Teaching your child to poo on a potty

Guest post by Dr Kate McGarry

Helping your child transition from nappies to using the potty can be one of the trickiest parts of toilet training. While urination tends to come more easily, mastering bowel movements and teaching your child to poo on a potty often takes more time and patience. This is because relaxing the muscles needed for a poo is more challenging, and bowel movements are less frequent and predictable than wees.

To make the process smoother, it’s important to create a consistent routine, provide gentle guidance, and normalise the experience of doing a poo on a potty. Below, I’ll share practical tips to support your child through this transition with confidence and ease.

Regular potty sits after meals

One of the first steps to take is establishing a routine which includes regular potty sits. Children thrive on predictability and feel more confident when they know what to expect. Try to encourage your child to sit on the potty about 20-30 minutes after each meal, as this timing takes advantage of the body’s natural gastrocolic reflex, a response that stimulates movement in the intestines after eating and creates the urge to poo.

By incorporating these regular potty sits into your child’s daily routine, you’re helping them recognise and respond to their body’s natural signals, making the transition to using the potty much smoother.

Bum Squeezes

Once your child is sitting on the potty, the next step is helping them initiate a bowel movement. This can be tricky, as the process of pooing is complex, so breaking it down into simple steps can make it easier. One effective technique is encouraging bum squeezes, a type of pelvic floor exercise that helps activate the anal sphincter muscle, making it easier for your child to control and start a bowel movement.  As a parent, your role is to coach your child through these exercises in a fun and engaging way.

Try different techniques, such as:

• Pushing their tummy out while saying “eeeeeee”
• Blowing up a balloon
• Blowing bubbles in a cup through a straw
• Playing a recorder
• Blowing a windmill toy

A fantastic resource to introduce bum squeezes is Squiggy the Poo, a storybook that teaches children how to engage their muscles while helping the main character. As your child becomes more familiar with bum squeezes, gradually increase the number they do during each potty sit. After practicing, allow them some alone time on the potty with a book, tablet, or quiet activity. This space encourages independence and helps them become comfortable with the process of doing a poo on a potty.

Daily toileting stories

For many children, using the potty for pooing can feel daunting and overwhelming. One of the best ways to normalise and demystify the process is through daily toileting and poo stories. Books provide children with relatable experiences, helping them understand challenges, see how characters navigate them, and apply solutions to their own lives. Reading a bedtime story focused on toilet training and pooing can be an effective, low-pressure way to build your child’s confidence and comfort with using the potty for poos.

Glitter Poos

The ultimate goal of potty training is for your child to use the toilet independently. A great way to build a fun and positive association with the toilet is through glitter poos. Whenever your child does a poo in their nappy or potty, take it to the toilet to flush away. Before flushing, make it a playful moment and tell them you’re dressing the poo up to get it ready to go home! Let them sprinkle a little glitter into the toilet and wave goodbye as they flush. Fun rituals like this not only reinforce the connection between poo and the toilet, they also add an extra layer of excitement and motivation for your child to use the potty.

Handling potty sit resistance

It’s common for children to resist potty sits when transitioning from nappies. Often, this resistance stems from a desire for control and independence. The key to overcoming it is not reacting too strongly. Insisting on potty sits can lead to more defiance, making the process even harder. Instead, if your child refuses to sit on the potty, take a short break from scheduled sits for a few days. This helps reset the situation. When you reintroduce potty sits, make them fun. Treat potty time as a game rather than a task. Start with playful potty games, and once your child is comfortable, gradually increase sitting times with timed potty sitting challenges. If you need creative game ideas and additional support, check out Squiggy the Poo: Fun & Games for engaging activities to encourage longer potty sits.

Remember that teaching your child to poo on a potty is a journey, not a race. Celebrate small successes, stay patient through setbacks, and provide lots of encouragement along the way. Every child develops at their own pace. With time, consistency and a supportive approach, your child will gain the confidence to poo on a potty independently.

 

Dr. Kate McGarry is a Developmental Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at Birmingham Newman University, specialising in stool withholding and toileting issues in children. She shares expert advice and support on Instagram at @stoolwithholdinghelp and is author of Stool Withholding: A practical guide for parents.