how to get your toddler to poop in the potty

Wondering why your child still isn't pooping in the potty? Larn how to get your toddler to poop in the potty, handle poop anxiety and avoid messy accidents!

Despite his success with potty training in simply three days, my toddler wouldn't poop in the potty.

After several months, he still didn't get the hang of pooping in the potty. It seemed like he had a poop accident in his underwear every day. I knew rewards were ineffective, simply even praising him for his progress didn't seem to work.

In fact, he knew when he needed to poop, but rather than sit down on the potty, he'd hide in a corner and squat.

It didn't aid that poop accidents are much, much harder to clean than pee. The fact that he peed in the potty so consistently made it worse, every bit I'd call up, Why are you lot nonetheless having poop accidents subsequently all this fourth dimension?

Perhaps y'all can relate. Mayhap you lot've tried bribing your toddler with toys and stickers and then he'd poop in the potty, or flashed new undies to encourage him to be a big boy. Yous might have even sent him to timeout each time he'd poop in his pants.

But nevertheless, null works.

Thankfully, you have little to worry nearly (other than the inconvenience of cleaning poop accidents). Our pediatrician reassured u.s. that pooping in the potty can take up to a yr to fully master. That a kid can still have poop accidents months down the line, long later he'd been peeing well.

Now, earlier you worry about cleaning poop for a whole year, residual assured you won't be stuck with daily accidents. Instead, your toddler will gradually have fewer poop accidents throughout the coming year.

How to get your toddler to poop in the potty

Notwithstanding, how tin you lot go your child to poop in the potty? And is at that place annihilation you tin can practise to assistance him along?

Thankfully, you're not stuck waiting for this magic moment to arrive. I dug into several tactics that help kids poop in the potty and avoided those that didn't seem to do the flim-flam. In fact, one of the most common strategies—offering rewards—turned out specially ineffective in the long run.

So, what does work, so? Watch the video below, or read the commodity to learn how to get your toddler to poop in the potty:

1. Have set times for your toddler to sit down on the potty

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Asking my son, "Do y'all want to go poop?" e'er elicited the same response: "No."

And then I began walking him to the bathroom to sit on the potty, all without request. I did this in a polite, affair-of-fact way, never forcing him to go. I would simply say in a natural manner, "Information technology's fourth dimension to sit on the potty," or "Let's sit you lot down on the potty now."

Endeavour this every i.5 to ii hours and then your toddler gets used to sitting on the potty. Pooping won't be a source of conflict between the 2 of yous, but something that happens, like a nap or a snack.

In other words, don't give him a pick or inquire him whether he wants to become or non.

Make sure to get him a comfortable potty as well. A floor potty makes it easier for him to sit down on his own, but it does make for messier make clean ups. A toilet attachment makes make clean up easier, but y'all'd need to either carry him onto the seat, or teach him how to utilise a step.

I'thousand a fan of the BabyBjorn potty training gear and used these for all my kids:

Potty Chair

Toilet Trainer

Step Stool

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2. Make sitting on the potty part of your routine

Some other option besides sitting your toddler on the potty at fix times is to make the potty a regular role of your routine.

Routines remove resistance, especially when it'due south function of the day.

But instead of sitting on the potty at set times, do and then before or after regular parts of his solar day. For case, you can sit him on the potty later on he had eaten a meal, or before taking a bath. Whether he goes or not isn't of import then much as helping him develop a routine of sitting.

The best way to know when to sit him down for the potty? Rail when he ordinarily poops, whether on the potty or fifty-fifty in his undies. See if y'all tin can find a pattern, like pooping outset thing in the morn or right after he wakes upward after a nap. You tin then integrate sitting on the potty during these times.

iii. Give your toddler time alone on the potty

Your toddler won't be able to poop if he feels like he's under force per unit area. His body needs to relax and deport downwardly enough to pass poop.

Unfortunately, we tin can add pressure level when we stand up nearby, expecting and hoping that they'll poop this time.

Instead, give him plenty of time solitary to sit on the potty. Stack the bathroom with books or uncomplicated toys he can play with equally he sits. You might fifty-fifty prepare a timer for a few minutes and permit him know he can play sitting downwardly until he hears the beep.

Acquire what to practise when your four yr former won't poop on potty.

iv. Talk about your toddler'southward fears

We forget how overwhelming pooping in the potty can be for toddlers. We're decumbent to get frustrated, especially when they poop in their undies correct after we sat them down on the potty.

But this is a new feel for them, both physically and mentally.

It's strange to become from years of pooping whenever and wherever, to sitting on a potty. Some kids even believe that they're losing a part of themselves when they poop. Others discover the new position awkward, experience scared they'll fall inside and get flushed, or dread potential constipation.

Rather than castor bated these fears, talk about them. Show your toddler it's okay to feel hesitant, and that you understand this is a new experience that would experience overwhelming to anyone. Having his emotions best-selling helps him experience better about pooping.

Larn how to handle your child'south potty training poop feet.

5. Discard your toddler's poop accidents in the toilet

Whether with pull ups or undies, you might find yourself tossing the whole thing away in the trash after a poop accident. Merely use the accident every bit a learning moment and discard the poop in the toilet, with your toddler nearby to scout.

Showing him where poop should go cements the thought of pooping in the toilet, rather than in his pull ups or undies.

If it's a huge, sticky mess, and then go ahead and toss information technology in the trash. But whenever you can, apply accidents to show him where poop needs to go—in the toilet, not his undies.

Get more tips on handling potty training accidents.

half dozen. Stay positive about potty preparation

Every bit helpful every bit information technology is to discard your toddler's poop in the toilet, it's tempting to human activity disgusted as yous do. You might scrunch up your racket, brand a face, or blurt, "Eww, stinky!"

Avoid acting disgusted with his poop, even though it can be an outright mess. He might find your reaction to be further "proof" that pooping in the potty is a negative experience.

Instead, toss the poop, make clean up the mess, and talk about information technology in a positive—or at least neutral—way. Avoid overreacting, and instead treat pooping in the potty as a natural procedure he'll learn to practise on his own.

7. Put your human foot down

Does your child misbehave in the potty, from flushing the toilet multiple times to unrolling the toilet paper? He's likely resorting to these behaviors to get a rise out of you or to stall and purchase him time.

While you lot can't force him to actually poop, you can set boundaries on how he behaves while he's sitting on the potty. Reading books and holding a pocket-size toy are okay—flushing the toilet over and over and making a mess are not.

First, try to forestall the behavior, similar removing the toilet paper out of reach or having him sit on a floor potty. And so, remain at-home as you redirect his behavior so he sees that it won't become a reaction from you.

And finally, focus on creating a positive (or at least neutral) feel, from praising him for progress he'due south made or practiced choices he decided on.

Conclusion

Convincing your toddler to poop in the potty tin can be exhausting, especially when you're cleaning accidents every 24-hour interval. Remainder assured, poop accidents, fifty-fifty long after he'southward mastered peeing in the potty, is normal. With time and practice, he'll eventually poop in the potty.

In the concurrently, you tin help him forth past having set times for him to use the potty and by incorporating potty employ into your routine. When you do, give him plenty of time alone to relax his body and non feel pressured to poop.

When he poops in his undies or diapers, discard the poop into the toilet so he knows that'south where it goes. Talk about his fears and show empathy for what he must be feeling. Stay positive, or at least not disgusted, with using the potty, and put your pes down on inappropriate behavior.

My son did larn to poop in the potty, even after months of accidents. And when his brothers came forth, I knew better than to stress about poop accidents. I knew it could take some fourth dimension—even up to a yr—for kids to finally poop in the potty.

p.s. Bank check out Where'due south the Poop? past Julie Markes for more on how to become your toddler to poop in the potty:

Get more tips:

Your Toddler Refuses to Sit on the Potty? Here'due south Why You Shouldn't Worry
How to Potty Train a Toddler (Without the Power Struggles)
Potty Training Books to Ease Your Toddler's Anxiety
How to Potty Train Gradually
What to Do When Your Toddler Won't Poop on the Potty

Don't forget: Bring together my FREE five-day e-mail mini course, Peaceful Potty Grooming and potty train without frustrating ability struggles: