How to: Help your child poop on the potty
We’ve put together 3 tips that can be used with your child when it comes to pooping in the potty!
The tip below can be used if:
You are just getting started with potty training and want to set your little one up for the best chance of success
You are in the process of potty training and want to help your child connect the dots for poop
Your child is already potty trained for pee but is struggling with pooping on the potty
**Important note: It is always recommended that you rule out any possible medical or health concerns that could be contributing to your child’s poop struggles and the potty training process overall.
Some reasons children may prefer pooping in their diaper/pull-up are because they can:
do it in private
get in a better “poop position”
poop while playing
And, it is what they are most familiar with!
Another thing to keep in mind is some children can develop aversive feelings about pooping on the potty during potty training. This can happen if there is any pain associated with pooping on the toilet or they have other nerves associated with the process.
All that being said, let’s go over the 3 tips for helping your child poop on the potty:
Tip 1:
Help make the bathroom a fun place
You can do this in a variety of ways.
One of our biggest recommendations is to have a special box or bin of toys that are specifically for the bathroom.
Keeping the toys in the bathroom can help keep them exciting and will become a positive association for the bathroom.
Other things that can make the bathroom fun is to allow your child to bring a toy with them when they are going potty, use fun foamy soaps, put up silly pictures, or play music in the bathroom!
Tip 2:
Utilize things that help to motivate your child
Learning to poop in the potty is a really big shift and your child might not fully understand how beneficial this new skill will be.
Some extra motivation can go a long way! You can motivate your child with praise, fun activities, or items.
We wrote a blog for you that talks about Rewards vs Praise and how they can be incorporated into the potty training process. Motivation can be an especially useful strategy to use if your child has any fears of pooping on the potty.
Tip 3:
Talk about poop in a low-pressure & encouraging way
Our little ones can certainly pick up on our nerves and frustrations. Even if teaching your child to poop is not going the smoothest, we strongly suggest you talk about poop in a low-pressure way.
Steer clear of words with a negative connotation, such as stinky, yucky, and gross. (Unless your toddler finds those words hilarious and then it might work to your advantage :P) Doing the opposite has the potential to contribute to your child’s nerves about pooping on the potty.
You want your child to feel relaxed and comfortable to push out that bowel movement. You can help them bring awareness to the bodily sensations. If you feel comfortable with it, you can even show them how the poop process goes for yourself so that they can see it’s a normal and easy experience. Encourage your child to keep trying and to listen to their body.
Pooping in the potty can take a little more time to fully “come together” compared to learning to pee on the potty.
Some children simply need time, practice, and patience to get the skill down.
If your child needs a little bit more help to learn, that is okay!
