My child is afraid to poop in the toilet.

Many children find the toilet a little scary at first. Is it really about pooping? Maybe your child doesn’t like the splashing and splattering. It feels very different from using the potty. Practice this in a playful way. You can throw a piece of gingerbread into the toilet as a pretend poop and watch how it splashes and splatters. Point out that it feels weird on the bottom.  

Your child might also not like the idea that the poop is gone for good. It sounds strange, but to toddlers, it can feel like they’re losing a part of their body when they poop. Acknowledge this and explain that it’s just part of growing up. Start by flushing the poop from the diaper or potty down the toilet. That’s an intermediate step. Say something like, “Bye-bye poop, go join the other poops!”

‍

QA-031