Getting toddler to poop in potty can be a challenging task for numerous parents. You may find that the toddler is easily using the potty to urinate, but when it comes to poop they withhold and will refuse to sit in the potty and even if they do sit, they will not perform the act and hold it. This can become frustrating for parents as they do not have a way to get their toddler to poop in the potty. Below are some useful tricks that you can use to train your toddler to poop in potty.

How to Get Toddler to Poop in Potty

Warning: While you are helping your toddler learn to poop in the potty, you should ensure in the beginning that they are not suffering from constipation. If they have big, hard and painful bowel movement, they will be afraid to use the potty to poop. If this is the problem, then you can increase their fluid intake and also fiber intake. You can also use a stool softener to make the stools soft and thereby easy to pass.

If your toddler is not suffering from constipation or if she had constipation but you have now fixed the problem then you can follow the tips mentioned below to help her to pass regular stools on the potty.

1. Do Not Force Your Toddler

Take care to never force your toddler into making her poop into the potty. Tell her that she can try whenever she feels she is ready to poop into the potty. Make her feel that she has to decide about the whole issue. Forcing a toddler who has trouble passing stool into the potty will increase her resistance. It can also scare her more if she is holding back due to fear. Forcing can also increase the chances of developing constipation in your toddler.

2. Hold off on Flushing

It may happen in some toddlers that they fear the sound of flushing. If the same is with your baby, then hold off on the flushing till the time she goes out of the room. As she gradually becomes comfortable with the noise, then you can decrease the distance-she goes out of the room to the other room, then she stands in the hallway, then in the doorway and so on. After she feels ready and comfortable, you can ask her to pull down the lever herself.

3. Say Good-bye Before Flushing

If you find that your toddler is anxious while flushing her poop, you can encourage her to say good-bye to it before flushing it down the drain. This way she will feel better about separating from her poop. You can also do some test runs with toilet paper; however, make sure to tell her what is not flushable as she may end up flushing her toys, your keys or cell phone for fun.

4. Call in Reinforcements

You can also ask someone from outside such as your toddler’s preschool teacher, her pediatrician or a grandparent (who are neutral but caring) to encourage her to poop on the potty. It carries more weight than your regular pleas. This is a very important step when answering how to get toddler to poop in potty if you run out of ideas.

5. Get Your Toddler Comfortable with Pooping in the Bathroom

You should encourage your toddler to pass her stool in the bathroom; even if that implies that she is sitting in the corner and doing it in her pull-up. Once she is comfortable going in the bathroom then you can ask her to sit on the potty in her pull-up and pass the stool. As a next step you can undo the pull-up and eventually you can remove it. Some parents make a hole in the pull-up, so that the toddler is still pooping in the pull up but the poop falls in the potty.

6. Read Fun Books or Sing Songs

If your toddler gets upset on the subject then it is very likely that she may hold her poop in. This leads to a vicious cycle: your child’s stool will become harder, bigger and will be more painful when she tries to get them out and that will make her more resistant to go to the potty to pass her stools.

Read your toddler books about passing stools in a potty as in this way you will not only talk about the subject but also make it fun. You can find some good books on the subject in your local library or children’s bookstore. You can also sing her songs or rhymes. This will make her relax and pass a bowel movement.

Video: Thomas the train shows how to poop on potty, which makes the pooping process a whole lot funnier and easier

7. Do Not Punish

The most important thing is to not punish your child for not pooping on a potty. This turns into a big power struggle and will make potty training more difficult. If your child is reluctant to go in the potty and you are withholding her pull-up, then there are chances of her becoming constipated or having accidents in her underwear.

8. Soothe Common Fears

When your toddler’s refusal to poop on a potty is due to common fears such as she may be afraid of falling in the toilet or she may feel that some monsters will come from inside and eat her, then it is important to soothe her fears and encourage her to say good-bye to her poop.s,

9. Offer Extra Motivation

You can also try motivating your kid by praising her and giving her little gifts when she poops in the potty. You can clap her achievement and also give her some cookies or candies as a token of encouragement.

10. Start a Countdown

You can also set a timetable for your child. You can keep telling your toddler that when she turns 3 years old, then she will no longer poop in a diaper or pull-up. This way you are mentally preparing your child to poop in the potty at the decided time.

Here is another poop song that makes potty training more fun:

Experiences of Other Moms on How to Get Toddler to Poop in Potty

1. Work with Your Toddler to Come Up with New Ideas

“My daughter still would not go on a potty to poop while she was 3 years old. I came with an idea, which I found in a book. I talked with my toddler to work upon some poopy plan, which I started writing on a piece of paper. My daughter got excited about this and I came with some ideas such as she can hold the diaper in her hand while she is pooping in the potty. She also came up with some ideas. This process not only makes the training fun but also makes your toddler feel that she is a very important part in making the decision.”

2. Wait for It to Happen

“My son was 2-1/2 years old and was still not pooping on the potty. I tried many things, but to no avail. Finally, I let it be and gave up on trying to potty train. To my surprise, some months later, when he turned 3-1/2 years old, he came to me and told me that he wants to poop on the potty and he removed his diaper and pooped on the potty. That was the end of the problem. “