it and he knows it but since he's choosing not to he starts to lose privledges....

 

Yes they do get plenty of water, and an outrageous amount of fruits and veggies. We don't do juice b/c they eat so much fiber anyway.
When we started PT'ing, we read books in there forever. Today we also read books on the potty for over an hour, to get them to poop. No luck. But you are all right: it will come.
Thanks for allowing me to question everything here!!!!!!!!!

 

Our preschool is the same... so I too recommend that you ask them their definition of it. For us, it was actually only that they could pee in the potty and had the general idea. They don't really care about pooping on the potty till age 4, cause that's the age that they say most kids totally get the idea of it and are accident free. Our preschool also did not accept pullups--only real underwear--and would change the kids when the needed it.

Ours *just* got the concept down a couple months back, just after their 4th b-day. According to our Ped, they were typical--got the pee thing around age 3 and got the poop thing around age 4. Try not to stress too much. You're in the early stages... it will happen eventually!

-penny

 

Jessy is the same way. The only time she poops in the potty is when she is naked ardon: I've tried everything. I figure she'll get it down eventually

 

Pooping took longer for both my DD's. I'd give it a little more time, but I never went back to diapers due to poop accidents.