5 Tips to Help Your Child Poop in the Potty — Even If They’re Holding It In

Inside: Is your child pooping in pull-ups but refusing the potty? Here’s how to help your child poop in the potty — with practical, low-pressure potty training tips for tackling poop resistance.

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A few years ago, we went to a birthday party with Mario the Magician (amazing performer, by the way).

Under a pastel-balloon-lined tent in a Brooklyn park, the kids sat on the grass, eyes locked on every move — waiting for the next surprise. Even the adults paused and watched, caught in the wonder of it all.

That’s the thing about a good magic trick:

It flips the emotion.

From curiosity and doubt to…

Happiness. Amazement.

But when it comes to poop in the potty, that emotional flip is often what’s missing.

A child holding back poop — or refusing to go — is usually scared, not stubborn.

So before reaching for the Pinterest-perfect lollipop chart or promising M&Ms for poops, ask yourself:

If your child isn’t naturally comfortable pooping in the potty, rewards probably aren’t the magic fix.

Because fear is physical.

And rewards can lead to power struggles, not progress.

Rewards can also be a one-way-ticket to some epic power battles with your toddler.

That doesn’t help the potty training process, either.

So what can you do to support your child in potty training when they're scared to poop? What's the magic with helping your child poop in the potty?

Here are 5 proven potty training poop tips for toddlers afraid to poop in the potty.

None involve a magic hat, but as you might guess, seeing your child flip from pooping in pullups to pooping in the potty, after a struggle, feels like magic.

These Oh Crap Potty Training poop solutions help to see soft and steady poop — so pooping in the potty feels more *safe* to your child.

Because what we're looking to do is flip your child

from toddlers feeling afraid to poop..

to feeling feel safe that pooping, and releasing that poop in the potty, is normal and okay.

You're trying to make pooping in the potty safe in the child's mind.

So here's where to start:

1. Full-Fat Foods Help Your Child Poop Easier

Your child’s body needs fiber and fat to help poop slide out smoothly. But here’s the kicker — too much fiber (like all-the-prunes-all-the-time) can backfire and actually make things worse. That’s why in Oh Crap Potty Training, we recommend leaning on full-fat foods to keep poop soft and moving.

✅ Simple tip: Blend up a smoothie with full-fat canned coconut milk — it helps move the poop and shake up the snack routine. Just drop your info here and I’ll send you a free printable recipe straight to your inbox.

What's better than PB&J? Try avocado toast.

Avocados are another all-star healthy fat. One of my favorite toddler meals? Toast loaded with smashed avocado — much better for digestion (and poop support) than nut butter spreads.

I’ve pinned tons of toddler food ideas using avocado and coconut on my Pinterest board, if you want more inspo to try at home.

Need more help with poop and potty resistance?

I walk through this and other solutions in my potty training course 🚽 👉 Potty Training Solutions. It's packed with support for early poop issues — like what to do when your child refuses to even sit on the potty.

And if your toddler does better with a little food-based encouragement…

Try this Tropical Smoothie I created — fruity, with ingredients that are poop-friendly.

Tropical Poop Smoothie – What’s Inside:

• Organic full-fat coconut milk

• A few dates (I use Thrive Market’s — get 40% off your first order here)

• A handful of fresh or frozen strawberries

• Frozen mango and pineapple

• Optional: Frozen passion fruit — adds tropical tang, but might be too tart for some toddlers

2. How to Help Your Child Poop in the Potty: Think Squat, Not Sit

It’s naturally easier to poop in a squatting position than simply sitting — and that’s not just true for toddlers, but for grownups too! (That helps explain the popularity of the Squatty Potty.)

So what does that mean for your potty training toddler?

Start by giving their feet something to press into while they’re sitting on the potty. That helps their body find the best position for pooping. You can:

• Stack a few books or blocks under their feet when using a small potty.

• Or use a sturdy step stool that lifts their feet into more of a squat when they’re on the big toilet.

  
  

  

  
  
  
  

The goal is a grounded, squat-like position that helps release tension and supports a smoother poop — no straining, just the poop sliding out easy.

Need more tips like this? 👉 Check out the Complete Poop Guide for Potty Training

3. Privacy please, when you sense a poop is coming

This might seem obvious, but it’s a tip that’s often overlooked — especially in the early potty training days when you’re constantly observing your toddler for signs of needing to pee.

Many toddlers develop a sense of privacy around poop earlier than we expect. If you're hovering or even just standing nearby in the bathroom, your child may have a much harder time relaxing enough to let the poop out.

This is especially common with 3-year-olds trying to poop in the potty.

Think about it: could you poop with someone watching you?

Exactly.

💡 Same goes for daycare. I’ve worked with families whose daycare setup has the small potty in the middle of the classroom. That’s a tough ask. Most of us would have trouble pooping with an audience.

👉 Related: Here are tips for daycare potty resistance if you're seeing pushback at school.

Try this instead: Give your child the feeling of privacy — whether that’s stepping just outside the bathroom or giving them space while still staying close enough to help if needed.

4. Choose Praise (Not a Parade) for Pooping in the Potty

I’m not saying praise is bad. But how you praise your child during potty training really matters — especially with poop.

Over-the-top celebrations (cue the happy dance, sticker chart, and group text to Grandma) can actually backfire for some kids.

Because now there's pressure to perform.

When pooping in the potty feels like a big event, it can create poop anxiety — especially for toddlers who already feel unsure.

✅ The goal? Normalize it. That means:

• Calm praise, “You did it — your body let the poop slide out.”

• No sticker charts, no fanfare — just steady support.

Make pooping in the potty feel like any other bathroom routine, like washing hands or brushing teeth. You wouldn’t throw a party every time your kid brushes their teeth, right?

Same goes for poop. Reflecting what's happening (poop is sliding out easy) goes much further than a cheerleading chant with a happy dance.

Related tip: Want to normalize the pooping process even more? Talk with your child about where the poop goes and how the body works. (Curiosity is a great sign to start potty training!)

5. Keep the Bathroom Door Open to Normalize Pooping in the Potty

If you haven’t already embraced the open-door bathroom policy, now’s the time. Letting your toddler see you use the bathroom (yes, even for poop) helps normalize the whole process. It shows them: This is just something everyone does — even grownups.

Seeing you wipe, flush, and wash hands gives your child a real-life demo of what happens after you poop. It removes mystery and helps your child feel more confident about the routine.

🧻 Want extra support in normalizing pooping in the potty?

• Read toddler-friendly potty books that show what poop is and where it goes.

• Talk about poop openly — without shame — and use real terms like “poop” and “potty.”

• And remember: Pooping requires the sphincter muscles to relax — and that doesn’t happen easily when your child is tense or unsure.

  
  

  👉 Related: Jamie Glowacki’s Poop Solutions Course offers higher-level strategies for poop issues that go way beyond this post. It’s a helpful next step if your child is really stuck.

  
  

Will These 5 Tips Solve Every Poop Problem?

I wish it were that simple. But as a potty training consultant, I see all kinds of poop issues — and some of them need more nuanced support to truly turn things around.

It’s kind of like creating a birth plan. You can read all the tips, prep all the things… but when labor actually begins, not everything works the way you hoped. You need real-time support to adjust.

Same goes for poop. These five tips are a solid place to start — especially in those early potty training days. But if your child is still struggling to release poop in the potty, there’s likely more going on underneath the surface.

✨ That’s where my Withholding Plan comes in. I created it specifically for parents dealing with more complex poop withholding — when potty training tips aren't enough.

Because the real magic of potty training?

It's not about one-size-fits-all tricks. It’s about tuning into your child and trusting your instincts when something feels off.

You’ve got this.

Illustrations: Citrus and Mint Designs

#pottytrainingtips #whathelpsyoupoop