Emma Howard: Hello, I am Emma Howard and I am joined by Dr. Su Laurent, who is a consultant pediatrician at Barnet Hospital in Hertfordshire. Hello, Su.
Dr. Su Laurent: Hi, Emma.
Emma Howard: I have a question here about potty training. So many parents get obsessed with this about a certain time I know myself and this question is from somebody who has a 3-year old daughter who is potty trained but insists on wearing a nappy for poos. Now how can I get her to use the potty, so clearly her daughter is waiting in the loo or the potty beautifully, poos are often a harder thing to get solved?
Dr. Su Laurent: They are often much harder and the first thing I say this is completely normal, it is often, this is second step to get trained for doing poos and so at the age of three I really wouldn’t be panicked and I really wouldn’t be making issue out of it and the most important thing is if he is doing a poo into a nappy, many many children will actually say can I have my nappy on now and you know therefore that they know that they need to do a poo.
Emma Howard: So they are giving you the signs.
Dr. Su Laurent: They are giving you the signs but they just don’t feel confident enough to go to the loo in case of potty.
Emma Howard: Big scary place at the loo.
Dr. Su Laurent: So, big scary place so you can stop by making it less scary and most parents well already have tried this but it is worth remembering to help them, to get them to choose with you what they do. Say for example if they haven’t got a potty that they like you may go shopping for a potty that they really like and they get to do their poos into.
Emma Howard: Yes, there is a great range these days.
Dr. Su Laurent: There is. Then you can try just actually laying and not be across the potty so that you said rather actually clipping it onto then sticking it on or pulling it up, you just ask them to sit in the potty but with the a nappy on it because that sometimes makes them feel better. Make sure if they are using a loo, but they got little steps to rest their feet on, so they haven’t got tangly legs because that’s a bit more comfortable and also it got a little inner loo seat to put on so that they feel like they are going to fall through.
Emma Howard: Yes falling through is a big issue for some children. Isn’t it?
Dr. Su Laurent: Yes, and then the splash is an issue for some children. So putting it a little loo paper down first, so it went a big splash when it comes up, cannot from help.
Emma Howard: So these are all physiological issues.
Dr. Su Laurent: They are all physiological issues and if you can help overcome some of these things, it really helps and finally if they just insists that if they are going to use a nappy sometimes, its because they actually don’t want to be distracted from what they are doing so they might be, watching the tele or playing a game or having a meal and as long as I got the nappy on them they can do poo and take that time and do whatever they want to. So I would say to parents take your little one into the loo when they ask for their nappy and say this is the way you do your poos. You do your poos in the loo, doesn’t matter when it is on the loo, on a potty but in the loo and that way we will get them used to the either with that -- there are special places to do poos.
Emma Howard: Yes and set them up for the packing for rest of that all
Dr. Su Laurent: Exactly.
Emma Howard: Very good advice Su. Thank you very much and if you have a similar problem we hope we might have given you some help but remember it’s always best to go and see your own doctor for medical advice. Thanks for watching, we will be back with more health question and answers.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services