my seven year old poops his underwear

[MOMMY10]

My seven year old would suddenly start having accidents.  He'll do fine for weeks and suddenly he starts having accidents twice a day, at home or out.  Today I made him clean his underwear and took away all the toys he likes to play with and told him he needs to earn them by showing me he can use the toilet.  Please advise if I am doing the right thing or if I should do something else.
Thanks

[texasmom001]

   Make sure that he understands that when he Pees, he also needs to give his body a chance to Poop as well.  I taught all 3 of my boys to SIT for ANY bathroom function!  Boys tend to run to the bathroom, pee and run out - because it it so easy to do so; however if they have to pull their pants down, then sit down, it seems to make it easier for them to poop while they are at it.  
  Also if you get them in the habit of sitting on the toilet for at least 30 min. or until they poop, after EVERY meal, it will get them in the habit of giving their body time to do what it needs to do (if something goes IN, then something MUST come OUT).
   While many will say don't worry about it, that is a DANGEROUS attitude.  My now 10yo daughter had the same problem from age 5, and she was given Miralax by 11 different doctors.  Finally at age 8, She went 3 months without pooping, and I took her to Cook Children's Hosp. in Ft. Worth (without a referral), and she had COLON CANCER.  The years of MIRALAX just gave the cancer time to grow!!  She had to have part of her colon removed, and will spend the rest of her life having to have annual checks with the threat of CA hanging over her head.
   PLEASE use the brain God gave you - YOU are the child's mom; who knows your child better than YOU?  No One!!  So if YOU are having a problem with it, and YOU know there is something wrong and not normal, then keep going to doctors until someone LISTENS and takes x-rays and MRIs.  If you do not, it could cost your child his life!  Do not wait to see if he will outgrow it.  He may not live that long.
   Also, even if nothing is physically wrong, just the habit of pooping in his pants and getting used used to having it in his pants, after years of it, will be hard, if not impossible, to break.

[Sandman2]

    The rule for any kind of a consequence for children of this age is that it should be immediate and brief.  To take away toys and not allow them back till he earns the privilege is a good strategy if he is driving the family car - but not till then.
   Cleaning his underware at least is an immediate and short response.  I think your time would be better served in figuring out why this happens.  Look back at his day.  What did he eat?  What was he doing.?  Also take a look at the mess.  If it is runny and it normally is not - that would indicate something he ate didn't agree with him and went through a lot faster than normal.
   As Margy said, these probably are accidents.  You can prevent them by figuring out what is causing them.  He is too young to figure this out by himself.

[texasmom001]

   Make sure that he understands that when he Pees, he also needs to give his body a chance to Poop as well.  I taught all 3 of my boys to SIT for ANY bathroom function!  Boys tend to run to the bathroom, pee and run out - because it it so easy to do so; however if they have to pull their pants down, then sit down, it seems to make it easier for them to poop while they are at it.  
  Also if you get them in the habit of sitting on the toilet for at least 30 min. or until they poop, after EVERY meal, it will get them in the habit of giving their body time to do what it needs to do (if something goes IN, then something MUST come OUT).
   While many will say don't worry about it, that is a DANGEROUS attitude.  My now 10yo daughter had the same problem from age 5, and she was given Miralax by 11 different doctors.  Finally at age 8, She went 3 months without pooping, and I took her to Cook Children's Hosp. in Ft. Worth (without a referral), and she had COLON CANCER.  The years of MIRALAX just gave the cancer time to grow!!  She had to have part of her colon removed, and will spend the rest of her life having to have annual checks with the threat of CA hanging over her head.
   PLEASE use the brain God gave you - YOU are the child's mom; who knows your child better than YOU?  No One!!  So if YOU are having a problem with it, and YOU know there is something wrong and not normal, then keep going to doctors until someone LISTENS and takes x-rays and MRIs.  If you do not, it could cost your child his life!  Do not wait to see if he will outgrow it.  He may not live that long.
   Also, even if nothing is physically wrong, just the habit of pooping in his pants and getting used used to having it in his pants, after years of it, will be hard, if not impossible, to break.

[MOMMY10]

Hello: Thank you for your response.  I didn't think about school before, there is nothing new happening at home, he is doing great at school, he had an accident at school months ago and never again.  We check that he wipes properly, last night before going to bed he went for pee, a few minutes later I smelled something and checked him and he was just starting to do it in his underwear I got after him and took him to the toilet and did in no time, it is very frustrating.

[margypops]

Does his school make sure he has breaks to use the bathroom sometimes the teachers are busy and forget and children dont always like to ask to go. Does he get on well at school nothing that upsets him, anything happen at home, new sibling ,new house, isit some staining as maybe he isnt wiping properly this is very common, no punishments for this he will learn , these are accidents.