Diapers Q&A

My 4-1/2 year old is soiling her underwear almost daily. She had a sore bum, tries to hold it in. Advice?

She's been potty trained with no problems for 2-1/2 years It's been about 6 months of dirty underwear now and I've had enough of it. I took her to the doctor and she prescribed ointment for the anus, to heal any soreness and told us how to keep her stool soft. Now she has soft stools - some get in the toilet, but still a lot go into the underwear. I'm about to put her back in diapers, but she is about to start kindergarten, so it would be very embarassing. Is she just in the habit of trying to hold it now? What can I do?

Public Comments

1. My son went through the EXACT same thing right before school started. He's on a routine of 2 tsp of stool softeners DAILY. It took him about 2 months to get back to normal, once we started him on it. His poor hiney hole was sooooo sore, he was squeezing it all day to hold it in. We had him sit on the potty 2 times a day for 15 minutes each. Then he got on a regular cycle. He's now 7, and he still takes the stool softener EVERY DAY. Just be patient. Her bottom is so sore, and needs time to heal/
2. i'm sure it's embarassing for her!! she's developed an aversion to going because she associates it with pain. you need to try & not punish her for soiling herself, it will shame her even more. reward her for using the toilet. basicallly do what you did to potty train her in the first place. getting her healed up will be a HUGE step!!
3. put her back inn diapers so you on't have to clean her underwear so often. you also could try goodnites or pullups or easy ups which are pull up diapers. you need to contact the school about her diapers.
4. watch her more often!!! duh!!!......if, you want, take sumone else's advice on this question, since i'm 14.
5. When i had this happen to me with a little buddy of mine... i found out he just was too busy playing that he did not want to leave to go to the bathroom. I kept on the hour lookout and told him to go to the bathroom. It helped to keep him clean all day. I noticed this when he started to play games all day. Now it was this problem so i had to go back to limiting his playing the games or reminded him to go every so often. Calling him names, or telling him he will not play the games does not stop the situation. It is the fact that he is just too busy doing something that he does not want to take the time to go to the bathroom....he is 8 years old!....so don't try all the mean ways to stop her from soiling her underclothes. It does not help and it is not a nice way to teach them to go on their own. His friends will remind him at times and when he farts too much, they tell him he better go to the bathroom before he has an accident. I have also told all his friends that i do not want to hear them teasing him or upsetting him about this problem. He is very good at listening to his friends when they tell him to go to the bathroom and at times he does do it on his own. It takes a while but he is better now. Speak to her sweetly and remind her every so often to go to the bathroom. Good Luck, and i am sure you will figure out what is making her do this...
6. My son is 4 1/2 also. He has recently had some issues with this too. Mainly because he's too busy and doesn't go to the bathroom until the absolute last minute! Sometimes he makes it, sometimes he doesn't. If this could be part of your problem, I have started making him go about 1/2 hour after lunch time (which is usually when he goes). I make him go in and use the bathroom before it's too late.