Poop and Pee Accidents

To achieve successful toileting, we recommend taking some data about the consistency, size, and frequency of your child’s bowel movements. This gives you important information that you can share with your child’s healthcare provider.

• Taking Initial Bowel Data (video)
• BM Chart with Pictures (handout)

We generally think of constipation when a child goes several days without a bowel movement or when they have small hard bowel movements, but constipation can be sneaky and also present as encopresis (a word for soiling accidents that are soft or runny. The Could It Be Constipation? video will help you learn the signs of healthy vs. unhealthy elimination. Watch this even if your child is already being treated for constipation because it will help you determine whether you treatment plan is working.

• Could It Be Constipation? (video)
• The Bowel Symptom Checklist (handout) helps you keep track of any symptoms mentioned in this video. This form is very useful when you speak to your child’s healthcare provider.

How does constipation develop, and why is it so hard to fix? This video explains the constipation cycle, how it perpetuates, and how to interrupt it. This is particularly helpful if your child is afraid or refuses to sit on the potty or toilet.

The Constipation Cycle (video)

Healthy elimination includes both the bowel and the bladder, and their functions are related. This video describes the signs of healthy urination, and what signs are concerning for you and your healthcare provider.

• Urination Questions and Concerns (video)