Trouble Toilet Training?
Helping your Child poop on the potty
- Make certain that your child is drinking plenty of fluids all day long. Stick to water and juice (apple, pear, cranberry, grape and prune juice, but not orange or other citrus juices.)
- Be sure your child eats plenty of fiber-rich foods every day. Vegetables (especially raw ones), fruit, whole grains, brown rice, beans and oatmeal are some examples. Avoid giving your child junk food, refined sugar, soda pop, candy and chocolate.
- Limit foods that constipate such as bananas, rice, applesauce, cheese, citrus juice, and carbonated sodas.
- If your child has food allergies or lactose intolerance (milk products) these can cause constipation for him. If you suspect this may be true talk to your doctor.
- If your child has been constipated apply petroleum jelly or diaper ointment to her rectum before potty visits.
- Make sure your child has plenty of daily exercise, which stimulates digestion, prevents constipation, and is necessary for proper elimination.
- Be sure that your child is peeing every 1 ½ to 2 hours. Regular urination is a necessary component to regular bowel movements.
- Take your child to the potty first thing in the morning and 10 to 30 minutes after a full meal when bowel movements are likely to happen.
- Teach your child to go when the urge hits. Explain that the poop trying to come out and she should go right to the potty.
- Purchase a soft, padded child’s adapter seat for the toilet, or a potty chair with a soft seat. Some children find it difficult to sit on the hard surface for the length of time it takes to make a bowel movement.
- If you find your child has had a bowel movement in her pants, calmly take her to the bathroom. Flush her poop down the toilet with a comment to explain that’s where it goes. Have her sit on the potty while you wipe her bottom, and let her know that soon she’ll do her poopy on the potty.
- If your child will only go in a diaper begin to have her do so in the bathroom. Progress to having her sit on the potty, in her diaper if she’d like. Once she is used to this suggest taking her diaper off and putting it into the potty bowl as a ‘pocket’ to catch her poopie. You might find success by cutting through the crotch of the diaper so that it still is wrapped around her, but the bottom is open to let the poop drop into the potty.
- Make sure that your child sits long enough to empty her bladder or bowel each time she uses the toilet. Make it a relaxing three to five minutes.
- Make sure that your child’s legs are comfortable and knees are slightly apart and that her feet are firmly planted on the floor or a sturdy stool.
- Help your child relax on the potty by reading books, telling a story, singing a song or chatting.
- Have your child close her eyes, and take a few deep breaths while you talk or sing softly.
- Play soothing music during potty sits.
- If your child is giving signs of needing to poop, but on the toilet and not having success, try having your child lean forward and rest his upper body against you while you rub the lower back gently. You can also have him sit backwards on the toilet and lean against the tank.
- Read books about using the potty, especially those that talk about poop (yes, really!) such as these:
Everyone Poops (My Body Science)
by Taro Gomi, Amanda Mayer Stinchecum (Translator)
Kane/Miller Book Publishers; 1st American edition (March, 1993)
Where's the Poop?
by Julie Markes, Susan Kathleen Hartung
HarperFestival; Liftflap edition (March, 2004)
The Truth about Poop
by Susan E. Goodman, Elwood Smith (Illustrator)
Viking Juvenile (May 11, 2004)
(This one is aimed at older children, but has lots of tidbits that you can pick out to share with your child – funny and informative, too.)
Meet our expert:
Elizabeth Pantley is a mother of four and the best-selling author of eight parenting books, including: The No-Cry Potty Training Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-Bye to Diapers. She is also a contributing author to The Successful Child with Dr. William Sears. Based in Washington, Pantley is the president of Better Beginnings Inc. (a family resource and education company) and a parenting expert for a variety of publications including: Parents, Parenting and Redbook. (www.pantley.com)
Photography by ROL
