Sneaky Poo

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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. Be active in as many ways as possible; for example, through play, cultural activities, dance, sport and recreation, jobs around the home.

The general rule of thumb is that it will take AT LEAST as long to resolve the problem fully as it did to get constipated, so plan to be managing constipationfor months at best, to several years at worst.

Tips for healthy bowels

These children (usually boys) have never been reliably clean for more than a few weeks or perhaps a few months at a time. They are most unlikely to pass a full motion into their pants, and have no anxiety about using the toilet, but will soil their pants most days to a level which is immediately apparent to others nearby. Although the smell is very noticeable to others, these children seem not to be aware of it, or to be worried by the physical discomfort of dirty pants. Spend less than two hours a day (out of school time) in front of television, computers and game consoles.

Epston, D., & White, M., &“Ben” (1995). Consulting your consultants: A means to the co-construction of alternative knowledges. In S. Friedman, (Ed.), The reflecting team in action: Collaborative practice in family therapy. (pp. 277-313). New York: Guilford. Take your child to your GP. The doctor will need information about your child’s diet and fluid intake, frequency of soiling, triggers to soiling, and types of bowel motions they are passing. They will probably feel your child’s abdomen (tummy) to see if they can identify any lumps of stool. Based on their findings, a laxative may be prescribed to soften the bowel motion and keep it soft to allow your child’s rectum to return to its previous tone or normal state.When your child’s poo is reliably soft, you can start working on reassurance and confidence building.

Linking stories and initiatives: A narrative approach to working with the skills and knowledge of communities When you first feel the urge to poo you can hold on long enough to get to a toilet without accident.

In an emergency please dial

There are also conditions such as Hirschsprung’s disease and Spina Bifida which affect a small number of children from birth. Our Guide for Children with Complex Bladder and Bowel Problems is something you can read with your child. 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. Most parents begin toilet training their children at about the age of 2 - 2 1/2 years, and by 4 years of age more than 90% of children are reliably clean and dry during the day. It is important to state at the outset that night-time dryness is achieved as the result of neurological development and maturation, not as the result of daytime toilet training, and only about 80% of children will be reliably dry at night by the age of 4, as compared with the daytime figure. SOILING Standing as an alternative to the diagnosis and treatment of pathology, the focus in an externalizing conversation is on expanding choice and possibility in the relationship between persons and problems. Roth and Epston (1996, p. 5) write: set up a regular toilet routine for your child – for example, they could sit on the toilet for 5 minutes every day after each meal and before going to bed