Pooping in Pants, on the Floor, or Requesting a Diaper to Poop In
What these three behaviors have in common is they are all forms of poop withholding. Poop withholding is incredibly misunderstood and either swept under the rug as an undesirable behavior that will magically go away with the passage of time or misdiagnosed entirely.
The most important thing to understand is that poop withholding is not happening as a result of your child misbehaving, seeking attention, or tryikng to manipulate you. I know it may seem this way, esepcially if it’s happening around the same time as another major life event. Poop withholding, simply put, is a muscular reaction to anxiety. You know how some people bite their nails, twirl their hair, or clench their jaw when they’re anxious? Well, for some, they clench their sphincter muscles when they feel anxiety.
For a toddler, this does not have to be a deeply-rooted anxiety whatsoever. In fact, it’s often as simple as receiving their meal on the “wrong” colored plate, as silly as that may sound. The reason you do not want to leave poop withholding unattended and just hope and pray one day your child will wake up and poop in the toilet is that those sphincter muscles become very accustom to remaining clenched for long durations of time. That, over time, makes it way more challenging for your child to relax and release when the urge to poop hits. It’s a vicious cycle.
Many parents are concerned that the age at which they potty trained is the culprit for their child’s poop withholding. Rest assured, it is not. There are toddlers still in diapers who withhold poop at 16 months old as well as 5 year olds who poop withhold.
In tandem with pooping anywhere except for the toilet (on the floor, in pants, outside, asking for a diaper to poop in), there is often a pattern and accompanying beavhior. Typically, toddlers will either go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. You’ll likely kow the exact pattern that hits just before your little one is about to withhold and have an accident.
So, how do you nip this in the bud effectively once and for all? There are no magic words, and I would strongly advise against wasting thousands of dollars on any sort of therapy. I cannot recommend Jamie’s Pooping Solutions course enough. In this self-guided, modular video course, you will have the step by step solution for reversing any form of poop withholding.
Still in need of extra guidance and hand holding? I have your back! I’ve been down this road before and successfully came out on the other side. I would love to help you see the light at the end of this tunnel and get the child you know back. Let’s meet.
