He's 2.5 and hates going poop. He will walk/run around in circles holding his bottom and whimper trying to hold it in. He holds it in until he gets seriously backed up and mom has to give prune juice or an enema to get him to go.

He's currently running around the room in circles holding his bottom crying because he doesn't want to poop.

I don't think there is anything I can do but maybe I'm missing something?

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Potty trained or diapers? Kids who are potty trained, especially early on, think weird things about pooping on the potty.

Pooping could hurt for some reason, could have a tummy/IBS type issue.

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I'd call the parent.

I'm so over some of these new age bathroom/toileting issues that kids have going on. A majority of them are parent induced, whether psychologically, emotionally or diet related etc....

I don't think it's fair to DCB or to you that you are having to deal with this. Call mom/dad for pick up and after he goes...he can return.

That'd be my solution.

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I agree 100% and would also be calling for pick up!

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He does it every 3-10 days for the last year. He's been wearing underwear for a few weeks now. When he has these days he goes back to diapers because he will leave skid marks in the underwear after a few minutes of wearing. I feel terrible for him.

Is this pretty common with the new potty training? I haven't heard of that before but then again I haven't had this issue before.

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Yes my policies state if a kid is clearly uncomfortable or unable to participate in daily activities parents must pick up.

This kiddo is clearly uncomfortable and can't participate in anything in his current state.

I'd also maybe talk to parents (seems they are aware he does this and not the first time he's done it) and maybe see about going to the doc to see if there is anything he can do to help make the process go smoother or ease some anxiety about the situation.

I guess I really don't understand parents. Even before I became a provider if my son were doing something like that I would be very alarmed and I definitely would not be willing to give my kid an enema every time he refused to poop. Something would be done! I'd be consulting my doc about what I can give him to just make him go and working as hard as I could on my end to make him feel it's okay "to go".

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I think (just my personal opinion), that as gmo's keep making it into our everyday foods (even peanut butter!), it's less new age and more the new norm.

Hope I didn't open a can of worms here...just a small side note, not directed at anyone.

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It is not normal.
I would encourage him to stink up the bathroom
I would give his favorite treat for turds.
I would give as much positive as possible. Going overboard if need be to make him want to poo on the pot. Also, facing backwards w legs spread seems to work better for some to relax. They don't feel as if they are falling and can grab the toilet if they need to.
Barring any med issue, three successful poops on the toilet seems to be about what it takes to help them understand pooping in the pot doesn't hurt.
I would push positive reinforcement and encouragement. Think "Barbie doll happy happy"
And if that didn't ease his anxiety, I would send home and ask for a dr consult.

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I had a similar thought. Instead of doing an enema why not try a diet change first.

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I completely agree! If he was my kid I would have been at the doctor last year! I've recommended more than a few times to take him in. It's not that he can't go at first it's that he doesn't want to. Then after holding it in for so long that's when it hurts.

I'm not sure if it is his diet or if he's afraid all poop is going to hurt like when's he's consitpated so he just holds it in. I'm honestly not sure.

He is playing again now that he couldn't hold it in anymore. The poor kid started screaming "poop no come out" shortly before he went :-(

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Maybe he has a hemorrhoid? It could just be it really hurts because he's holding it in so long but it just seems there is something REALLY hurting him. There has to be something that can ease this up a bit... stool softeners, mirilax, anything! Unfortunately that takes effort from the parents!

Poor guy

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My brother did this even when he was still in diapers. He was constipated a few times and after that was terrified it would hurt so he would hold it which would make it worse. My mom had to always keep him soft so that he would actually poop.

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I think that's pretty normal in kids whose parents push them to potty train before the kid is ready. I've seen plenty of poop withholding (and had a kid who spent a lot of time at the doctor with obstructions from it, as well) in kids whose parents want them to train before the kid is ready. There's not a lot you can do about it rather than ask the parents to see a doctor.

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My kid is that kid. Last year two weeks after his 3rd birthday we started to realy push the potty. (Before that I was pregnant then recoving from section so we waited since he showed no real intrest). He did ok pooping and great peeing. But then about a month in he started holding it in. We do give him a jelly stiffer and fiber gummy to help both recommend by doctor. He will hold it in all week sometime and then (warning TMI) let it out in little bits all day for a few days bUT never peed when this happened. Refused to use a pull up or diaper to poop in . He became pee trained quickly. But almost a year later we are still poop training. (Tried every form of reward system). He is finally trying to poop in potty rather then hold it but still can't figure out how to push it out. But we are making improvement. I've trained one other since he started and working on another boy now so to me it's the kid sometimes that can make the difference. Some just take a lot longer then others.

I would first in sit on pull ups at daycare. (My guy stayed in underware buy for nap but I would never let a DK do that. Would regress with peeing in pull up). He also never showed signs of pain so I never had to worry. Personally I call parents for pick up can kid can not participate fully.

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I would probably just sit him on the toilet when he complains like that. It will eventually come out if he sits long enough.

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yup. Put it back on the parents.


great advice. LOL at Barbie doll happy happy.

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It will come out fast, I think. :-) I would sit him on the toilet too.
By my opinion, if a child has not any medical issues, all other are created by adult people.

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I am pretty sure that this kind of issue is more common for kids, who start potty training late (after 2yo and up). For early potty trained kids peeing and pooping on the toilet is normal action.

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I have experienced the exact opposite. I had a mom who started PT around 18 months-her kid is the one who, at 5.5, is still seeing a gastroenterologist for blockages. I have another right now, whose grandma pushed mom into early training (at around 18 months) who only poops at nap, while asleep, and freaks out when asked to do it in the potty (he's almost 3 now). He'll usually pee in the potty, but will NOT poop there.

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By my opinion, 18mo is the late start for potty training. It is the age when most of the kids can be almost potty trained. In the past they were.
Diapers + parents laziness is the reason for the most of the potty issues in the modern world.

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http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellnes...ry?id=16806522

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2...ning-too-soon/

Some articles about early training (including info from and by doctors). I have two cousins (sisters) who started training when their kids turned one. Their kids are now adults, and they both still complain about how long their kids wet the bed (one's son was a bedwetter until age 12). That, plus info like these links provide, plus my own experiences are why I prefer to wait, and why I encourage my parents to wait until a child is ready. I won't participate in early training at childcare, either. If the child can't recognize the need to go, verbalize the need to go, and willingly participate in training, I don't participate in training them. The earliest I have personally seen a child be truly ready is around 2.75.

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I meant "early on" more as a reference to...is dcb in his first few months of using the potty? The majority of dcb's I've had have all regressed with bm's sometime that first month or two.

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Right now I have 2 kids 2.3y.o. They do not wear diapers at least 6 months. Even for nap time. My own kid is an early potty trained without any negative effects.
I always say: our kids know only things that we teach them. If we teach them to use own fingers during eating, they will. If we teach them to use spoon and fork, they will.
If we teach them to pee and poop into diapers 2-3-4 years of their life, it becomes normal and comfortable for them.

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I'd have him sit on the toilet when he does it. Just sitting in that position will make them poop sometimes.

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