My son is four years old, will be 5 in August. He was slow at catching on to potty training… but once he started, he went all the time. He did this for about eight months. Then the last couple of months, he has started pooping on himself. He wears briefs and boxer shorts. He still goes to the potty to pee just fine. I’m not sure what’s going on… so I took him to his pediatrician, and she thought it was bc he is constipated. I don’t think that… he is pooping normal bowel movements and goes often. He doesn’t complain of any pains in his belly or bottom. I’m just lost on what to do… he will be starting school soon, and I don’t want this to be an issue for him. Open to any advice… FYI: this is my first time having a boy.
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He could have gotten scared to go poop in the potty. My youngest son fell in the toilet trying to go poop and his hands slipped and fell in. Another thing I did was let him pick out his underwear and if he pooped in them he got to watch me throw them away (I know a waste of money but it worked for him)
Any big life changes happen recently? Has anything happened to him? Could possibly be a sign that he is needing attention and doesn’t know how to ask for it. Could be regression.
There are a lot things that could be a factor as to why the sudden change.
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First of all , find your child’s love language and what motivates him. Positive affirmations to boost his willingness to want to not have accidents. Set time only to pottt train clear that schedule and good luck !!!
My son refused to poop in the toilet but would pee I tried rewards. When he pooped he went to the toilet he got to pick a prize for doing so good lol it was a box of cheap dollar tree toys but it worked for me
My son had this exact same problem. It turned out to be constipation. I thought It wasn’t either but it got to the point where his colon got stretched out. He also was found to be allergic to milk and that’s what caused the constipation. My son was 4-4.5 when this was happening. He also always seemed to have the sniffles and a ear infection
Also, if he was recently sick. That can cause regression. Have you tried rewards (treats) for BM in the potty? Regular trips to try with a tiny tiny treat? Did he almost fall in (a potty training ring to make him feel safer)?
Have a man figure help him learn
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He can still go often and be constipated i would do an x-ray to make sure
Make him a “potty box”…decorate a box, put little toys from the dollar store in it…every time he goes poop on the toilet, he gets to pick a prize!
When I was potty training my oldest…he had no problem going pee in the toilet…he refused to poop in the toilet! Still don’t know why to this day! Potty box worked!
Good luck!!!
My son also did this. Sometimes he was constipated, sometimes he just thought he had to let one go, but mainly it was because he didn’t want to stop what he was doing to go to the rest room
Offer rewards that he really enjoys.
request x ray if continues
In following my son is 5 will be 6 in August and still does this
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When my son was younger, he wanted to go to school like his big brother. I used that to potty train him. Told him he had to go to the potty to go to school. Well, he changed his mind about wanting to go to school, so started doing the same thing so he didn’t have to go. I made him start helping me clean the poop out of the underwear, and he didn’t like that. Wasn’t long before he stopped.
It could be attention if something changed recently? New baby? New pet? It could be he’s having fun playing and doesn’t want to stop.
Personally, I potty trained my daughter to the chorus of push it. She still calls it her potty training song 
. I would sign and dance while she would sing. It made it fun. Then she received an award. Stickers usually for each time she went. Good luck.
He is 5 if you ask him in a concerning way not jugemental he might open up
Have you tried the potty song by pink fong? My son just turned 5 and he wasnt potty trained till 3.5 years old…i feel like the potty song really helped my child. I also got a little potty(training potty that looks like a real toilet)
My son was the worst for this! He took ages!! Honestly once he went to school and had like 2 accidents there he just started going on the toilet!
The poop part was hard for my son too… but I started a a potty chart. I told my son if you go poop then you get two stickers the closer to the end the faster you will get a prize… worked like a pro for my son.
Ok moms if you have a 4, 5 and 6 year old that can work a tablet phone and Google and they are still pooping they know what they are doing! They need to be in trouble and sit there asses on that potty
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Maybe have him help you clean his mess up. It’s gross, us adults don’t want to clean poop, so you know children aren’t going to want to do it either. Not sure if it’ll work but I’ve seen it suggested before.
Ask him, he is old enough to talk, ask him why he started pooping on himself
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Dont ever talk with him about his dirty Underwear.Just change it and wash it.Give him much love,attention and beautyful childhood-moments.Maybe it needs three months and the Problem will be solved then.
They go through regressions. I went through this with my 4 year old. I started giving him a sucker again when he went in the pot. Then slowly stopped giving them to him again.
Do you by chance have a baby?? My son did the same thing when we brought his sister home. He was a little over 2. He stoped after a month or 2. Just had to get use to the baby.
Take him to the doctor. My granddaughter did this, she had some bowel issues, where it was less painful to poop standing up