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It’s been awhile since we’ve had an article about poop. I am sad to say that it looks as though your luck’s run out. Sorry folks, but it’s just time. This is not the first time I’ve written about poop. You can read about a poopisode that occurred over a year ago, here. Heh, those were the days…

But now, what brings poop to the forefront today? Well, my 3 year-old daughter wears underwear during the day and then diapers at night. She does really well peeing in the potty but has yet to take the poop plunge. (Aside: my brother’s family calls pee “tinkle” and it always makes me laugh. How about you? What are your terms?) She hasn’t expressed fear, isn’t constipated, and hasn’t had a scary experience involving poop (that was my honor, if you read the story from last summer). I have done some reading on this and I know that it’s not uncommon. I am not worried about her age or her development. I know she will be using the bathroom full time before too much time passes.

Here’s the thing that really gets me: she just goes in her underwear. She doesn’t ask for a pull-up or diaper, she just goes about her business and poops in her panties. It’s gross. There is no doubt that I would prefer to change a diaper. Ok, ok, you’ve got me. I would prefer to do nothing as she defecates in the toilet and cleans her own bum, but I am cool with baby steps.

I’m doing what some experts tell me to do: I am patient with her and remind her that poop goes in the potty. We read books about using the potty. We dump the poop into the potty together. We talk about how when she’s ready she will run to the potty and the poop will plunk into the water. She smiles. She laughs. She poops in her panties.

This kid is pretty independent. She likes to have her time alone to play or read or explore. She’s not by my side 24/7 so I haven’t been there to notice her cues. I am really hesitant to go to pull-ups full time, as she really doesn’t need them except for when she poops every other day.

I am quite certain that in my 35 years I have not thought, said or written the word “poop” half a quarter as many times as I have in the past 10 minutes. Thank goodness.

Any ideas?

[tags]kids, toddlers, children, poop, underwear, panties, potty training, age appropriate, gross, diapers, reluctance, bowl movements, bm, parenting, toilet [/tags]

Photo graciously provided by mootje_ mootje, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved