logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2022
28m 19s

When potty training gets messy

Lovevery
About this episode

Is your child refusing to sit on the toilet? Or waiting until the pull-up is on to go poop? You’re not alone. For a lot of parents, the potty learning process is more drawn out than we anticipate. For some, it takes months or even years.

 

In previous episodes, you heard some common potty-training scenarios. We shared the advice of the author of Oh Crap Potty Training and Nicole Kavanaugh’s Montessori approach. In today’s episode, Host Jessica Rolph welcomes Quiara Smith, an occupational therapist specializing in pediatric pelvic floor health, to help with the trickier cases when it comes to learning potty etiquette.

 

Highlights:

[1:42] What scenarios are most common in Quiara’s practice? 

[2:28]  What are Quiara’s recommendations for a child who is withholding poop until nap time or night? 

[3:25] What if the child’s sensory system is overwhelmed?

[4:55] Is there anything that parents can do to create a more favorable environment in the bathroom for their child? 

[6:46] A specific potty challenge scenario from one of Lovevery's listeners.

[8:42] How firmly should parents hold boundaries around the use of diapers to poop? 

[9:46] A listener asks a question about how we can help a toddler to differentiate between a diaper and pull-ups/training pants.

[12:26] How can parents help their children to transition from the potty to the toilet? Listen to a parent whose child has been rejecting the regular toilet for almost a year.

[15:24] What to do when your child uses the potty at school, but not at home? Or visa versa.

[17:33] What can parents do when their child is withholding to the point of constipation?

[20:09] What is the average time frame for learning to use the potty? Is there a point at which parents should seek outside help?

[21:40] What do parents do if their child is potty trained and then experiences a regression? 

[22:36] Quiara shares tips to continue potty training while traveling.

[24:09] Quiara’s final advice. 

[25:37] Jessica gives her takeaways from the conversation with Quiara Smith.

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Brought to you by Lovevery.com

 

Receive weekly emails about your child’s development, and stay in the know about new play essentials, promos, and more by signing up at Lovevery.com

Follow Lovevery and Jessica Rolph on Instagram.

 

Listen to Perspectives on Toileting with the Author of 'Oh Crap! Potty Training' and A Montessori Perspective on Toilet Learning.

Find additional tips on potty training on the Lovevery blog at lovevery.com.

Up next
Jan 2025
How phonics can support children with dyslexia
As you may know, Lovevery now offers The Reading Skills Set. It’s a phonics-based program that makes reading fun, motivating your child to read through play. It covers skills from pre-K through Second grade. In this episode, My New Life host Jessica Rolph talks with Sprout Labs C ... Show More
18m 39s
Oct 2024
Teaching toddlers to read
This bonus episode features an interview with Spencer Russell, the dad behind Toddlers Can Read. Spencer struggled to learn to read as a kid, so when it came time to choose a career, he set out to help others avoid the same experience and took a job with Teach for America, contin ... Show More
27m 2s
May 2024
Montessori math
Math is all around us. When it comes to teaching it, the challenge lies not in creating the opportunities, but in recognizing them. Counting grapes while they disappear is a fun one! Around the age of 4, a child’s mathematical knowledge takes a big leap forward. They go from coun ... Show More
23m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2021
How to Wean your Child from Breastfeeding
A person's breastfeeding journey can be filled with so many emotions. Choosing to wean your baby from breastfeeding can be filled with excitement, sadness, nerves, and/or guilt. Every woman is different in how she feels when this time of her and her child's life transitions and i ... Show More
26m 36s
Oct 2024
Nursing Strikes and Starting Solid Foods with Erin Walsh, MA, CCC-SLP, IBCLC, BCS-S
#472: What if your baby suddenly stops breastfeeding around the time they also start solid foods. What is a nursing strike and how do you get your baby interested in breastmilk again? Erin Walsh is an SLP who also specializes in breastfeeding and she’s here to talk about nursing ... Show More
37m 32s
May 2021
8. Breastfeeding 101
What may be one of the most natural things a woman can do for her child, can sometimes feel like one of the least natural things to do. With the expertise of Dr. Soulaf Mansour, Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), we take you through all you need to know about breastfeeding. We walk yo ... Show More
1h 9m
Sep 2024
Milk Banks and Moms: How Your Extra Breastmilk Can Save Lives with @ucmilkbank Alison Wolf, CPNP, IBCLC
#470: Your baby starts drinking less breastmilk when they start solid foods…but your breastmilk can help other families beyond your own baby. Alison Wolf, Executive Director of the University of California Milk Bank explains how donating human milk works, who it benefits, why it’ ... Show More
37m 30s
Aug 2024
Top 5 Reasons Moms Stop Breastfeeding Early
New mothers go into breastfeeding with the best intentions. Unfortunately, many run into issues that make breastfeeding difficult or impossible. By six months, three in four babies are fed infant formula. Many researchers have examined why mothers supplement with formula or wean ... Show More
30m 46s
Aug 10
Troubleshooting Common Breastfeeding Issues
Although your newborn is hard-wired to breastfeed, breastfeeding doesn’t always come naturally or go perfectly from the start. In reality, breastfeeding can take practice and patience as you and your baby navigate your nursing relationship. Many challenges can arise in the first ... Show More
44m 53s
Jul 2024
Daycare: How Can I Get Caregivers on Board with Baby-Led Weaning
 #453: How do you do baby-led weaning if your baby goes to daycare? Daycare might say they only do purees, or they won’t offer finger foods. In this episode I share effective strategies for helping your daycare or childcare provider understand baby-led weaning and how and why you ... Show More
17m 43s
Aug 2024
83 - Navigating a low supply (mini episode)
In the second episode of our world breastfeeding week mini series we are covering all things navigating a low supply. This can be such a difficult thing to navigate, but rest assured in many cases there is much that can be done to support your breastfeeding journey to continue.Fo ... Show More
23m 38s
Jul 2024
Feeding Schedules: How Often Should I Feed My Baby?
#451: How often should babies eat solid food? And do they eat before they have milk or after breastfeeding? Finding a schedule for starting solid foods can be tricky but in this episode I’m sharing my exact feeding schedule for babies in 3 different ages and phases of baby-led we ... Show More
17m 45s