Our neighbors 5 year old poops his pants on a daily basics?

Question

the neighbor boy same age as my son will be in kindergarten this year-well 2 weeks away- He still poops his pants, almost each day- The neighbor instead of figuring out the problem, just put him in diapers again, I don't understand, but I heard that there is a health problem of not being able to hold it ? Is this true for a 5 yr old or is it laziness?

Answer 1

Go ask a doctor.or mind your own business.

Answer 2

id say lazyness

Answer 3

Could be medical.  Kid needs to see a doctor to make sure.  If it's not, it's going to take a little tough love.

I'd forbid the kid at my house until he gets it together though.  Stinks....

Answer 4

"The neighbor instead of figuring out the problem, just put him in diapers again..."

How do you know this is true?  Maybe they HAVE figured out the problem with the help of their pediatrician, and this is what the pediatrician recommended?!?

As far as "all the other kids can smell the poor thing...", as the adult, it's YOUR job not to make a big deal out of it.  It is none of your business...it's between him and his parents, and if you think it's your business because he plays at your house occasionally, then when it happens at your house you take him aside and privately say, "Johnny, I can tell you've had an accident...now let's go get you cleaned up (or sent him home to get cleaned up)."  Period.  Don't draw attention to him, don't embarrass him in front of the other kids, don't tolerate the other kids teasing him...none of it.  You don't know what the entire situation is, you don't know what his medical situation is...frankly, it doesn't sound like you know anything except that it bothers YOU.

Answer 5

It may be medical or it maybe attention, or maybe neglect.

If you aren't very close to the parents and aren't %100 he isn't being mistreated, you may want to make a couple anonymous phone calls.

If you are close to them and are sure its not negligence then talk to the parents. Do some research.

I actually saw a story on mystery diagnosis where a child had diarrhea every day of her life and wound up having a very serious disease.Unfortunately I don't remember the name of it now, but a little searching may help.

Answer 6

I have no idea, some little boys just use the bathroom on themselves.  My brother was like 7 when he finally stopped crapping himself.  We would be outide playing and I would find him behind the car crouched down "resting".  I think that little boys may sometimes just not want to stop playing.  My mother just finally got to the point where she made him sit on the toilet at the same time every day and use the bathroom.

Answer 7

Have a private talk with the boy, cookies added will help, and tell him that you aren't mad at him or anything like that, you feel bad about his problem, but that if he's at your house and has a problem, you are going to make a sign with your hand like one finger in the air and when you do that it means he is supposed to go home and clean up.

And as long as he's clean, you think he is a great little boy and he is welcome in your house.

You're right, there is a medical condition called encopresis and he can't help it, but if his parents don't take action to solve the problem, the poor kid will end up with megacolon -- where it gets too stretched out -- and struggle with the problem his whole life.

Not much you can do about that, unfortunately. Thanks for being a gem about it as much as you can. You should not have to have a poopish kid in your house when you can't do anything to change him, but he's lucky your kid and others will play with him.

Good luck

Answer 8

It could be that he hasn't been fully potty trained, some 5 year olds aren't quite potty trained.  It doesn't necessarily mean that his parents have done nothing, he could simply be what is referred to a "late bloomer".  Children grow and develop at different ages.  

Answer 9

He just may not be ready yet.  Depending on the dependency of the child, he may not be ready to be fully potty trained at this point.  Why do you feel that it is any of your business to talk hastily about your neighbors child?  Maybe there is a health issue or something going on that the family doesn't feel comfortable talking about.  Instead of bashing them, you should want to be throwing ideas out to the family of how they can help their little one be potty trained.  

Answer 10

They need to know if it is a medical problem and get him some help.  If it isn't medical, he is so not ready for kindergarten (most boys aren't at 5).  If he goes to school and does this, he will either stop because of the ridicule or he will be scarred for a long time because he cannot physically control it.

Answer 11

I've never heard of a health problem that makes you not able to hold your p**p, but there could be. I would be leaning more towards laziness though because my ex has a 4 year old who has been pooping his pants because he's too lazy to stop what he's doing and go.