Children Pooping on Pants: Causes and Solutions

Children Pooping on Pants: It can be frustrating when your child poops on their pants on purpose. Several reasons could make a child and, in some instances an adult poop on pants. Some of them could be intentional, while others are unintentional.

A parent or caretaker must investigate the cause of why the child is pooping on themselves. This article seeks to have a deeper look at the causes and solutions to children pooping on pants. 

Reasons Why Children Poop On Pants 

Poor Toilet Training Techniques

Often, babies are toilet trained between the age of 18 to 30 months. By three years, most children will be comfortable pooping in a toilet or potty. If not trained properly, a child may not be able to use the toilet, and thus may end up pooping on their pants. Proper toilet training enables a child to master toilet times and how to clean themselves after a toilet visit. 

Phobia 

Toilet phobia or anxiety is a common occurrence in children, especially in public places. Your child could suffer from this condition and poop on their pants intentionally for fear of using public restrooms. The primary concern of people with this phobia is that someone might be watching them.

To help your child overcome, reassure them and ensure there is no stranger around the toilet as they relieve themselves. If the case is extreme, consult a behavioral expert to help the child overcome the phobia. 

New Environment

Some people tend to hold on to poop or pee in new environments. When they can’t hold any more, children end up soiling themselves. Reassure your child in new places and offer support when they require it to help them relax. 

Trauma

When a child goes through a traumatic experience, they tend to develop fear and may end up pooping on their pangs. Stressful situations such as the death of a family member, birth of a sibling, and divorce are catalysts for toilet regression.

Abuse

Sexual abuse, harassment, bullying, and witnessing fights at home could lead to a child pooping on their pants. These ugly incidents create fear in a child that makes them lose control of their actions. When a child faces such a situation, it is essential to withdraw them from the stressful environment and seek psychological support. 

Naughtiness

Your child could decide to be mischievous and poop on their pants. This behavior calls for disciplining the child. Several punishment methods could be effective in correcting such misbehavior, including grounding, withdrawing privileges, and time-outs. You should also have the child wash their soiled pants and bathe without assistance. Punishment may deter him from repeating the same mistakes in the future. 

Too Engrossed In Play

Sometimes your young one may be too engrossed to play and forget or ignore to go to the toilet. This is common in children who have just been toilet trained. You can help them by placing a potty in their play area or having a toilet timetable that you use to remind them of toilet times. 

Encopresis

When a child suffers from constipation, he feels pain when pooping. To avoid the pain, a child will hold onto poop which ends up forming a hard mass in the colon. After some days without bowel movements, liquid poop may start leaking onto the pants without the child’s knowledge. A parent may mistake encopresis for intentional pooping on pants.

Some signs of this condition include; liquid stool on pants, hard or painful-to-pass stool, belly pain, loss of appetite, and blood in the pants or toilet paper after wiping the poop. If the symptom persists, you should seek medical advice. 

Toilet Regression

Children Pooping on Pants children progress well with potty training but then start regressing. They start having frequent accidents, which can be very discouraging. A significant event such as a natural disaster or sudden change to the family or child’s routine could cause them to regress.

This is a common occurrence, but you can patiently help your child overcome it through reassurance. Ensure that you use the proper toilet training techniques to encourage the child to use the toilet without asserting much pressure.  

How To Deal With A Child Who Poops On Pants On Purpose

• When a child poops on pants due to naughtiness, discipline the child to deter the misbehavior. You could use age-appropriate punishment methods to instill discipline in your child. 
• Keep track of bathroom habits. If you notice any sudden changes, take corrective measures immediately. 
• Let the child know pooping and peeing are natural processes that they don’t have to be ashamed of and it’s okay to relieve themselves in the toilet or potty. 
• Have the child clean their mess when they soil their pants. This can help deter a repeat of such behaviors. 
• Use the right potty training techniques. 
• Encourage self-reliance and independence. Allow your child to learn how to poop, wipe themselves, and flush the toilet on their own. When well equipped with the right tactics, a child could use the toilet by themselves. 
• Reassure your child in case of anxiety when in new environments. 
• Be patient with the child. It’s discouraging to see your child retrogressing, but try to resist the desire to shout or react to him. 
• Feed your child a balanced diet full of fiber and enough water to reduce the risk of constipation. 
• Seek medical advice if your child has a persistent behavior of pooping on his pants without any reasonable cause. The child might be suffering from physical or psychological issues. 

Children Pooping on Pants a child can poop on his pants on purpose due to several reasons which include; phobia, anxiety, stress, trauma, and abuse. The child may also be suffering from encopresis, have toilet regression, or may be too engrossed in play. When the cause of such behavior is unexplainable, you may want to seek medical advice.