My 5 year old son won't poo on the toilet: My 5 year... - ERIC

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My 5 year old son won't poo on the toilet

Charlotte011
Charlotte011
•12 Replies

My 5 year old son won't poo on the toilet only in a pull up, we tried taking pull ups away but my son just held it in he will hold it in for a few days at a time don't no if anyone else has had this problem and sorted it out, my son is fully toilet trained through the day and never has accidents.

12 Replies
oldest • newest
Martina8
Martina8

Hi,

We had the same thing when my son was younger. He would use the toilet to go pee, but when he needed a poo he would only go in a pull up. Eventually he agreed to go to the toilet, he was around the same age as your son.

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Charlotte011
Charlotte011
in reply to Martina8

So did you just keep sitting him on the toilet when he asked for a pull up or did he just start doing it himself? We are meant to be having him referred but we had a letter saying we won't be seen for at least 6 months as there is a long waiting list, hopefully he will change his mind soon.

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Martina8
Martina8
in reply to Charlotte011

Hi Charlotte,

We carried on allowing him pull ups until he was comfortable with going in the toilet. Eventually we managed to persuade him by telling him that we all use the toilet and so does his friends. If his poo is quite solid it might be better to give him a laxative or certain foods to soften it ,so that it is not too uncomfortable when he does need to go.

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Charlotte011
Charlotte011
in reply to Martina8

Hi yeah we keep saying his friends all use the toilet and so do we but he keeps saying I can't push it out on the toilet but he's definitely not constipated as when he poos in the pull-ups it is loose I tried everything last time we said no pull-ups he held it in for about 3 days so we had to just give in at the end, it seems like it's psychological I'm hoping he does try sooner rather than later coz he's at school now luckily he hasn't had to go at school and hold it in.

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Martina8
Martina8
in reply to Charlotte011

Hi,

My son wouldn't go in the toilet because it felt uncomfortable and he was sensitive to the smell he said it would make him feel sick. He evenually realised that it smells anyway. If we didn't put a pull up on him then he would hold it. So I would just keep encouraging him until he agreed to use the toilet.

Most children will not go while they are at school, none of my 4 would go.

Hopefully with your son will soon grow out of it like mine did.

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Charlotte011
Charlotte011
in reply to Martina8

Yeah I do hope he grows out of it soon I was thinking about doing a reward chart to see if it works as we have tried everything else, thank you it's good to no it's not just me who has experience this and hopefully he will grow out of this soon!!

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Martina8
Martina8
in reply to Charlotte011

I think the reward chart is definitely a good idea. It helped us to keep encouraging our son to keep using the toilet. When he did use the toilet we would really praise him(clapping & cheering).

Hopefully with everything that you are trying, he will be using the toilet soon.

X

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Charlotte011
Charlotte011
in reply to Martina8

Thank you I do hope so

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Redxmas
Redxmas

eric.org.uk/pdf-children-wh...

Check this out for a few tips

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Charlotte011
Charlotte011
in reply to Redxmas

Thank you for this information I will have a look.

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Peristalsis
Peristalsis

He's not too old to use a floor potty. Many kids are frightened by the water in the toilet.

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Charlotte011
Charlotte011
in reply to Peristalsis

Yeah I did say to him maybe try the potty.

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