Tips to help bowel movements

Toilet training children can be difficult for everyone. Here are some tips to help you and your child get the hang of it.

Timing

Encourage your child to try and go to the toilet 20 to 30 minutes after every meal, and before they go to bed.

Posture

Make sure their feet firmly supported, with their knees lightly above their hips, and their back straight, leaning slightly forward. You can use a small stool or box for them to put their feet on.

Relax

Help you child relax by giving them 5 to 10 minutes to do something fun and distract them. Let them read, colour in, play a game, or listen to some music.

Tummy massage

To help ease their discomfort, you can give their tummy a little massage. Do clockwise circles on their lower tummy, or do 6 strokes up on their right, 6 strokes across their belly button and 6 strokes down on their left. This will help move things along. You can also try doing this with a soft foam ball.

Rocking

Help them make a fist or place a soft foam ball onto their left groin. Encourage them to rock themselves forwards and backwards 6 times.

Pushing and blowing

Pushing and blowing can help with getting their tummy muscles to move. Try making them laugh or cough, or let them blow bubbles, balloons, pretend to blow out candles or play a toy harmonica.

Remember

Give them lots of praise for doing the “exercises” regardless of whether or not they have managed to do a poo. It often takes lots of practice but it will be worth it.