Why does my almost 4yr old boy only p**p in a pull-up?

Question

He will pee on the potty and hasn't had many accidents. However, when he has to p**p, he gets a pull-up, goes and then asks me to change him! I've tried hiding the pull-ups, but then he'll just hold in his p**p and get really really constipated and we ahve to resort to Miralax or mineral oil. I've tried a potty chart with stickers, I've tried reasoning with him, I've told him that the store ran out of pull-ups so we can't buy them anymore (he proceeded to p**p in his brand new Mickey Mouse underwear), flat out told him to just go p**p on the potty- nothing has worked! We are so frustrated and we joke that we are going to have to dip into his college fund to keep paying for these *@#!$@ pull-ups! Anyone have any new ideas?

Answer 1

My daughter was the same way....we tried everything to get her to p**p in her potty chair.I got the potty chair that sings and lights up and after a while she started going....but before that I tried stickers,swimming anything I could think of as a reward and Because ,well pull ups are expensive anyway,one day she had been holding it in for like 3 days and I nicely told her that she couldn't play with her toys or watch her favorite movie until she pooped in her potty.I didn't yell but it had to be done because she was so uncomfortable from holding it in and after about 45 min she pooped in her potty chair...then she resumed her usual play.Then the next day she was holding it in again and I nicely said(because I love my girls so much and I wasn't trying to be mean but pull ups are pricey and if the potty is good enough for tinkle then it should be good enough for p**p...LOL)well we will have to stop playing if you can't p**p again.After I said that she used her potty again...after 2 days of not being able to play for 45 min,she started doing both in her potty and haven't had any trouble since.

I am just saying if nothing else works you have to find a way to convince him that pooping in the potty is worth it,and as parents sometimes we have to get  tough,so if you have to do that don't feel guilty...I felt bad about taking her favorite toy but in the end it all worked out and the p**p is going where it should.

I don't think I have ever said p**p so much........lol

well good luck and don't worry he'll get it.

Answer 2

i am so with you. my boy is the same way. i don't have the answer.  i hang dearly on to the thought that everybody goes to kindergarten potty-trained.

Answer 3

it will take timee...my nephew took timee...u just have to tell them....u cant chnge that....he'll/she'll learn in no time! GOOD LUCK! :D

Answer 4

I'm a mom of two boys one is 16 the other is 6 i went threw the same problem with both of them, this time with my six year old i took the pull ups away and just put under wear on him,he pooped in them for a little while it was messy but eventually he started using the toilet.I no exactly how you feel it sucks but this time i was told to have more patients with my 6yr old. I didn't have with my 16yr old he was almost seven before i could get him trained.My 6yr old was 5 when he was done training good luck.

Answer 5

i don't know but my step mom is going through the same thing with my brother, except she could have avoided that if she would have taught him much sooner.

Answer 6

It sounds like your son is going through the same thing my daughter was when she was four.  She knew better, but just refused to p**p in the potty.  After trying everything I could think of, I just had to get mean with her.  I let her wear the pull up still and we talked A LOT about it to make sure she did not forget to go only in the potty.  When she pooped in her pull up, she went to time-out for a while and lost a couple toys for the rest of the day.  When she tried holding it in, I made her sit on the potty until she pooped.  I didn't sit her there when I thought she had to go, only when I would catch her holding it in. (It was very obvious because she would hold her butt with both hands and dance around) After a week or so of that, she decided that potty was the way to go.  I hope that helps.

Answer 7

Take the pull-ups and throw them out.  Put regular underwear on him.  If he still needs pull ups at night then put them in the trunk of the car where he cannot get to them if you have to.  If he makes a mess then tell him that he has to help clean himself up.  If he can take the time to do all of what he is doing then he is just being stubborn.  It should work itself out.

Answer 8

I have been told that some boys are afraid to go p**p in the potty. i am having almost the same problem with my 3 year old.

Answer 9

maybe you should stop buying pullups and just tell him he has to use the bathroom like a big boy

Answer 10

My oldest son did the same exact thing. Finally we had to lose the pull ups and let him p**p in his pants. This went on for little over a week. He hated the feeling of it going down his legs. He whined and complained for his pull ups but we stayed consistent and never brought them back. Laundry was way gross for a little while but that's what worked for us. For whatever reason, my other boys never had the same problem. Some children just get really worked up about going p**p on the toilet.

Answer 11

I just recently went through this with my 4 year old. He was urine trained, but kept going p**p in his underwear. I felt like I had tried everything too - I even resorted to 'time outs' when he went in his pants out of desperation. Then one morning I noticed he had to go cause he kept doing the stance that I knew meant he was ready to p**p. If I took him in the bathroom he would freeze. But that day, I sat him on the toilet, I told him I knew he needed to go, and that he would sit on the toilet until he went. I got him some books to look at, and stayed nearby, and even though I was feeling awful I was determined that he would stay on there till he went. It took 40 minutes, but he then yelled out that he had done a "big poopy" and sure enough he had! So I made a big deal out of it, and played cars with him like I had promised. I figured each day the time might get less and less, but amazingly that one day is all it took. From that day on he has gone in the toilet with no problems. For some reason I think it's just a fear, but once he realized it wasn't that bad he was ok with it.  I'm always under the belief that you have to keep trying different things until you find something that works. Good luck.

Answer 12

He poops in the pullup because he knows you'll change him and he thinks it's okay to go in there. Quit buying pullups. He's old enough to know that he is not to p**p in his pants, and when/if he does, do not change him. Make him change himself and with your help make him put his underwear in the washer. He'll hate doing this but it'll make him realize that he has to use the toilet.