# My son hides feces around the house **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 16, 2012, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171 "2012-11-16T09:10:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/21 "2012-11-16T22:11:05Z")
So it’s a case of “MYYY PRECIOUS!”? I’m glad we don’t generally remember that phase. At least I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/22 "2012-11-16T22:23:20Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > In my early child development classes, we learned that toddlers who go through “Terrible Twos” are frustrated with communication. They haven’t developed enough speech to communicate their needs. They do understand many more words than they can speak. > > The suggestion to have him pick out a new potty is great, but waiting a few months to a year, when he has better communication skills might work better. > > As far as keeping his diaper on now, I think the cloth diaper idea is great. If he can’t get it off and he isn’t pressured to perform, he’ll, eventually, come to you to clean him. He’s already knows that poo doesn’t belong in the diaper. It just may take more time for him to give it up. > > He has an attachment to whatever comes out of his body. He’s at a stage in development where he understands that the poo comes out of him. > He hides the poo, not because he’s afraid of the potty, but because the poo is his and he doesn’t want the potty, you or anyone or anything else to take it away from him. Then just tell him the potty is the special hiding place where all poo goes to be saved - ‘all poo goes to heaven’ ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/23 "2012-11-16T22:33:26Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Then just tell him the potty is the special hiding place where all poo goes to be saved - ‘all poo goes to heaven’ Even better, teach him the poo gets turned into chocolate in the toilet tank. W/o poo we wouldn’t have chocolate. Make sure you drill that into his head enough that he repeats it to family. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/24 "2012-11-16T22:35:01Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > He has an attachment to whatever comes out of his body. He’s at a stage in development where he understands that the poo comes out of him. > He hides the poo, not because he’s afraid of the potty, but because the poo is his and he doesn’t want the potty, you or anyone or anything else to take it away from him. So maybe get one of those big water cooler jugs, put a potty seat on it (that seals when the lid is closed) and put it in his room, near his bed, so he can have it and look at it whenever he wants? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/25 "2012-11-16T23:02:11Z")
I bet some of your friends feel badly now about telling your son about the toilet monster that actually ATE A CHILD, and advised him to never, NEVER go near it. Nah, they don’t feel bad at all! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/26 "2012-11-17T00:45:55Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Amen. > > But seriously, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my mother and all of you wonderful parents on the Dope for having the courage to raise children. I think you’re all saints. Especially when I see threads like this. I’m reminded of when my niece was a small child, my sister told me, “Nothing disgusts me anymore. Absolutely nothing. I’ve had to deal with so much poop, pee, spit-up, and vomit that it totally doesn’t faze me anymore.” Now, years later I have a three year old myself and I know what she means. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/27 "2012-11-17T00:49:49Z")
No shit? No. Shit! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/28 "2012-11-17T01:00:17Z")
A few years ago when my daughter was toilet training, I temporarily lost my mind. Lots of people here have complimented me on my parenting advice. Generally, I agree. I’m a pretty good mom. My kids are well behaved, polite, hard working people who are actually pleasant to be around. But when toilet training the younger, I lost my mind. Bribes, sticker charts, begging, “reminding”, even, Og forgive me, punishing. She started shitting in her pants. Not her diapers, 'cause I’d taken those away 'cause some stupid mothering board said she’d find it uncomfortable to poop in real Big Girl underwear, or that Big Girl underwear would have greater value to her and she wouldn’t soil them, or something else or both or…did I mention I lost my mind? Finally after several weeks of this, I burst out, “DAMMIT! WHY ARE YOU POOPING IN YOUR PANTS?!?!?!?!” She put her hands on her hips, stamped her little foot and shot back, “BECAUSE I’M MAD AT YOU!!!” :eek: Well, at least one of us retained some personal insight. I sat down, right there on the floor and gave her a big hug and said, “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I’ve been doing this all wrong. What would you like to do?” She wanted her diapers back. For about 12 hours, and then she never had another “accident” again. So…maybe ask him what he wants to do? Maybe he’s not ready (two is awfully young for boys with disposable diapers). Or maybe he is ready, but he wants it to be his idea. Or maybe he wants to “save it” and you can let him save it in the potty for a few minutes before flushing. Who knows? ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/29 "2012-11-17T01:05:43Z")
On “saving” disgusting (or otherwise preferably transitory) things: I haven’t tried it for poop, but I have had good luck with taking a picture before disposing. I realize that this is not conventional potty training advice, but maybe it would help to take a picture of his poop in the potty before he flushes it away? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/30 "2012-11-17T01:12:40Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > …aaaaand one more reason why I’m never having children. 😛 > [@VinylTurnip](#): > > [Yep](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15697044&postcount=7). I’m not sure which terrifies me more: stealth baby shit, or the term “Cookie Mom.” ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/31 "2012-11-17T01:21:35Z")
How exactly did he become ‘afraid’ of the potty? That seems the root of the problem, really. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/32 "2012-11-17T01:23:12Z")
–Snip– > [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I do remember once one of my daughters was about 2.5, standing up just coloring. She was naked as usual for her and she just crapped on the floor. She turned and looked at the poop wondering what it was I suppose and then went back to coloring. It was funny as hell to see, not clean up, but still funny as hell. Sorry you’re going through this but one day it’ll be damn funny, unless you find a petrified turd in 10 years or so. Prom Night material. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/33 "2012-11-17T01:23:25Z")
Have you tried bribing him? It worked with my sister. That’s also how my cousin got all three of her kids potty-trained. Every time they peed on the toilet they got a dime, every time they pooped they got a quarter. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/34 "2012-11-17T02:13:16Z")
I have an eighteen month old daughter. And I am laughing myself silly at this thread. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/35 "2012-11-17T02:21:27Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > I have an eighteen month old daughter. > > And I am laughing myself silly at this thread. > > 😃 _foot stamp_ No laugh, Mama! _pout_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/36 "2012-11-17T03:37:37Z")
This too shall pass. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/37 "2012-11-17T03:42:18Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Have you tried bribing him? It worked with my sister. That’s also how my cousin got all three of her kids potty-trained. Every time they peed on the toilet they got a dime, every time they pooped they got a quarter. Then you get a smart kid who learns to go pee a little, collect their reward, and then go pee again ten minutes later. Developing that kind of control is well worth the coinage! A childhood friend of mine wanted nothing to do with potty training and continued wearing cloth diapers well into his third year. Then one day, completely out of the blue, he told his mom “Let’s burn the diapers!” She, being a pretty cool lady, said sure. When they were done, she asked him what he was going to do now that his diapers were all gone. “Use the potty, I guess.” Aaaaanddd… that was that. He never wore diapers or pull-ups again. Strange, determined child. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/38 "2012-11-17T04:45:00Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > _foot stamp_ No laugh, Mama! _pout_ > 😉 This really explains a lot… ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/39 "2012-11-17T14:14:41Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > On “saving” disgusting (or otherwise preferably transitory) things: I haven’t tried it for poop, but I have had good luck with taking a picture before disposing. I realize that this is not conventional potty training advice, but maybe it would help to take a picture of his poop in the potty before he flushes it away? For the log book? ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171/40 "2012-11-17T15:26:40Z")
> [@FlyByNight512](#): > > Then you get a smart kid who learns to go pee a little, collect their reward, and then go pee again ten minutes later. Developing that kind of control is well worth the coinage That is my kid, but it’s not coins it’s treats. Whenever I said no to a snack she wanted, she would go potty for a potty treat. Then she would go potty every 10 minutes for more treats. Now that I am trying to wean her off the treats, she has started to pee her pants in retaliation. She turned three in July and this is still an issue… Potty training is not my friend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-hides-feces-around-the-house/641171.md?page=3)