KIDS and constipation

After almost 20 years in the natural gut health arena and countless phone calls from desperate parents whos children haven't pooped in ages, we have come up with a list a recommendations on how to break the cycle of "holding on" and healing from toilet trauma.... yes, it's a thing. 

So let me guess, you've got fussy eater that just does not want to drink water, they did a very painful hard poo once and now they're scared to do a poo? It really is the same (or very similar) story on repeat, just varying degrees of bad. These days children as young as 3 years old are being prescribed laxatives instead of trying these easy, safe and natural options first. 

1. Take the pressure off. 
If toileting has become a source of stress and anxiety in your household it's time to make some changes. The number 1 best way to lighten the mood with kids is to bring in some fun! Do a silly toilet time dance, make up a poopie song, get creative. If you need help in this department keep on reading, we've got you covered. 

2. Educate. 
Teach your child that their poo is trying to teach them how to look after their body better. Take a look at our KIDS Poo Chart (you can download here it for free) and you'll see the different poos and what they mean. Help your child discover that a hard ouchy poo means they haven't drank enough water and they could make a nice soft poo by drinking more - then it wouldn't hurt their bottom. 

3. Hydration games.
Getting your child to drink enough water can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. Keep water bottles with in reach of all their regular spaces - by their bed, in their play space, in the car, etc. Make sure that if they have the thought to drink, there is a bottle right there ready to go, so the moment doesn't pass by. 
Tea parties, curly/silly straws, and water games are great ways to increase their water in take. 

4. Holding on.
When children are in the habit of holding on, whether it's because they have had a bad toileting experience or they have a serious case of FOMO, the effects can be awful. This can cause fecal impaction of the lower colon and progressively lead to encopresis (fecal incontinence or anal leakage). This condition is more common than you think, with teachers reporting that more than one child per class is bringing spare undies to school each day. 
When they ignore the feeling to go for long enough, the message seems to turn off all together. They may not be avoiding the toilet, they might not know they need to go at all.
If your child is experiencing this they need to re-learn what the sensation of needing to do a poo feels like. You can start by leading by example. "Oooh, I think my poo poo train is coming! All aboard the poo poo train! Poo! Poo!" If you make it super fun, they won't be able to resist when it's their turn. 
Sometimes when children pass extremely dry and hard poos, it can cause significant damage to the skin around the anus. This could be small tears or splits in the skin, haemorrhoids, and they can also experience bleeding. Soft baby wipes and a little coconut oil (before and after) can help the healing process and protect the anus from further damage. 

5. Encourage movement. 
Kids that don't move, don't poop. Bike riding and hula hooping are two of the best ways to prevent constipation in kids. Any movement that gets those guts sloshing about is going to help. 

6. Fibre....fibre, did I mention fibre? 
High fibre foods like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables (and of course Motion Potion for KIDS) add bulk to the stools and as long as they are hydrated enough, help form gorgeous, large, fluffy, sausage like, easy-to-pass poos. Whether you have to hide vegetables in their food by grating it super small, or designing scenes and faces on their plates with bright coloured fruits and veg, get it into them, any way you can. 

Laxatives are NOT a long term solution for constipation for anyone, especailly children. Laxatives slacken the bowels over time and cause dependency and long term use can lead to nutrients not being absorbed properly. Fibre on the other hand, strengthens the bowels, swelling and putting pressure on the bowel wall and stimulating the peristaltic movement of the bowels, increasing the strength over time. Using a laxative as a very short term solution is fine, but use this as a trigger to treat the source of the problem. Increase fibre, water, movement and fun. 

If you need help bringing the fun look no futher. We have just launched out Poo Detectives Bundle Pack which includes Poo Detectives Book, By The Poo Lady, complete with Rap Song and fun Poo Chart with Stickers plus our newest formula Motion Potion for KIDS. Check it our here.