Stool Withholding Help

27/11/2025

Is your child doing bum squeezes properly?
If your little one has struggled with constipation or withholding, teaching their body how to poo again is a huge part of recovery. Bum squeezes help retrain the muscles so pooing becomes easier, faster and far less stressful for everyone.

This reel shows exactly what to look for and how to support your child as they build confidence with their bowel movements.
Comment squeeze and I’ll DM you all my bum squeeze posts and games to try at home.

**problems

24/11/2025

📚✨ Help your child understand healthy toileting habits with Squiggy the Poo!
A fun, gentle and educational children’s book that supports parents through potty struggles, constipation, withholding and toilet anxiety — written to make those tricky conversations easier (and a lot less stressful!).

Perfect for parents, early years professionals and anyone supporting little ones on their toileting journey. 🌟

🛒 Available now:
Find it on Amazon, Waterstones, T G Jones, and online with ERIC.

19/11/2025

15/11/2025

🤔 Is your child constipated… or actually withholding their p**p (stool withholding)?
These two can look very similar, especially because most children who withhold will also become constipated, which makes everything even harder to understand. One of the biggest clues is how your child responds to the constipation.

💩 Constipation
👉 Constipation is when a child has difficulty passing a bowel movement.
👉 You might notice fewer poos, hard stools, straining, tummy aches or discomfort.
👉 A child who is just constipated will still try to have a poo.
👉 They often ask for help, communicate the discomfort and want the poo to come out, even though it hurts.

💩 Stool withholding
👉 Stool withholding is when a child avoids doing a poo even though they feel the urge.
👉 Common behaviours include hiding, running away, stiffening their body, crossing their legs, going vacant, shaking or turning red from trying to stop the poo.
👉 Even when constipated or uncomfortable, they continue fighting the urge to pass the stool.

⭕️ The complicated overlap
👉 Constipation can lead to withholding because the pain of passing hard stools makes a child scared to poo.
👉 Withholding can also lead to constipation because the longer stool is held in, the more water is reabsorbed, making it harder, larger and more painful.
👉 The key difference is in the child’s response:
• A constipated child tries to get the poo out.
• A withholding child tries to keep the poo in, even when constipated and uncomfortable.
👉 Treating constipation alone won’t break the cycle if the withholding behaviours continue.

🚀 Follow for expert guidance on stool withholding, constipation and children’s toileting behaviours.

11/11/2025

If your child struggles with stool withholding or constipation, life can feel like it’s on pause. But every small step forward matters. Celebrate the progress, even when it feels slow. You’re building trust, comfort, and a future where your child feels safe and confident. That’s powerful parenting.

💬 What’s the hardest part for you right now? Finding time for yourself, managing anxiety, or helping your child feel comfortable? Share below 👇Let’s support each other!

08/11/2025

I’m so grateful for this wonderful review of Body Science: The Toilet Time Experiments.

“Fantastic resource of activities, to help children desensitise around toileting issues. Such a great asset to my activity library working with children with toileting issues.”

This book has been designed specifically for school-aged children, filling a gap in toileting resources by helping them recognise and engage with their body’s toilet cues and urges in a fun, interactive way.

Your reviews make a huge difference—they help get these resources to the parents and educators who need them most. If you’ve used the book, please consider leaving a review! 💛

06/11/2025

Supporting a child through stool withholding can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to medications. Macrogols work by adding more water to the poo, making it softer and easier to pass. This process can take time and requires patience and gentle consistency.

Remember that overcoming stool withholding is a gradual journey. Celebrate small steps, create positive toilet routines, and keep communication supportive and calm. You’re helping your child learn to feel safe and confident with their body again, and that’s incredibly important.

31/10/2025

✨ Meet Squiggy the Poo ✨
A gentle, playful story to help children understand their body signals, reduce toilet anxiety and build confidence with pooing 💛💩

So many little ones experience stool withholding or feel worried about using the toilet. Squiggy the Poo supports them through storytelling, imagination and positive body awareness — helping poo time feel safe and normal.

📚 Where you can get it:
• Amazon
• ERIC Charity’s Online Store
• TG Jones
• Waterstones
• Available for Schools & Libraries via Peters Books

27/10/2025

💩 Addressing the Psychological Side of Stool Withholding 💩

Here’s how to gently tackle the psychological side 👇

1️⃣ Normalise pooing — reduce anxiety by making poo talk and routines feel normal and fun. Read daily poo stories, take your child to the toilet when you go, and do weekly funny poo crafts to create positive associations.

2️⃣ Create a routine — regular toilet or potty sits build predictability and help your child feel in control.

3️⃣ Use social stories — tools like My Poo Social Story can support problem solving and help your child understand what’s happening in their body.

4️⃣ Teach them to poo again — when a child withholds, their body learns to hold on. Help them relearn how to release by practising gentle bum squeezes. This builds body awareness, confidence and control over bowel movements.

5️⃣ Make it fun — try glitter poos or rice paper characters as incentives to help your child focus on what happens after the poo rather than the act itself.

6️⃣ Reassure and validate — acknowledge that it feels hard (“I can see this is tricky for you, and that’s okay”). Validation builds trust, connection and confidence.

✨ Supporting your child through withholding starts with understanding, play and reassurance, not pressure. ✨

Comment “help” for a DM with links to My Poo Social Story by , and examples of princess and superhero rice paper characters.

’smestories

21/10/2025

💭 The psychological side of stool withholding 💭

When children withhold poo, it’s not usually because they’re being “stubborn”. It’s often rooted in fear, anxiety or uncertainty around toileting.

🧠 Many children begin withholding after a painful poo. The memory of that discomfort creates a strong association between pooing and pain, so they do everything they can to avoid it happening again. This fear response can become automatic over time.

😟 Some children develop anxiety or a lack of confidence around using the toilet or potty. They may be especially aware of the sensations in their tummy or bottom but don’t yet know how to interpret them, so they try to control or ignore them instead.

🚽 The transition to the potty or toilet can also feel overwhelming. A different position, a new environment, or even the sound of flushing can create sensory or emotional discomfort.

✨ Other psychological factors that can contribute include:
• Feeling a loss of control, especially during big life changes
• Wanting to hold on to familiarity, as nappies can feel safe
• Embarrassment or privacy worries, particularly for older children
• A natural avoidance response that becomes a learnt habit

💡 Understanding these psychological barriers is the first step in helping children feel safe and confident to poo again. Building trust, routine and reassurance, rather than pressure, helps their body and mind start working with them, not against them.

📘 Comment BOOK for my stool withholding practical guide, written specifically for parents to help identify the factors contributing to withholding and offering practical solutions to tackle them.