3.5 Year Old's Strategic Pooping

[Anonymous]

Every night, I brush my child's teeth, put her on the potty, get pajamas on, read books, and do a little good night routine sitting in her bed, checking her stuffed animals and water bottle, and remembering the best and worst parts of the day. Then, inevitably, after I turn off the light and close the door, my child protests that she has to poop.

She has been potty trained since age 2. But refusing to poop while we do potty time and change into pajamas and insisting she has to do it 15 minute later, just to extend bedtime, is a new thing. Obviously I don't want to forbid her from doing it and have her poop in her pants or scream in her room.
What would you do? Just move the usual potty time to the very end of bedtime after the good night hugs?

[Anonymous]

Personally? I’d tell her you’re starting bedtime 15 minutes earlier because she keeps having to poop at the end. And then do that complete with offer of “do you need to go potty?” right before you would usually finish up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally? I’d tell her you’re starting bedtime 15 minutes earlier because she keeps having to poop at the end. And then do that complete with offer of “do you need to go potty?” right before you would usually finish up.

PP again — I should add, my 2yo has been doing the same thing and I’ve been telling him “last chance for potty” before I put his diaper on, which is near the end of the routine. If I tell him he can’t get up and go potty after I turn the lights out (which he had been doing), he just goes straight to sleep without pooping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally? I’d tell her you’re starting bedtime 15 minutes earlier because she keeps having to poop at the end. And then do that complete with offer of “do you need to go potty?” right before you would usually finish up.

I’d do the same without telling her you are actually starting earlier. Don’t turn this into a battle since she will keep finding ways to defy you. Just start bedtime earlier and during the end of the routine allow her to use the potty.

[Anonymous]

Don't do any of the fun stuff until after pooping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally? I’d tell her you’re starting bedtime 15 minutes earlier because she keeps having to poop at the end. And then do that complete with offer of “do you need to go potty?” right before you would usually finish up.

I’d do the same without telling her you are actually starting earlier. Don’t turn this into a battle since she will keep finding ways to defy you. Just start bedtime earlier and during the end of the routine allow her to use the potty.

This. And disconnect while she's pooping. No books or chatting. Make it biring.

[Anonymous]

Boring

[Anonymous]

How do you know she’d be able to poop earlier?

I can’t poop on command and sometimes I get the urge a few minutes after using the bathroom. I would hate to be blamed for that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you know she’d be able to poop earlier?

I can’t poop on command and sometimes I get the urge a few minutes after using the bathroom. I would hate to be blamed for that

+1. Little children are not robots FFS

[Anonymous]

My daughter used to do that! Drove me batty but it didn’t last that long. I agree make it businesslike and boring, and start the routine earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you know she’d be able to poop earlier?

I can’t poop on command and sometimes I get the urge a few minutes after using the bathroom. I would hate to be blamed for that

Same. My initial thought was that once she gets in bed she relaxes and needs to poop.

If she’s actually going poop OP I’d just let this run its course.

[Anonymous]

Definitely if she’s actually pooping I would just build in the time and say yes. Calm, no big deal.

[Anonymous]

Just start the bedtime routine earlier, don t tell her.