Can anyone help? DD randomly pooing in pants, otherwise happy to do it in potty

[mintymellons]

Just that really.

DD2 is nearly 27 months and we've been potty training for about 7 weeks. She's fine with wees and initially was pretty good with poos too, but lately she's been pooing in her pants on a random basis.

There are a lot of threads on here about children who will ONLY poo in their pants or in a a nappy and refuse to use the potty, but DD isn't like that.

She poos on the potty or loo about 75% of the time, but will do it in her pants every so often (twice this week, once the week before and so on). I've noticed that the ones she does in her pants seem a bit runnier than the ones that go in the potty (sorry, TMI) and I wonder if she just can't hold it sometimes? Anyway, it's all pretty frustrating.

Has anyone has experience of this and if so how do you deal with it. We've tried massive praise and little treats when she goes on the potty/toilet, and being quite stern when she does it in her pants (obv trying to avoid getting cross, but it's hard!).

Hi, my ds is 2.9 and has been potty trained for about 8 weeks as well, initially he was clean and dry (mostly) barring the odd accident, but in the last week he has decided to wait for his night time nappy to do a poo, or has had poo accidents in the day, like yours, DS has had slightly runny poo so we thought the same, that it just comes without warning for them.

I am sorry I have no helpful advice, we have done all the tricks, bribery, begging, poo goes to poo land, the lot! It is hard not to get angry with them when you know they can do it they just aren't :(

Just know it is not just you :) Good luck

Ah, thanks Princess and sorry you're having trouble too!

Maybe it's just a matter of time. Hope so. I keep having panics about her still doing it when she goes to school!

Meant to say, one thing that I'm going to try is restricting DD's access to fruit juice - if I give her anything with juice in it she'll guzzle it and I wonder if she's getting too much fibre or something? Will see how that goes and if it makes a difference.

oh Minty it is hard isn't it, we are hoping it is just time that he needs, I am sure we will not be changing them forever :)

No, surely not! Idon't think it helps when you read threads on here about prolonged potty training.

DD1 was done and dusted at the same age as DD2 and I don't think she EVER pooed her pants!

Hi Minty we have had some success with DS, I have taken to putting him on the loo when I think he should need a poo (easy to tell, he gets quite windy), asking him to do a poo and leaving him there while I 'sorted' something in another room, within a few minutes he shouts 'mummy done it', 3 days, 3 poos, 3 only wet night time nappies, only 1 wet accident (which was a wet nap). I hope this gives you hope. :)

Hi Princess. Thanks for the update - sounds good!

I do use that approach with DD2, although interestingly the times when she has the accidents are the times when it seems to come out of the blue with no, er, build up. Touch wood, everything in the potty since Sunday, but this is how it is with her. Just when you think you've cracked it, she'll go and poo her pants!

Just marking my place, Minty & I have previously 'talked' on another thread about this! Princess that's great news about your ds! Just to fill you in, dd is nearly 27 months, & has been fully trained for wees for the past 2 weeks (after initially starting training a month previously, it was a slow start!). However, every poo is either in her knickers or night nappy. She did poo twice on the toilet in the early days of training (she only uses the toilet now, never took to a potty), but no luck since. I do get some warning, in that she wriggles around a lot, & makes smells, but if I sit her on the toilet or potty, will deny needing to go, & get straight off. She only goes once a day, so not too bad, but would obviously like to get this sorted! When she's pooed in her pants, I always take her to the toilet to clean up, & show her as I put it down the toilet, talk about doing it there next time etc, but to no avail.

Hi there Petite. Well done to your DD for getting the wee side of things under her belt!

We've not had a poo accident since Sunday, but I'm not counting my chickens yet. We'll see!

Hi petite have you seen Mr poo goes to pooland? If you pm me your e-mail address I will send you a copy. It did help us in the early days.

Hi princess, that would be great, thank you, I'll pm you. I did click on a link to it from another thread, but couldn't print it off for some reason. I'm not sure if her understanding is good enough to 'get' it, but certainly worth a try! I'm getting to recognise when a poo is imminent, she fidgets rapidly from one foot to another, but even then, gets upset if I sit her on the toilet. It's odd really, as she's very into being clean, asks for hands to be wiped straight after eating etc. She recently went to the loo with her cousin, who's 2.9, & has been fully trained since 2, & watched her do a number 2 (with my sister's permission), & I've tried to talk about this with her since, but it doesn't seem to have helped. Fortunately when she has a poo accident, she doesn't wee as well, so often her trousers remain clean, but obviously we'd like to get this sorted!

Hi Petite I really hope it helps, I am certain she will get the hang of it soon, you already know when she needs to go, that is a good sign. DS has continued his poo success this week, but has had 2 pee accidents :( Hey ho we cant win them all!

Thanks, I hope so too! I think it's normal to still have occasional accidents, they all get there eventually don't they!

They do, and they will!

Six days of poo in the toilet/potty and counting!

Ooo, great news Minty! Dh has been looking after dd today, & he's just reported that she had 'fun' trying to do a poo on the toilet for 15 minutes. This would appear to be progress of sorts, as she usually objects to sitting there for more than a second! I guess number 2s do require siting patiently for a bit!

Minty and Petite that all sounds brilliant!! Well on the way now, we have brilliant children!!!!!!!!

Success at last! Dd pooed on the toilet before bed last night! I'd got her ready for bed as usual, bath, pjs, story, & was just about to leave her when she said 'poo'. The past couple of weeks she's been pooing in her night nappy, so she then laid on the floor, where I've been changing her. So I had a look in the leg of her pulls ups, but they were clean. She then said 'paper' & went off to get a toilet roll, wipes & nappy sacks, & laid down again. So I thought I'd take her to the toilet to have a go. She weed straight away, but stayed sitting there, & said poo again. Then after about 5 minutes, she did it! It's the first time she's recognised the urge to go, rather than telling me after the event! I'm sure there will still be accidents, but I feel we're on the right track now.

How are things going for you both Minty & Princess?

Excellent news, Petite - it's great when they do things for themselves rather than you having to chivvy them. It means they're getting it!

We've had everything in the loo or potty for over a fortnight now, so hopefully that's sorted (although I don't want to tempt fate!).

Isn't it funny how these things take over your life, then once they're sorted, you forget about how stressful it was?

That's so true! I asked my mum when I potty trained & she hadn't a clue, couldn't remember anything about it!

I'm so proud of dd being potty trained already, I want to tell everyone, although I'm sure they'd think I was rather odd if I did! It is amazing isn't it, how they can understand what's required of them before they can even hold a conversation! I'm so glad we went for it with the 'early' training!

Sounds like your dd is on top of it all now, I bet you're relieved! As you say, there will probably still be occasional accidents, but hopefully not too often!

Yes, it's nice to do it sooner rather than later. Obviously that might not work for every child, but if it does then it's great.

I know what you mean about being proud of them too!