How to handle potty training regression?

[Pumpkin_Pie]

My three year old has been potty trained since February of this year and has been doing great. He was night time trained, but changed preschools about a month ago and started peeing at night so we have gone back to pull-ups for night time for now.

Over the past few days, he has started pooping in his underwear. He will come up to me, and often giggle and smile and announce very proudly (so it seems to me) "Mama! I pooped in my underwear!" It drives me INSANE.... If it were obviously an accident, I would have no problem with it, but it happened three times today, and I flipped out the last time and put him in a pull-up. He was crying and saying that he was a big boy, and I *knew* that I shouldn't be putting him back in pull-ups/diapers, but I was just at my wits end.

A couple of weeks ago, we went together and picked out new underwear that he could have now that he wasn't pooping in them anymore so they wouldn't have any stains (that he HATES seeing when he puts them on). Now all of the new ones are getting stained, and he doesn't want to wear the old stained ones.

Help wise mamas!

[sapphire_chan]

Well, first off, giggling is frequently a defensive response to being embarrassed, so addressing him seeming "proud" from that angle might help.

Does he want you to help remind him to try the toilet at regular intervals or when it looks like he has to go?

From the new stress, is he having any constipation or diarrhea issues? Does his stool seem excessively firm or loose?

Also, undies are cheap, and since I really don't think he's got all that much control over this, I'd go ahead and get him more. But the staining should be helped by a hot water wash and drying in the sun.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

He did have a little constipation for a few days when he started the new school, but is now consistently pooping at school, thankfully. When he poops in his underwear, it is always just the smallest little bit, but enough to leave a stain in them. If I tell him he has to go sit on the potty after an accident, he will always resist, but if I can get him to do it, he will nearly always poop.

I might try reminding him again that he needs to go. I had stopped reminding him when he stopped having accidents, and he was getting annoyed that I was asking him. That is a good point.

As for cheap underwear, unfortunately, we went to Gymboree and bought super cute non-commercial character ones that were not so cheap. Those are the ones that are getting stained. I will definitely try to dry them in the sun. They are all washed and dried right now, I will wet them down when I get home from work and see if the sun will help. I completely forgot about doing that with his cloth dipes way back when he was a baby.

He seems ok this morning, and is back in underwear. Hopefully today is a better day.