2 1/2 Year Old Going #2 in Bath Tub

It's perfectly normal for his age. The warm water "loosens" things up. Both of my boys did it at that age. I know it's frustrating but the good news is that he should soon out grow it.

My son did the same thing so we started the routine of sitting on the potty until he pooped before getting into the bath. My doctor told me it is the warm water that makes them want to go in the tub - but I was with you in not wanting to sanitize the tub every night. Another thing that also worked was ending the bath immediately when he did poop in it and making a big deal about how "gross" it was. Good luck....

Can you tell that he's going poop as it's happening: red face, grunting, etc.? If not, it sounds like he doesn't have much control over it; it's just happening due to the warm water relaxing his body.

I would have him sit on the toilet before you give him a bath, and try to poop. Maybe if he holds a warm washcloth on his stomach, it would have the same effect.

Another possibility is to move his bath time to a different time.

my son did the same thing...and after about a year or so he stopped. i would just bare with it and remember this when he gets older when you can tell a story about him in front of his friends!!!! this will pass!!!

It's a natural relaxation response to the warm water. Don't make a big deal about it, just remove him, rinse the tub and start again. All my kids did it at about 2, and it passes, unless they get a big "show" from mom about how bad it is. It's not intentional and won't become so, unless you make it into such and then, when he's old enough to have total bowel control, he may do it for spite.

SAHM of seven, four of them boys

I wouldn't make it a naughty thing-- my niece is 6yrs old, and is very constipated. When she has a "tummy ache" she asks my sister to run a warm bath for her--w/ in 3 minutes of sitting in the tub she is up and out going potty. Some weeks that is the ONLY way she can go.

I also have a 15 month old, and she poops just about every time she is in the tub. She is also constipated so when I see her struggling I put her in the tub.

I know it is annoying, but I guess I would rather they go, then have intestinal issues. Is he potty trained? If he isn't then this might be a way to start that-- With him being 2 1/2 maybe you could just train him (w/out it being a punishment) to let you know when he feels like he has to go. I know some kids don't have the control, especially in the water, so when it comes, it just comes.

I am sure this is a phase and it too shall pass. I am just not sure you want him to think he is being naughty--he may not want to bathe if he associates the bath w/ negativity.

Good Luck!

I don't think it's a naughty thing. I think he's nice and relaxed and it just happens.

My daughter has done this and infact she even grabbed a handful at one time and put it in her mouth... I know totally gross huh?

I would try and put him on the potty before bathtime or catch him in the act and put him on the potty super fast. Or let him in the tub for a min. or two just enough time to get relaxed and then put him on the potty. After he goes#2 let him back in the tub.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Like others have said, warm water is a natural stimulant to relax and allow bowel movements. My almost 2 y.o daughter did have a BM in the bath the other night while sharing the tub with her sister (6 yo). We just cleaned it up although my 6 yo was definitely grossed out. Now, if I'm going to allow them to play, which gives the most relaxation time...I just slip a disposable swim diaper on my little one and let them play away. I take the diaper off at the very end to clean with soap before taking them out. If you don't stress out and make a big deal out of it...neither will your little one. Good luck.

I agree with the last reply... My son did it once when he was little and so did my daughter. I have since make sure that they go before going into the tub... even to this day, that is our routine: potty while the bath water runs, then into the tub they go.
Good luck with your solution. You're not alone.
~SR

Run the water to fill up the tub and keep your son in the bathroom while doing it. Take your time getting him undressed, etc. The sound of that water and the ritual of getting ready should be enough to trigger him to poop so put him on the toilet/potty right before putting him in the bathtub. Remind him what happened last time and firmly encourage him to poop before you let him take a bath.

Its nice to hear someone else has this problem. The first time my now 5 year old son did it (he was around 18 months) I remember thinking, "now what am I supposed to do?!" In fact, I once ended up in the ER with an asthma attack after fumigating myself with oxyclean while sanityzing the tub after such an incident. My 3 year old has done it too in the past but more often. However, the last time he pooped in the tub, it was really my fault. I wasn't paying close enough attention to him or I would have seen the signs.

He hasn't had an accident in the tub for some time. It may partly be due to the fact that he has to be rinsed off with the shower and he hates the shower. I keep my voice calm and simply said "Gabe, because you pooped in the bathtub, we have to rinse you off." And even though he was crying and screaming about it, I just calmly kept rinsing him off and took him out of the tub when we were done. I do think its important not to punish him or yell at him because you don't want your son to think its bad he pooped.

Here's what I am trying to do to avoid it in the future:
* I remind him that we do not poop in the tub before putting him in the water and a few time during the bath.
* I stopped using the squeezie toys in the bath since I can't be confident that all the poop is out of the inside.
* I pay even closer attention to him if I know he hasn't pooped all day.
* I try to push the fiber in his diet so he is regular and more predictable with his pooping.

If you are going crazy with potty-teaching, you might want to pull back a bit. Kids will frequently hold their poop when they are going through the process and it may be that he just can't help himself when he's in the tub. Maybe try putting a potty chair right next to the tub and if he looks like he's starting to get that concentrated look, grab him out and put him on the seat.

Good Luck. He'll outgrow it!

I didn't read through all the responses so someone already may have suggested this..if so, sorry! How about having him wear a disposable swim diaper for bathtime? You can tell him, "when you need to go poopie, you can take off the diaper and sit on the potty and then you can take your bath without a diaper." The good news is that you can rinse (with soap, of course!) out the swim diaper and have him wear it next time.

It is probably the warm water that is relaxing him and making him poop...stand close guard to him while bathing and when it looks like he is going to poop, take him out and put him on the toliet...when he is done put him back in the bath. I also agree that it is probably not a naughty thing either... just be prepared for it...if you cant catch it, only put a few toys in the tub so you can clean them off if need be.

T.; if he asks for a bath, then you say ok, and you draw the bath water as usual, then when you undress him you put him on the potty and say go poo poo first, sit and wait, he might go, and the comfort of the warm water may help the release, if he dont go poo poo , maybe he dont get a bath, give him a shower instead, ? yeah poo in the water would not be fun, just keep doing what you are doing, if he dont go, go ahead and give him a bath, watch his face, does it change, or does he look at yah while in the tub just before he has to go, read his signs, then pull him out like you did and put him on the toilet, i think your doing fine, maybe just say poo poos go in the toilet like you did and not in the bathtub, its ok to poo poo it does not make you naughty to poo, so might need to be careful with words, but your right we dont poo poo in the bath, just keep trying and watch for signs, how often is he pooping ? is it a pattern, what does he eat before,? etc, facial expressions, any way hope all works out for yah, D. s