Didn't think I'd need to post here any more, but DS3.8 won't poo in the loo!

[sleepychunky]

That's it really. He's been fine weeing in the loo since he was about 3, but he refuses to tell us when he needs a poo and will just do it in his pants. He knows when he needs to go, and if we happen to see "the look" and ask him if he needs to have a poo he'll say no a couple of times but then say yes and do it on the loo. If we're not in the same room he just won't come and tell us though, although he does come to tell us when he needs a wee.
We've tried bribery, encouraging, star charts and nothing seems to work. We've now put him back into pull-ups (which he doesn't like) in the hope that putting him back in "baby" nappies will make him want to be a big boy by telling us, but 3 days of that and there's no progress.
So any ideas?

Is it possible he's afraid of the flush or something like that? Will he poo on the potty instead?

It might be worth a trip to the doctor if this carries on. If he is constipated he might not be getting the correct 'urge to poo' signals.

I've heard good things about a website called www.eric.org.uk.

Thanks, I don't think he's afraid of the flush - he certainly has never said that and he's quite fine with the flush when he does wees. He knows when he needs to poo, he just doesn't tell us until he's finished and then he might say that he's done something in his pants. I'll take a look at that site and maybe phone the health visitor as well. He's not constipated so I don't think there's a medical reason for it, but will do some more research.
Thanks

I just looked in this forum and was about to post with the same problem!

My DC is 3.3 and also will only poo in his pants (or a pull up).

It is so frustrating! Sorry I have no advice but I can empathize.

I had this problem three years ago with my dd and i got loads of advice to download the nhs booklet "poo goes to pooland" its a really basic pamphlet stule book but has a story of how poo really wants to get down the toilet to see his family in pooland but the little boy keeps him in and gets a tummy ache etc.

It sounds really silly but it worked a treat for us and the pictures are line drawings so i got dd to colour it in. We read it loads and had to "stop mummy i need to send poo to pooland" a lot afterwards. I'll see if i can link to it..

here

Thank you! Will give it a try (anything is worth trying at this stage!).

Have a boy who will be 3 in August .Was fully toilet trained before we went on holiday but now will not ask to go to the toilet or potty to do a poo .He asks to go for a wee no problem.

Have done a chart with stickers .He understands that he should use the toilet .......help!

Just been looking on here for advice for the same problem as I'm at my wits end as to how to get my daughter to poo on the toilet. Its good to read other advice and realise I'm not on my own. The Poo goes to Pooland looks good and well worth a try

I really sympathise. My son who is now 9 (and pooing happily in toilet!) wouldn't go in the loo until he was half way thru reception (caused much trouble as I was too embarrassed to tell the school!).

It did resolve though, so don't feel it will last for ever or that you are alone in this prob.

We took a very gently approach kind of based on phobia resolution. He was allowed to do his poo in pull ups, but only in the bathroom (no nice cosy in the bedroom or whatever). Then he had to be in touching distance of loo, then sitting on loo but in pull ups ... you get the idea. Eventually I cut a hole in the pull ups and he would poo thru. And then finally, when I thought it would never happen. It did and we were sorted, and it never re-occured. So hang in there!

ERIC the bed wetting help line were actually v helpful on this subject, so maybe give them a call

That's a really good idea about its ok to do a poo in the nappy but only in the bathroom - might give that one a try. I've not heard this before and looks like a really good thing to try - thank you for that.

Yes, might also try that idea. (We have tried the Pooland book the past few days and aren't making progress unfortunately).