Three Year Old Pooping When Playing Outside

[RachelDaycare]

I have a little girl three and a half. She has been potty trained for over a year. She has started pooping when we go outside in her underwear. I had her sit on the potty before we went out and then asked her numerous times while outside if she had to go. All the times no, it is time to come in and she said she pooped. I am soooo frustrated. She is doing it at home too but they don't seem very concerned
help please
Rachel

[Live and Learn]

She is not potty trained.

IMO she should go back into diapers.

I don't do poopy pull ups or underwear.

[Sunshine44]

Yep, I'd ask the parents to supply some diapers until she can get it under control. Also, maybe have her checked at the doctor?

[laundrymom]

She is not potty trained.

IMO she should go back into diapers.

I don't do poopy pull ups or underwear.

This is my vote.

[RachelDaycare]

From the couple of conversations I have had with mom here is what I have learned
the dad has Chron's and the girl has been tested when she had some issues a year or so ago.
Then the mom told me that when she was little they were somewhere a few times where there were no bathroom facilities and therefore they let the child go outside. So that when she was younger every time they went out she would take off her diaper and poop.
She is very bright, very active, gets into stuff alot and I have to pace myself to not be after her every minute.
She sometimes struggles in play situations listening to her friends words. In other words she is very independant.
I am always so careful to not say anything to a child to shame them or embarrass them. I know from past experience that making a big deal about potty issues really become power struggles.
It's never easy is it?
Rachel

[Live and Learn]

From the couple of conversations I have had with mom here is what I have learned
the dad has Chron's and the girl has been tested when she had some issues a year or so ago.
Then the mom told me that when she was little they were somewhere a few times where there were no bathroom facilities and therefore they let the child go outside. So that when she was younger every time they went out she would take off her diaper and poop.
She is very bright, very active, gets into stuff alot and I have to pace myself to not be after her every minute.
She sometimes struggles in play situations listening to her friends words. In other words she is very independant.
I am always so careful to not say anything to a child to shame them or embarrass them. I know from past experience that making a big deal about potty issues really become power struggles.
It's never easy is it?
Rachel

I am not saying she isn't bright.

I wouldn't make a big deal about it either. I would just be matter of fact privately with her. Tell her she will wear diapers for awhile since she is pooping in her panties.

Easy Peasy. NOT PUNITATIVE! If she is not potty trained ( and she isn't ) she should be in diapers.

[WImom]

I think I would put her in a diaper/pull up when going outside until 2 weeks of her not pooping when outside.

Good Luck, hope it's just a phase.

[wdmmom]

Is she pooping at naptime as well? What if you don't go outside? Is she pooping during an indoor activity?

[RachelDaycare]

no she only poops when we are outside. I like the idea of coming in every half hour to try and go. I personally feel it is an attention seeking behavior. I spoke to her mom about it and told her I wanted to have consequences. Her mom said go for it. While I was talking with mom she ran out the door. I told her to stay on the porch. I look out to check on her and she is running around the vehicles. So her mom ran out and scolded her. Three year olds are quite the tickets aren't they
Rachel

[wdmmom]

Perhaps it's the fresh air and the freedom to run. I would make her sit on the pot for 15 minutes before activities.

OR

Treat it as a reward and tell her if she goes poop, she can go outside.

No poop, no outdoor activities...at least not without a diaper on!

[RachelDaycare]

thanks for all the advice. I think that the fresh air and running around might have something to do with it. Maybe we can do some gross motor stuff inside before we go out so that if that is the reason she can go before we go out.
I really try to live in the solution rather than try to make the problem go away. Does that make sense?
She isn't the easiest child but I have to say that I love kids that have some spunk. Not always easy for us to deal with but I think it can carry them later in life
Rachel

[Former Teacher]

I think I would put her in a diaper/pull up when going outside until 2 weeks of her not pooping when outside.

Good Luck, hope it's just a phase.

Totally agree!

The little boy I nanny for just turned 3 in January and was pee pee trained but would still poop his underwear. He would just stand there and do it right in front of me and/or parents.

We take daily trips to the park. One time we JUST got to the park and he did it in his underwear. We walked right back and I told him that we were not going to park that because of him pooping in his pants. Then I started to put a diaper on him everyday that we went to the park. I don't believe in pull ups but thats another thread

Anyway, for Easter Grandma mailed him a bath toy. One day the boy said to his father, I want to play with my bath toy. The father said you can play with your bath toy when you start going poopie in the potty. The boy said "I will right now!" Yeah right.....lo and behold...he did! ::

Next day: Daddy was leaving for work and he asked him if he can have his bath toy during bath again. Daddy said if you don't go poopie in your pants then yes. Again he said I will go right now and he did!

Has been poopie trained since!

[Mom_of_two]

I agree, pull ups or diapers. I follow my policy for ALL kids despite any different circumstances! No undies til accident free- home and here- for two weeks.

[RachelDaycare]

My little pooper girl just got here. Her poor mom, she is so stressed out about this. I asked how she did yesterday and she had an accident. I asked was it outside or inside. She said inside just outside the bathroom door where she was playing. I told her at this point I don't think we should consider them "accidents" She said in front of the kid she is just plain lazy
I told her I felt it was an attention seeking behavior. The mom must of told her twelve times in the few minutes she was here, no accidents right! If you listen to Rachel and don't have any accidents I will take you to the store and buy you a treat. Well I am not going to be responsible"listen" wise to whether she gets a treat or not. Not my job
So here we go, eyes forward
I am not going to be after this kid every ten minutes to see if she needs to go poop, I think that she would love that kind of attention
Rachel

[kidkair]

If it's attention seeking I would give as little attention as possible when she has and 'accident'. As soon as she informed me she went poop I would say 'thank you for telling me' and I would take her to the bathroom and clean her up. I would not look her in the eye. I would not talk to her again. Once she was all cleaned up and ready again I would look her in the eye and tell her to let me know she when she needs to go potty again. Any time she told me she needed to go and was successful on the potty I would sing songs and chat away and give hugs/high fives and lots of praise and attention even if it was just pee. She needs lots of attention for success on the potty still so she feels more comfortable on the potty.

From what you wrote I think part of her problem is that she feels more comfortable and relaxed outside since that's one of the places her parents let her go in her early potty training. If the attention thing didn't work I'd just put a diaper on her to go outside and praise like crazy if it was still clean when returning inside.