How to poop your toddler in the bathroom

Toilet training for toddlers is no joke. Whatever the expert promises between an accident and a stubborn refusal to “try”, getting a toddler to work in a real toilet tends to be a long and time-consuming process. In particular, one of the most common problems during potty training is the total refusal to poop in the potty. Also called “Stool toilet refusalThis is when the toddler is willing to pee in the bathroom, with few accidents, but refuses to poop in the bathroom for at least a month.

“This is very common,” he said. Francine Zelzer, Qualified psychologist and child behavior expert. In her practice, she is increasingly seeing infants with this problem for a variety of reasons.

Exclude medical problems such as constipation

For many of the families Zeltser works with, infants’ refusal to poop on the toilet is due to the history of past or present constipation. “When children are suffering from chronic constipation, it is painful to defecate,” Zeltser said. “Children have a lot of fear about defecation because they don’t know if it will hurt.”

When a baby becomes constipated, he often has a poop for fear of being hurt. This exacerbates constipation, further hurt and even more afraid. It’s a vicious cycle that frustrates parents and toddlers alike.

For this reason, Zelster recommends talking to a pediatrician who may recommend a laxative course. This makes it less painful to poop. Zeltser also recommends that you do not start potty training until your baby has regular bowel movements.

Anxiety may be a problem

If the problem is not constipation, other anxieties may be at work. As Zeltser points out, potty training is a big change. From the time they were born, they were pooping and peeing in their diapers that they might need anytime, anywhere.

“We’re undoing what our kids have been doing for the rest of their lives,” Zeltser said. Pee finishes relatively quickly, but pee requires the infant to sit in the toilet for a long time and can cause further anxiety whether or not he is afraid to fall into the bowl or get wet.

If anxiety is a problem, one way to help your toddler is to break down the steps. For example, you can start by having your diaper poop when you’re in the bathroom, and then slowly move from having your diaper poop while standing to having your diaper poop when you’re sitting in the bathroom. ..

“Anxiety is an expectation of the unknown,” Zelster said. “Try breaking it down into manageable parts, and they can clearly expect what their experience will look like.”

Another potential reason for not pooping in the bathroom can be impatience. If your toddler is very active or impatient, you will not want to sit for enough time to poop on the toilet.

Bribes work, but they are strategic

Parents of all potty training wonder if bribes work at some point. The answer is yes, bribes definitely work. If the bribe works and keeps you and your child sane, keep the bribe away.

However, rewards are best strategic. Zelster recommends trying natural rewards such as “you can go play after pooping” and “you can watch your favorite videos after pooping”. Eventually, you will need to stop offering bribes.

“You can’t carry an M & M forever,” Zelster said.