Ok, up until Sunday Abby loved taking a bath. She always asked to take a bath. Sunday night she uncontrollably (sp?) pooped in the bath to which she started screaming the place down. Ever since then she won't go near the bath and if we put her in it she screams and cries like we are torturing her. If you mention a bath through the day, she says "poop bath". So I don't know if she is scared that she will poop again in the bath or what. Has this happened to anybody before? Any suggestions on how to rectify this? DH just had to force her into the bath and wash her hair really quick (cuz she was mingin'), and she screamed like I've never heard her scream before, I had to leave the room cuz it was horrible. Don't know if it's more traumatising for her or me. Oh, and I did try getting in the bath with her to see if that would help, but nope she still screamed until we took her out. Any ideas?

I don't have any suggestions really but I can relate. When we lived in our tiny apartment when Brooke was about a year old all we had was a shower. One time well I was giving her a shower she pooped and it freaked her out really bad. she screamed and backed into the corner of the shower away from her poop like it was some sort of vicious animal or something.. seriously! It was actually kinda comical in a sense. Anyway she never did it again and she wasn't afraid to shower after the incident thankfully. I don't really know what to suggest to help calm her fear. Maybe a new bath toy would take her mind off it??

My dd got pretty freaked out one day while she happened to still be sitting in the tub when the water drained and made the gurgling/sucking noise. The next few baths she cried a little and pointed to the drain saying 'down there' I did offer some new toys/distractions and gentle reassurance, but it sounds like dd is way freaked over it. I can't remember is she pt'ing? Would sitting on the pot to determine "nope, no poop now" help? Where she just had her hair washed, I wonder if waiting a couple days would help her regain comfort?

My dd got pretty freaked out one day while she happened to still be sitting in the tub when the water drained and made the gurgling/sucking noise. The next few baths she cried a little and pointed to the drain saying 'down there' I did offer some new toys/distractions and gentle reassurance, but it sounds like dd is way freaked over it. I can't remember is she pt'ing? Would sitting on the pot to determine "nope, no poop now" help? Where she just had her hair washed, I wonder if waiting a couple days would help her regain comfort?


Nope, not potty training yet cuz she is scared of the toilet too:???: That happened Sunday night and tonight is the first time she's had a bath since it happened and she still flips out. We've tried the new toy thing as well. I even bribed her with Ice Cream :oops: but it didn't work. Micah was in the bath already having a grand ol' time and usually Abby loves taking a bath with him, but tonight she just went mental when we put her in the tub but as soon as we took her out she was ok and laughing at Micah splashing in the bath. Seriously, it's one of those "I'm really terrified, please don't leave me" kinda screams. I'd be like that if I got locked in a closet or something, so I know how she feels but don't know how a bit of poop could cause her to react like that. Thanks for the suggestions ladies. Any more?

we went through a phase with my youngest who was probably about 17 months at the time went from loving it to hating it. so i started to have a bath with her, it took a couple of days and then she was fine again. we both wore our bathing suits in and she thought that it was funny

I would try the bathing suit route. or even buy some little swimmers and tell her that there won't be anymore poopies in the tub because she has this on. If she is scared of the toilet, then it makes sense that she would be scared of the tub if that's where her poop came out all of a sudden. I wouldn't use the word bath, maybe clean up time or swim time. Try changing it up. They have color tablets that you can put in the water, tell her it's magical and it keeps the poopies away. I don't know, I'm just thinking of some things I might do. Do you have another tub in the house. If so, use that one along with the other suggestions. Hopefully you'll find something that will work. Good luck!

Maybe just take her in the shower woth you and give her a shower rather than a bath. Since she's being held and doesn't have to sit in the water she might be ok, esp. if you are taking a shower at the same time. Eventually she'll get over it.:-D

Okay...sounds weird...but same thing happened to us...and we got a new bath toy, told him and SHOWED him the clean water before putting in the bubbles...and then gave him a new little hand sized fish net...Mr Poopy Net...yes, we named it! LOL....Mr. Poopy Net would protect him from any further floaters by getting rid of them! ...weird, I know...but it worked for us! LOL
Oh, the things we do as parents!

Yes, the same thing happened to us with our ds when he was one. Honestly it was just a phase. We always just tried to get it over with as soon as we could. After a few times, he got over it. Now he loves bath time! Hang in there! She won't feel that way forever. Esther offered some good advice for dealing with it in the meantime. :)

Ok, so we've tried the new toy thing. And the swim diaper (which I thought was a really good idea btw). But neither worked. She just had to be forced to take a bath. I actually think the problem is a potty-training issue. So am gonna need some advice. Ever since the incidence of pooping in the bath, when you change her diaper she says "scared poop". So basically anytime the diaper is off, she's scared that she'll poop. So for those of you whose kids were scared when they pooped outside of their diaper, how did you handle it? She won't even sit on the toilet or a little potty, she just starts wimpering and clawing for you to take her off the toilet. So any advice on how to combat this? I wouldn't mind her potty training just now, but she just seems really terrified. Neep help from you experts as this is all new territory to me. Thanks:-D

sorry, no advice Eva
I just saw that you recently responded so I was coming back hoping to read a success story. *sigh*
I just don't even have a clue how to deal with this one.
*hugs* for you though

Aw man T, was hoping you would have some great nuggets of wisdom for me. :-D Ah well, have been making this a matter of prayer cuz I don't want her to be full of fear. Anyone else got any suggestions??

Hmmm, I wonder if it would work to leave it up to her, just sort of brush off bath time as no big deal and tell her she can decide when she wants to take a bath? My ds wasn't afraid but prolonged pt'ing for poop long after he was trained for pee and it wasn't until after I gave up and went about diapering him like it was of no issue or concern to me, that he decided to poop in the toilet all the time. I know this isn't just about poop training, but wonder if the same approach might work? Whether your dd sensing that this is stressin' you out and/or becoming a "big deal" would make a difference depends largely on her personality, but as opposed to exerting a lot of effort (if none of the ideas work) maybe a "let it go" apraoch would work for her?

Have you heard of the book "Everybody Poops" ? You can look it up on amazon. It's a great picture & story book that talks about little boys& girls pooping (even with pics) & animals, etc. The point is to get them used to the idea, that poop isn't scary & everyone does it..
I wonder if reading that to her for a while will help her understand?

In the meantime, I second the idea of showering with her. my 2 yr old loves showering with me.

Thanks for the suggestion of the book, and the other suggestions. I have asked her if she wanted to take a shower with mommy, but she just said "no shower", so I didn't push it. But we had a semi-breakthrough today. Just out of nowhere she said "bath" so I ran a bath with bubbles (we normally go bubble-free due to dry skin issues) and put a swim diaper on her and she actually went in the bath. She never sat down in it...lol but atleast she wanted to take one and she went in the tub. She cried when I washed her hair but it wasn't that terrified kinda cry, more of a protest to getting her hair washed (which she normally does anyway cuz she doesn't like water in her face). So praise the Lord for this mini breakthrough. I hope it continues and eventually she will feel confident enough to sit down in the bath.:-D