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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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. https://answers.mamasuncut.com/t/how-to-potty-train-a-boy/10129
My doctor told me that alot of children are scared of sitting on the toilet to poo. My son would stand and pee just fine but refused to use it to poo. He was 6 before he was fully trained my doctor said to just give him time and suggest trying it daily but not to force him. Eventually he wanted to be a big boy and do it
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Praise, praise, how good they are, how smart they are, being kind works wonders for little kids, and so quickly they learn, how proud you are of them. They feel secure and loved, and that’s what it is all about,
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I DID THIS! I un-potty trained myself as a kid. I remember part of it was I didn’t want to poop. I don’t remember why I didn’t want to. Just that I didn’t want to. So, I actively tried to hold it. I eventually caught back on and got over it. I wasn’t shamed for it or disciplined for it. We just acknowledged it and moved on. I’m sure you’re doing everything you can! You know your child. Hang in there.
I incentivized my sons by finding something they loved and rewarding the behavior I wanted to see. I only let them have the treat when they performed. Worked pretty quickly
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He’s too busy with his time to interrupt for bathroom. That’s usually it so yes make a potty time that he has to sit give him a book just like dad
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This is some very good advice! Try it!!
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Some kids regress after being potty trained because it’s familiar to them. Keep an eye on him. They usually hide. Timing. Make a big deal and lots of praise and prizes for going on the potty. Some kids like the big potty like Mom and Dad use and some are scared and like a kid potty. It will come.
My zgrandson didn’t want to get splashed when he pooped in the toilet. We put toilet paper in the toilet before he went and no splash.
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Try a table tennis ball with smiley face and grumpy face in the toilet
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One of my sons thought he was the only one doing this. Once he saw it was normal he quit pooping in his pants.
My daughter had the same issue… she was impacted! Try some fiber gummy’s, keep a potty close and see if it helps him clean out and get back on track!
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I give my son 1 m&m for peeing and 2 m&ms for pooping. It’s a good incentive bc it’s small so you don’t feel like you’re feeding him too much chocolate. And it’s a positive treat 
my son is 2 and fully trained on the toilet
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Stay home for 3 to 4 days with him and don’t put any underwear or pants on him and everytime he has to go he will tell you because he doesn’t want to go on the floor.
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If all of the kind and wonderful ideas don’t work
Request he helps clean up the mess. Get a washboard to scrub underwear and pail to scrub in. Sounds harsh and it can be. Don’t do this to him if you are angry. Just enlist his help and get little gloves for him to wear.
It’s better than him being shamed in school.
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I got 1of my grandchildren to clean themselves up and once was the enough he didn’t do it again with me.
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I’ve trained lots of kids over the years, including my own 4. My youngest was BY FAR the hardest to train. He has high functioning autism, so does his older brother that practically trained himself at 4yrs.
If you can, poop train first. They’ll still pee, but mastering the poop is the key.
Purchase a months worth of whatever they love. I hit the dollar store for stuff I could separate into individual gifts. One daughter loved princess stuff, so I got her stuff I could separate. I wrapped everything up, & put them in a basket in the bathroom where they could see them. When the poop went where it was supposed to- they picked a ‘present’. Each of the 3 only missed once after that. If the poop doesn’t make it into the potty, no gift. This goes on for a month or so, & when the gifts are gone, it’s already a habit to go.
My youngest son loved Hot Wheels cars. I bought them in bulk, put them in a basket in the bathroom, & he could only see them when he was sitting. When the poop went into the potty/toilet he could pick one. He never had an accident. It has to be something that highly motivates him, so he will listen to his body and stop what he’s doing to go to the bathroom.
Also, poop training on a schedule is really easy. Pick the time that’s best for his routine. (even holidays/wknd) Have him sit for 10min (no longer) and he doesn’t even have to go. Every day have him sit for those 10min, & usually w/in a week they start going at that time.
My kids didn’t like to poop at school, so they trained themselves to go after dinner, or before bed. It really works. My oldest adjusted her time to accommodate her job.
Good luck!
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There is a video called Once upon a potty… they have for him or for her… cute video. Cute songs. Used it for all my kids . Niece. Friends kids and now my grandkids… it works wonderfully… look it up and give it a try. You will not be disappointed
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Had 4 sons & never had an issue, lucky I guess. I did make a big deal over them using the potty or big toilet, that seemed to be enough! Good luck!
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A strategy I have found effective is to shift the work load of cleaning onto them as much as possible; shower off, maybe even hand wash or at least rinse the clothes. Its amazing how quick toileting issues can clear up when they have to do the work to clean up! Even if there is a medical or developmental reason behind it, it can be an effective method to support them in developing this self-help task. Can create a sense of power, control and competency in being able to care for their own needs.
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Some children have a problem with a part of their body being flushed down the toilet.
So for my eldest we made poop cookies. My husband made a whole cookie batch and then rolled the balls out and placed in the freezer. Chocolate chip cookies. So anytime he went poo in the potty wed bake a couple fresh cookies. Worked like a charm.
Could be a high colonic blockage. Doesn’t usually show in xrays unless you are looking for it.
Maybe he is afraid too say any thing one of my children was like that when he first started school
I had this problem with my son at this age… He would get so involved with play he didn’t want to stop. Hence he pooped his pants.
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Reward him when he goes toilet take him every two hours mostly wee but you will probably catch the poo too don’t growl him or tell him off say oh well we’ll get it next time talk to him about listen ing to what ha can feel but be light
First of all, I would tell him that he can not go to school as long as he messes in his pants. Stand firm on that. Second, like many have said, make him wash out his under ware, scrub if needed. Tell him that you are not going to scrub them for him. Like someone said, he may be afraid of falling in the toilet. I did daycare for 35 years, and I always had them sit backward on the toilet, so their butt was on the front of the stool, and they could hold themselves up by hanging onto the back of the toilet.
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At this age they like to control things what they eat, fight bedtime, their bowels… I refuse to clean them up. I did not poop my pants. I help them get undressed and set them in the tub with a running faucet soap and washcloths. They learn this lesson quickly
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First, mark the times, if you can, when he goes poop. Second, when the time nears have him sit on toilet with a book. If time is no problem let him sit there till he’s done
I have one that is 3 he does the same thing would love to no myself how to fix this
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My son done the same thing and now he is 40 years old but he had problems he was LD and I didn’t know it and he got in trouble when he pooped his pants so he cut a hole under neath the bathroom sink and stuffed his underwear in the wall wish I knew I feel real bad now I no but I guess he grew out of it bc now he has a DR Degree and is doing so well. I hate he is gay but nothing I can do about that I just pray for him but I love him very much he is still my baby boy.
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My son had similar issue. Turns out hid Iliosacral valve was stuck open. By chiropractor pushed on his stomach the right way and it closed problem solved. We had to do it a few times before it worked
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I had same problem with my youngest boy. Dr. told me to have boy wash/rinse his own poop out of his undies every time he pooped in them. No shame, just natural consequences. 2 days of it and he never pooped in his undies again.
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Have you asked him about it? At 5, he should be able to give you some kind of answer.
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Did the pediatrician have a plan to tackle theconstipation problem that mom thinks is not the problem??
Is the father of the kid around so he can show him out to use the bathroom I’ll be better not for you to show him when he’s at school or somewhere else he’s not nephew beside him but you should always tell him are you okay do you need to go number two or poo poo whatever use out you say it to the child I don’t know how you say it but you should tell him or ask him is it hard when you go to the bathroom for number two or do you need sometimes help going to the bathroom you should have your. Tristan asked these questions to them and ask him why was he if he goes potty in the toilet why isn’t he going through
They have to clean themselves by 4 or 5. Teachers can not do it.
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rub his nose in it, works for puppies
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I haven’t bought or sold property in 34 years when I was looking in Sonora I went into shock when a realtor told me if I wasn’t preapproved it wasn’t worth his time to me it was like putting a ding on your credit report for something you might not want
Maybe poop could get a special reward
Make sure he wasn’t sexually abused.
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I made my kids clean their own underwear when they did that. Only took a few times before they quit.
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Get him cartoon underware. His favorite cartoon characters. Ask him if he really wants t poop on them. Always have a snack each time until he knows and remind him often.
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Get a 2nd opinion from a Dr. Could be anything really… Even just not wanting to go… Scared to go… Something going on with nerves in his bottom so he can’t feel it… Get a 2nd opinion
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Give him prones 2 every dsy
I put.nice. Panties. On them. That worked. Bragging. On them. Did the trick
Make him wash his underwear out himself
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I would find a new Dr first
Potty? Does he have privacy in a proper toilet? Hes not a baby anymore
I’ve read, that when kids revert to pooping their pants, it is a control issue. They get attention from their parents . So, think about why? the child needs to do this to get your attention. I will say no more…
Consult your pediatrician. FB is not a free medical clinic.
Back in the stone age, there was a book POTTY TRAINING IN ONE DAY. It worked for my girls.
Had 3 boys , no problems
I had a problem with one of my sons. Please look up encopresis. Come to find out his colon etc stretched out and stools were leaking. If he ever seems to have normal or a little constipation then the next pop is really loose, look up encopresis. If this is the problem you can usually tell because the pop can smell bad.
Tiffany Payne this sounds like the problem you are having with conner. read the comments.
Tina Clawson any thoughts?
Sticker chart with rewards!
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Work on get him to stay bathroom till goes 
in toilet
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My son did that but he was afraid it would hurt if he went on the toilet so i sat there in the bathroom with him until he went and walked him through it
Is he using the big potty or a potty chair. When my son switched from the potty chair to the big potty he wouldn’t poop in it. We figured out it was because his feet didn’t touch the floor. No balance. We found a step stool that fit under his feet while he pooped. It took a few tries before he trusted it, but it helped.
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My son did this.
I honestly think he just didn’t want to take time away from whatever he was doing… holding it until he pooped his pants.
When he started going to pre school it resolved itself…he didn’t want to poop his pants around other kids. Peer pressure in a good way.
Put him onthe tolit you know about what time he usually goes have himstay there until he goes .give. Him abook to look at .l
Maybe going to school is the problem , no mum , big world needs to spend a little time in the week there
My son, who is now 39, had the same problem when he was young. It turned out to be a psychological issue having to do with his father. Once I took him and his sister and left their father, my son’s pooping issues resolved within one week and he never pooped his pants again. I not implying you have any psychological issues going on in your home, but children can deal with stress in unusual ways.
I think he is probably to “busy” to take the time to poop. It happens I think if he was in charge of cleaning himself up it might encourage him to use the bathroom.
Sometimes boys play till they can’t hold it any more so they poop there self because they couldn’t make it to the bathroom just tell him if he needs to go not to wait. And they have trouble wiping. They just wait to long is all.
It happens i have 2 boys and 3 grand son that learn pretty early then did that .Just keep an eye on him though because we here are not pediatrician and it might be something else .I had a friend who son was nervous to do it because she shouted at him when he did as a younger child because she didn’t wanted to deal with the mess .It affect him mentally he held it in to the point that his tummy would get hard and he barf it out .
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Does this happen during the day or at night? Is he the youngest? Are his older sisters always bugging him about being in the bathroom too long? Did he overhear a conversation about hemorrhoids that might have scared him?
Talk to him. Give him a chance to tell you what the reason is.
For haven’s sake don’t talk about it in front of any family members. Don’t embarrass him. That would just make it worse.
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One of my sons went through that when he was three when I first let him out side so I told him he couldn’t go outside any more to play unless he did potty in the toilet first and he never did poop in his pants.
This may seem/sound counter intuitive, but take away ALL potty training pants. No diapers, pull ups,or plastic over pants. ONLY underwear! Get several packs and a bucket/bin for soaking dirties. Set a 1 hour potty timer and make him go/try, give a small reward/ incentive. If he actually goes, he gets a bigger/better reward/treat. Also keep a chart w stickers so you both actually see the progress. The chart can also help figure out a potty pattern that may have gone un- noticed otherwise. It will be messy and it will be frustrating for a few days. Do NOT get mad, upset, or disappointed in front of him. ONLY PRAISE FOR THE TRIES AND THE GOES, IGNORE THE FAILS! However HE must be in charge of cleaning up his own mess. Meaning he cleans himself up, HE changes his own clothes, and HE scrubs up any mess he makes anywhere else potty related. On the floor? HE cleans it. Furniture? HE scrubs it. Bedding? HE helps change it. Make HIM responsible for cleaning up his own potty mess. I know he can’t do this by himself, you follow up after him. Good luck! I had to do this w my youngest son and my youngest grand daughter. It saved me. You really just kinda gotta decide that you’re not gonna deal w this anymore and make every day about potty training til it’s done! And its hard! It’s frustrating! It’s even tearful at times. Stick w it! Took less than 1 week w both. Been there, done that. Lol! Best of luck. Btw, ive never known of any child that started kindergarten in a diaper, try to stop worrying about that, lol.
Need to take him to the Dr. I hate to say this but is there anyone around who he was good with and then all of a sudden didn’t want to be around. May he needs to see a councler6
Think he is getting big enough to clean up him self! Show him a couple of times and then have him do it. He can’t go to school doing this!
I have the same problem trying with my 3 year old he poops in his diaper and never tells me until I smell it I ask he says no like what do I do??? I’m just as lost hun