How do I teach my child to hold in their poop until they reach a toilet?

How do I teach my child to hold in their poop until they reach a toilet?

When toilet training your child, accidents will happen. Sometimes, those accidents happen because your child didn’t make it to the toilet in time. Work with your child to help them understand when it is time to use the toilet by:

• Scheduling times to use the toilet throughout the day, especially after meals.
• Teaching your child what it feels like when their body tells them that they need to use the toilet.
• Making sure your child knows where the bathroom is if they’re in a new environment.
• Encourage your child to stop what they are doing to use the bathroom.

Sometimes children with encopresis lose the feeling in their body that tells them it is time to use the toilet. If they have constipation, the buildup of stool could stretch their colon, and they won’t feel the need to go until there is a large amount of stool. Once your child begins treatment to loosen their stool, they will need to re-learn when their body tells them it is time to use the toilet. This process could take several months, but be patient with your child as they better understand their body.