Whichever method is used, once there have been a few successes the problem usually disappears. Even without any kind of intervention, in my experience it is very unlikely that the behaviour will persist past the age of 5. In contrast to the common cultural and professional practice of identifying the person as the problem or the problem as within the person, this work depicts the problem as external to the person. It does so not in the conviction that the problem is objectively separate, but as a linguistic counter-practice that makes more freeing constructions available. Some may sit on the toilet or potty and make grunting noises that sound like ‘pushing’ but this is actually them using all their effort to keep their bottom firmly closed. Seek professional help: If there appears to be no progress, seek advice from your health visitor or Community learning disability team if necessary

Babies' bowel movements change as they go from new-born to the weaning stage (eating solid food) and beyond. The type and amount of poo they pass can also be affected by the sort of milk they are given (breast or formula). be positive and encouraging – you could use a star chart to reward your child for sitting on the toilet (whether or not they do a poo), or leave some toys or books next to the toilet This is done using softening and stimulating laxatives. These may initially be at frequent, high doses. It will be messy as the old poo comes out so it is best to keep the child home from school while this part of the treatment is carried out.White, M. (1985). Fear busting and monster taming: An approach to the fears of young children. Dulwich Centre Review. Proctor, E and Loader, P “A 6-year follow up study of chronic constipation and soiling in a specialist paediatric service” Child: Care, Health and Development” 29 (2) 103-109 Passing a bigger than normal poo (known as a mega poo) can make a small tear in a child’s bottom called an anal fissure. This can make pooing very painful and something they want to avoid doing again. The bowels play an important role in maintaining your child’s general health from birth. Poo can tell us a lot about our body such as are we drinking enough and eating enough fibre.

Withholding usually follows on from a period of constipation. Passing just one painful or uncomfortable poo, even as a baby, can scare a child and trigger a physical reaction. It can happen without parents realising.Pooing in their night nappies or night wear, is another sign of stool withholding. Once your child relaxes in bed, they can no longer hold and the poo escapes. We don’t normally poo the night because our bowel isn’t being stimulated by food and drink. Hotjar sets this cookie to identify a new user’s first session. It stores a true/false value, indicating whether it was the first time Hotjar saw this user. Sudden onset of soiling after a long period of being reliably clean, with no evidence of illness, is likely to be due to psychological stress. A GP may refer your child to a specialist for treatment if they think soiling could be caused by another medical condition. Things you can do at home to help with soiling Treatment for both these sub-groups is based on the simple principle that there can be no soiling if the bowel is empty. The emphasis is on producing regular and predictable evacuation of the bowel, and involves:

Seymour, F. W. & Epston, D. (1992). An approach to childhood stealing with evaluation of 45 cases. In M. White & D. Epston (Eds.) Experience, contradiction, narrative, and imagination: Selected papers of David Epston & Michael White, 1989-1991. (pp. 189-206). Adelaide, Australia: Dulwich Centre Publications. Treatment for this group is difficult, because any attempt to put pressure on them to use the toilet is likely to result in a stand-off. They may refuse to go, sometimes for days, which results in constipation with all the extra drama and unpleasantness which this brings, together with the risk of a painful motion which then makes the original problem worse. White, M. (1993). Commentary: The histories of the present. In S, Gilligan & R. Price (Eds.), Therapeutic Conversations (pp. 121-135). New York: Norton. One method is to use a graduated approach to the final goal of using the toilet appropriately. The first step is to allow the child to pass a motion as they usually do, but (a) only into a nappy, and (b) only in the toilet area. These requirements are the beginning of "shaping up" more appropriate toileting behaviour. The next step is for the child to defecate into a nappy while sitting on the toilet, then while sitting on the toilet with the nappy held a little distance away from their bottom. Finally, everyone agrees that the nappy is just getting in the way and is no longer needed.There are lots of different signs and clues which show your child is trying to stop a poo from coming out. These include: Unfortunately, despite all efforts relapses are common, and final remission probably depends on physical maturity.