Potty Training Tips: Poo Problems 💩

I get asked a lot about why toddlers and young children are happy to wee in the toilet, but not so happy to do anything else, or why some children hold onto their poo. 💩 One of the most common and frustrating toilet-training roadblocks is when a child happily wees in the potty but demands a nappy, or uses their pants, for bowel movements. When I was a Reception Class Teacher some children would actually hold on to their bowel movements all day at school, which creates severe constipation, and that further complicates the issue. It’s helpful to understand why children typically resist having a bowel movement on the toilet, or hold back from going. Bowel movements take too long to wait for and an active child doesn’t like having to sit on the potty or the loo for the extended length of time it might take to pass a poo. After being used to the squashed, squidgy, warm sensation of a stool coming out into a nappy, the feeling of letting it loose into the air is sometimes unsettling, strange & scary for some children. A child is used to standing or moving during bowel movements, and sitting still on the potty is an uncomfortable change of routine. Your child thinks the poo is part of them and doesn’t understand why they should flush it away. A bad experience, such as being splashed on the bottom with urine or water during a movement, or having a messy accident, can upset your child and they may want to avoid it happening again. A painful poo from a previously difficult, or hard stool, can make your child afraid to poo in the potty. A current case of constipation is preventing their usual movement. SO ……. Don’t try to solve the problem without understanding why it exists. Once you’ve identified your child’s possible reason for avoiding a bowel movement you can create the best plan for helping them to have a regular and natural movement. Become a detective to your child’s possible reasons. 🕵️‍♀️ Then while you put your plan together consider these basic dos and don’ts. What not to do: Don’t get angry. Don’t scold, shout or nag your child or make them feel ashamed. Your little one isn’t doing this on purpose, they’re not trying to make you cross, frustrated or embarrassed and they don’t understand how to solve this any more than you do at the moment Don’t make your child sit on the toilet and “try” or push. Bowel movements come out when the body is ready, and forcing them can create small tears in the anus (fissures) or haemorrhoids, which cause all-day pain in the rectum. This will cause your child to avoid pooing even more, which leads to constipation, which creates hard stool, which causes more haemorrhoids, and on and on and on which created a rather negative and stressful cycle of pain and frustration and anxiety. Don’t let your child strain when they sit to try to poo. Of course, a little bit of pushing can be necessary for a normal bowel movement, but if your child is grunting, straining and forcing, it’s a sign that either they’re not quite ready to go, or are somewhat constipated. Get them to drink a large glass of water, or to eat a piece of fruit and then try again in ten or twenty minutes. Don’t ever make your child “hold it.” When they announce the need to go, or if you notice that their body signals are indicating a need to go, find a toilet immediately. Delaying and holding contributes to constipation and other bowel problems. What to do: 🎈 Read more here https://sueatkinsparentingcoach.com/2022/02/potty-training-tips-poo-problems/ If you’ve found this helpful please tip me so I can keep giving my advice on my Toddler Roadmap Peanut Group for free thanks 🙏