Dear child, please stop...

[Deleted User]

Pooping in the tub! Ugh! It's happened at least 3 or 4 times now. As soon as he gets in the bath he poops. It's not like he's been holding it in all day, he goes several times a day. Is this a sign we need to be potty training him? I'm thinking if he pooped right before the bath, we wouldn't have this issue. I wanted to wait until he was in a more cooperative stage to start PT though. Right now I fear it would just become another battle of wills.

Zimger

I have said the same exact thing to myself.

DS went through a phase where he did this often. I think it was because he was having constipation issues and the warm water helped his tummy. Could your DS be having any similar issues?

nunzchucks

Can you tell when he's about to poop and move him from the tub to the toilet?

[Deleted User]

He kind of freaked out last night about it. He must realize he's not supposed to do it, or at least that it causes a big commotion. I do try to keep it low-key but I have to empty out the tub, clean it, clean his bath toys, clean him up, refill the bath, etc etc so it is a big disruption, and he's a sensitive/perceptive little guy. So last night he said, "No poop!!" as he started pooping. I said, "Ok, do you want to get out and sit on the potty?" to which he replied, "NO!!" so I just let him poop.

I will try sitting him on the potty before bath, without asking him, just telling him what's happening. We'll see how it goes. I'm still thinking he won't like it. If that doesn't go well maybe we'll just try showers. Thanks ladies!

[Deleted User]

Zimger said:

I have said the same exact thing to myself.

DS went through a phase where he did this often. I think it was because he was having constipation issues and the warm water helped his tummy. Could your DS be having any similar issues?

Maybe.. like I said he does poop several times a day, but that can be a sign that he's a little backed up. I'll have to be more vigilant about his intake of prunes throughout the day.

Our poor kids, if they could see what we write about them on the internet...

eyenigh

My first thought was that it was too bad that you couldn't give him a bath in the toilet.

[Deleted User]

eyenigh said:

My first thought was that it was too bad that you couldn't give him a bath in the toilet.

LOL, you mean on the toliet?? That would be a solution.. maybe I could put his little potty in the tub. Hmm...

nah82

rocknrollfriend said:

I said, "Ok, do you want to get out and sit on the potty?" to which he replied, "NO!!" so I just let him poop.

I will try sitting him on the potty before bath, without asking him, just telling him what's happening. We'll see how it goes. I'm still thinking he won't like it. If that doesn't go well maybe we'll just try showers. Thanks ladies!

I learned to stop asking DS1 if he wanted to do things.  If you give a choice yes or no, they almost always pick no.  I said "do you want to _____" a lot and it was making me a pushover.  (Do you want to go brush your teeth? vs. Let's go brush your teeth.)

You don't have to go full force potty training right away, sitting on the potty before bath and when they get up in the morning is a good introduction, especially if that is a time that he usually has to go so he can connect the feeling of needing to go to sitting on the potty.  Hopefully it will go smoother for you once he realizes it's not an option and it becomes part of the bath routine.  Little brother peed in the tub a couple times recently and one time climbed out, ran into the hallway, and peed on the carpet, which reminded me that I needed to be more dedicated to making sure I always sit him on the potty before I let him in the tub!