I know most are over PT but a question...

ali2005jason

Rory has been day pee trained (and occasionally poo) for almost 2 months. She has done great. Well last week we had a really bad time with some major constipation. This usually happens about every two weeks. When I notice it happening, I usually give her a dose of Miralax and she'll be ok. Well I talked to the doctor on Friday and she said give her a dose everyday and see where it gets her. I gave her a dose everyday for the past 3 days and now she's really loose. I just found her in the hallway with poop smeared all over her arms, hair and the floor, carpet nonetheless. I am so frustrated!!!! Even when she doesn't have the poop problem she doesn't really tell me when she has to go I just see "the face". She has no issues with pee. I don't want to put her back in a diaper just because of this issue. Do you have any other suggestions??? How can I get my daughter to tell me she has to poop? I'm thinking she's still fearful that it's going to hurt to poop and just doesn't want to go on the potty. I don't know where else to look for help. Thanks ladies

HarrietNJMommy

The poop "smearing" is a phase. It will pass. I just went through that one with DD#2. You just need to treat it very business-like. Clean it up and just keep stressing that poop goes into the potty and that we shouldn't play with it because it has germs and can make us sick.

As for pooping in the potty, can you offer to put her in a pullup ONLY when she wants to poop? Then when she's done pooping, she can go back in underwear. Have a place where you can pile some pullups so that she can do it herself. If this works, after a month (a couple of months even), don't leave any pullups in that spot. If she asks, tell her that you'll go get some from storage, but in the meantime, have her sit on the potty just in case. Hopefully she'll poop and get over her fear. My ped gave me this advice. It worked for us.

OR, you can also sit her on the potty in a pullup to poop.

Some kids are really afraid to poop on the potty. 

Potty training can also be a real control issue. DD#2 KNEW that it got us mad when she played with her poop, but it got her attention so she kept doing it. As soon as we had NO reaction at all, and just cleaned the poop and moved on, she stopped.

GL - potty training can be very frustrating!

roseroseroseroserose

I'd run K to the potty when I saw that "poop face."

Also, I would not be against rewards for pooping in the potty.

Last, no eye contact during poop changes.  No positive reinforcement.  I used to sing songs, etc. during changes.  Also, have DC do the work in the diaper change so it's a pain to go in the diaper and easier to go in the potty.