Aagh! Help me please to get my 3 yo to poo on the loo.

[IreneHeron]

This is doing my nut in! DS is tooo old for this, it is getting beyond a joke. Since Auntie Mabel and her Poo episode, DS is too scared to sit on the loo and do a poo, or on a potty as it is emptied into the loo. He's got a 'poo tunnel' aka sewer fascination. He will only do a poo in a nappy. We've tried bribery with toys, I've bought 3 different loo seat inserts. He'll happily wee standing, or sitting on the loo. He never wets himself day or night, and never has poo accidents, he'll ask for a nappy and withhold if he doesn't get one. Any answers dear mumsnetters?

I'm off to bed now, so sorry if no replies until tomorrow.

No real advice, but my friend had this problem with her dd and she just sort of grew out of it. Sorry I don't have any answers other than that!

Thanks Wolfpack, any answer is helpful.

My ds was like this. Because he only pooed once a day I just let him poo in a nappy.

He was nearly 4 when we were on holiday and in thepool and he needed a poo. I said we could either go all the waynback to our room for a nappy or go to the loo. after much reassurance and promises to hold him tight he used the loo. I had to hold him for about a week, then he was fine.

line of least resistance every time IMHO!

don't give him a nappy?? He can only hold it in for so long...

at least, this is what I'm trying with my 2.4yo...

Honestly, they can certainly hold it in long enough for them to get constipated and that can lead to real pooing problems. Honestly, don't swet the small stuff - he\ll not still be pooing in a nappy when he's 5!

Hope you are right seeker. My DD is 4 and a half (5 in December) and will still only poo in a nappy Although she now does a poo in a nappy whilst sitting on the toilet.

After over two years of trying lots of different strategies (on and off), we are now just waiting again...

I was hoping she'd have cracked it before starting school but seems it's not to be...

Actually, thinking about it I think ds was over 4. But it really isn't that big a deal.

He's been in the hospital before with constipation, don't want to go down that road again!

Glad others are thinking it no biggie. I was just hoping that I could crack it before his brother is born, got a couple of months yet.

Starting school in 5 weeks time and your child is going to put a nappy on then sit on the loo and poo ???
Surely not - the embaressment of taking nappies to school would be so detrimental to her, in addition school teachers have no obligation whatsoever to wipe bums or deal with poo even for the youngest children, they will phone you to come and collect her.
For her sake get some professional help with this and fast.

We have sought professional help; our health visitor, GP, and the home/school link worker are all aware of the situation and have been working with us for ages. We also have a meeting lined up with her new teacher to talk about it before term starts.

If I have to come into school and wipe her bum/collect her I will.

Believe me, if there was an easy answer to all of this, she would have been pooing on the loo long ago. As I said, we have tried heaps of strategies.

Sometimes all you can do is wait for the child to be ready. As a parent you can control a lot of your child's life but I haven't got control over her bowels.

An additional thought.. Rosemary perhaps it would have been better to gather some more information before telling me what to do? I found your post almost hurtful to be honest (and I make no apologies for being overly sensitive about this topic)