Fake Poo/ Pee Trips

Question

I am wondering if anyone has any insight on this situation we are in.

My boy is 20 month old, hes been able to tell us when he wants to poop for sometime now. He usually poops once a day in the morning and hes done, sometimes he goes a second time in the afternoon.

However, recently... he's been wanting to poop when hes going to sleep. When we bring him to the toilet, dropped his pants and diapers... he says he's ALL DONE and wants to leave/ play/ move around. Then after, he protests greatly to wearing his diaper back. Then after, we can repeat this for as many as 7-8 times! Believing that he really needs to go.. but turns out to be a fake request. sometimes he sits downs and pees..and he's ALL DONE

I dont know if I should ignore his request which could jeopardize what we had before (when he tells us he wants to poop, and he does)

Any insights/ advises?

Answer 1

At some point, children start doing everything they can come up with in order to stay out of bed the longest they can. Drink, eat, hug, pee, poo, light, change diaper - that was our daughter's list. She requested all those things in random order every evening; sometimes we complied, sometimes not - until we said enough.

There is only one thing to do: you have to decide what - how many times - you allow him to do after going to bed and stick to it (in our case we allowed water and some hugs). You're in bed now - no peeing or pooping in the potty, do what you must, but in the diaper.

After a short "no exceptions" period (a week or so) when we didn't comply with any of her requests, she severely limited them. After a longer period, she's stopped fussing seeing that it doesn't work. And now, when she wants something, we usually let her have/do it, because she usually really does.

In short, the advice is as usual in parenting: do what you think is right and be consistent. Your boy will adapt.

Answer 2

Odds are it's as Dariusz says, just delaying bedtime.

But, do consider the possibility that he's constipated, also. Our two year old (who's completely potty trained now) has this happen periodically, where he says he needs to poop, then tries, can't, then does it again twenty minutes later. Typically it's because he's a bit constipated (as he tends to anyways, he's our worse vegetable eater); it's not delaying (and often not at times where delaying makes sense), it's just feeling constipated and legitimately responding to the feeling.

If it's only happening at bedtime, it's probably just delaying, but keep this in mind if it happens at other times.