Mornings at our house? Pure chaos. It’s 5 a.m., and D is fussing in bed. I go in to cover him with his blanket, pat his back, and hope he drifts back to sleep. Then A starts crying because he wants a hug (at 515am?!?!) H comes running over, claiming he had a bad dream with a big smile on his face. And V? He wakes up crying he can’t find his beloved cat stuffie, which, of course, is in his hands.

Just the best, right?!

But the real fun begins when we’re trying to get everyone ready and downstairs by 7am, aiming to leave by 7:20 for school. And then—everyone has to POOP at 7:15.

GREAT.

H is the quickest; he sits down, and out plops the longest poop you’ve ever seen. V takes his time, but that’s because his will take five flushes to get down. And one poor soul (usually I make hubs do it) has to change the diapers of the younger two, before they start getting handsy with their poops and it leaks EVERYWHERE. And then out we go!

The kids love talking about poop, and we encourage it! Poops are a part of life. Encourage natural talk about their bodies. That poop is a normal thing; their bodies are taking the nutrients from their food and taking it out. There are so many encouraging books about pooping out there, we love the book called “Everyone Poops”! There is also a book from Daniel Tiger about potty training that is great!

Before I begin, always talk to your pediatrician regarding any pooping questions. We love to see poopy diapers or pictures to help figure out what is going on! Poops change in the course of childhood. In the newborn phase, pooping frequency changes a lot! It is totally okay for some babies to poop one time in seven days and some babies to poop seven times in one day. Sometimes I joke with my patients that if their baby hasn’t pooped in a few days and they are worried, and it is still in the normal timeline, dress them up in a nice white outfit and take them for a stroll without a diaper bag. A blowout for sure will happen!

Early morning poops are also SO much fun. When you walk into the room to pick them up from the crib, the room smells oh so pleasant! The notorious one to have these poops in our family was A, who sometimes pooped so much it would end up EVERYWHERE and we would just jump in the shower with him to clean him up. Starting solids changes up stools as well, so giving water is helpful to avoid harder poops. Poor H was the one who had very bad constipation with whole milk and more solids, that he needed to be on medication. Consulting with your doctor will help to diagnose what the problem could be and how to resolve it.

When talking about potty training, for poops, try to encourage pooping on the toilet when they feel comfortable. I found that especially during potty training, when pooping on the toilet scared them and they held it, it made constipation the biggest hindrance to potty training. If they start to get scared, then they will withhold their poop, which can cause a cycle of constipation. Let them take the lead. Some fun things to consider would be a pooping basket for them to keep in the bathroom to play or read with while sitting on the toilet. For V, he was always so scared, so we had to cut a hole in his pull-up, and he would sit on the toilet, thinking he was pooping in the pull-up but really would hear the ‘plop’ and feel more comfortable! And as school is starting, remember that they do need to be fully potty trained, including wiping, for school. We are dealing with this right now, as H doesn’t feel fully comfortable wiping himself and has been holding it and then leaking a little during the day. We keep encouraging him because honestly he wipes very well, so hopefully he listens to his body when he needs to pee and poop!

Update: second day of kindergarten, H pooped at school! It was a chaotic drop off, where he ran from the cafeteria to the bathroom. I stood outside sheepishly waiting for him, and could hear the poor kid saying ‘Mama, I am done!’ I sent V in and just yelled out saying, ‘You got this, wipe and come out!’ He yelled, ‘I got it all!’ and flushed and came out! Was very proud of himself and went on to wash his hands. It was a bittersweet moment, seeing him all grown up not needing me but so proud of himself to be doing it on his own!

As they get older, pooping is just a way of life. Even when I ask my teen patients if they poop every day, some get a bit embarrassed. Have open discourse about it (and in general about their bodies) in order for the kids to feel comfortable! If you want to continue the poop fun, ask Alexa to make farting noises and enjoy the juice ones. 😉 Our current favorite song is “Yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo” by Sad Birthday Party. You’re welcome for giving you some enjoyment with the kids!

Oh, the joys of poop!