Stop, Drop and Poop!
Why is my child withholding their poop?
To adults it may not make sense when your child ignores the urge to poop. And it can be frustrating when we must clean up accidents because our child ignored the urge to go! Sometimes, there is a legitimate and logical reason to hold it. Like when the only bathroom available is a full porta potty at the baseball field on a 90-degree day! Otherwise, if you got to go, you go right? But withholding poop can be common in younger kids and can lead to bigger problems with constipation and soiling accidents. So why do kids withhold their poop? And what’s the big deal? Does it really matter if we go now or wait until later? Should you get your child to Stop Drop and Poop?
Kids may be scared to poop
Sometimes kids are afraid because of a past painful poop experience they are trying to avoid reoccurring. It can be helpful to explain to your child what happens in their body when they are withholding. And that by ignoring the urge to go, poop backs up making it even more uncomfortable to go. Lots of reassurance and creating softer stool by increasing fiber and fluids in their diet can help. Watch Annette talk about digestion and show us what happens when your child withholds poop in this Digestion Highway video.
Why is withholding a problem?
Our colon, (the last leg of the bowel) has the job of absorbing water from the stool. When your child holds their poop in their bowel for too long, more water from their stool is absorbed by the body which creates dry hard poop that can be difficult to pass. Withholding poop makes constipation worse! When your child eats more food, the poop just keeps piling up which increases the size of the stool. All of this backed up stool can be difficult to pass and can potentially cause leakage of poop and lead to accidents!
Why kids hold their poop in the first place??
In our office we get down on the kids’ level and ask them questions about why they decide to hold it instead of just going to the bathroom. One of the more common reasons they tell us they withhold and ignore the urge to poop is because they are too busy, and they just can’t stop playing! They have FOMO! (Fear of Missing Out!)
Kids are afraid:
their toy will be taken by another child
a sibling may take their seat
they will miss the show
the game will continue without them
friends will continue to play without them
Stop Drop & Poop!
Withholding is a learned behavior. It’s so important to change this holding behavior and we have some tips and tricks to help you convince your child to Stop Drop and Poop! Kids need to feel in control of their own bodies, and this is one thing they are definitely in charge of. Caregivers can help kids in a big way by using some simple strategies. First, it’s very important to start by having a conversation. It is best to talk about the issue ahead of time. Trying to have this conversation while your child has just had an accident because she was ignoring the urge to go isn’t the time to talk about this. Then, when you’re trying to convince your child to stop, drop, and poop, you can recall the conversation you had. Explain what will happen while they are away from the fun to use the toilet.
Help Kids Stop Drop & Poop with these tips and phrases:
You won’t miss anything fun
We will pause the show or game until you get back
Your teacher or parent will hold the toy for you
Ask older siblings or friends to encourage child to go- “we can stop so you can go and we'll wait for you”
Explain that accidents take a lot longer to clean up
Set timers to remind them to take a break to go. Click here for a cool watch they can wear and set reminders on
If your child is withholding and you need more tips and tricks, reach out to Annette and Jess to discuss your child’s unique situation Click here to send us an email.
Why does your child not want to stop what she is doing to go? Leave a comment below
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