How to Get Toddler to Poop on Potty: Stress-Free Tips That Work

You’ve tried everything. Sticker charts. Cheerios in the bowl. Endless praise. Yet your toddler, your tiny, adorable, strong-willed dictator, just. won’t. poop. In. the. potty. If you’re exhausted and Googling how to get toddler to poop on potty at 2 a.m., you’re not alone.

Welcome to the weirdest parenting limbo, where your kid happily pees in the potty, brags about it even, but when it’s time for a bowel movement? It’s all-out rebellion. Full-blown panic. Hiding behind the couch. Pooping in a pull-up with the intensity of someone defusing a bomb. Sound familiar?

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The Weird Split: Toddler Will Pee But Not Poop in Toilet

This is more common than most people admit. You may think your child’s halfway to being potty trained, and in a way, they are, many toddlers master peeing before pooping. But poop? That’s the final boss.

And if your toddler will pee but not poop in toilet, it’s not just “a phase.” It’s a whole thing. A mental block. A fear. A power struggle. A bodily function tangled in anxiety and control.

Why Is Pooping in the Potty So Much Harder?

Here’s what’s really going on under those dinosaur undies:

1. Fear of Letting Go Pooping feels like loss. Weird, right? But for a toddler, it’s like losing a part of themselves. Combine that with a toilet that “flushes it away forever,” and it’s no wonder some kids panic.
2. Control Issues: This is one of the few things your toddler can control completely. You can’t make them poop. So some hold it as a way to feel power.
3. Constipation Holding poop leads to constipation. Constipation makes pooping hurt. Pain makes them fear pooping. Fear leads to more holding. And boom, you’re in the poop cycle of doom.

Research shows that 50-70% of children who refuse to poop on the potty have experienced at least one painful bowel movement that led to withholding behavior (Bakula et al., 2020).

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Signs Your Toddler Is Scared to Poop on Potty

Let’s name it so we can tame it. If your toddler is scared to poop on potty, here’s how it might look:

• Hiding when they need to go
• Requesting a diaper or pull-up to poop
• Crying or screaming if asked to sit on the potty
• Squatting in a corner, clenching, pacing
• Going days without pooping

And the most frustrating part? They might be potty trained except for poop. The pee game is locked in. But the poop part? Nope.

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Tricks to Get Toddler to Poop on Potty

Ready for some real-world tricks to get toddler to poop on potty? Not theory. Not fluff. Just what actually helps:

Let Them Poop in a Diaper, On the Potty

This is transitional. Not forever. But it bridges the gap. Let your child sit on the potty with the diaper on to poop. Over time, you can open the diaper, then eventually remove it. It desensitizes the fear gradually.

Keep Their Feet Flat

Toddlers need stability. Dangling legs = tensed muscles = harder pooping. Use a footstool. Let them plant their feet. This alone can change the game.

Read Poop Books. Watch Poop Videos

Normalize it. Read “Everyone Poops.” Watch Daniel Tiger sing about potty time. Laugh. Joke. Take the seriousness out.

Track Poop Patterns

Most kids have a rhythm. Poop at the same time daily. After breakfast? After daycare? Try to get them on the potty before they usually go. Routine builds confidence.

Celebrate Poop, Not Just Potty

Your kid peed in the potty? Great! But when they try to poop, even if nothing comes out, celebrate that even more. Clap. Cheer. Offer a reward. It’s not about the result; it’s about the attempt.

Back Off… But Stay Present

Sometimes, your presence makes it worse. Other times, your leaving makes them feel abandoned. Strike a balance. Sit on the floor nearby. Read a book while they try. Be a calm, quiet ally.

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How to Help Toddler Poop on Potty (Without Losing Your Mind)

Here’s the long game. No shortcuts, but it works.

Make Pooping Predictable

Give a warm bath before potty time. Offer fiber-rich snacks. Keep hydration up. Kids often poop easier when relaxed.

Avoid Shame or Pressure

Don’t guilt them. Don’t bribe heavily. Don’t punish. Shame shuts down progress. Be neutral. If they poop in their pants, say, “Let’s clean up. Next time, we’ll try the potty.”

Call It What It Is

Use the word “poop.” Not “dirty.” Not “accident.” Not “nasty.” Normalize it with language. They learn from you.

Use Rewards Wisely

Small, immediate rewards work better than big promises. A sticker. A gummy bear. One episode of their favorite show. Keep it simple.

Talk to a Pediatrician

If nothing helps, rule out medical issues. Severe withholding can lead to fecal impaction, which needs professional help.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, persistent stool withholding in toddlers can result in encopresis, the involuntary leakage of stool, often without the child even realizing it (Loening-Baucke, 2005).

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Real Parent Stories (a.k.a. You’re Not Failing)

“My son would pee in the potty like a champ but screamed bloody murder at the thought of pooping in it; so, one day, he hid behind the curtain and pooped in his pants. I cried. He didn’t care. We tried letting him poop in a diaper while sitting on the toilet; he took two weeks, but one day, he asked to go without the diaper. We never looked back.” – Amanda, mom of 3

“We were doing all the ‘right’ things, but she still refused to poop in the potty, and turns out she was constipated and scared. One round of stool softeners and everything changed.” – Ravi, dad of 2

These aren’t rare cases. They’re the norm. And you’re not alone in this wild, poop-covered jungle.

The “How to Get Toddler to Poop on Potty” Blueprint

Let’s bring it home. A rough, flexible, very human strategy:

1. Start by watching for patterns.
2. Ease them in with diaper-on-potty pooping.
3. Make the potty feel safe, with foot support and books.
4. Never shame. Never force.
5. Praise every step, even sitting.
6. Expect regressions. They’re normal.
7. Get medical input if constipation is a factor.
8. Trust time. Every kid gets there. Eventually.

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And Lastly… Breathe.

It’s just poop. It feels huge now, but it will be a funny story someday. Maybe not soon. But someday.

Until then, keep showing up. Keep offering the potty. Keep wiping the floors and the tears and the butts. This is temporary. Messy. Maddening. But temporary.

And remember, how to get toddler to poop on potty isn’t a one-size-fits-all trick. It’s a messy, slow, incredibly human process. Just like parenting.