Help your child have a good toilet habit
Give your child plenty of time to go to the toilet when they need to. Try not to hurry them.
Food and eating
We know fibre (roughage) and water help keep poos soft and easy to pass.
Once a baby starts on solids, offer a variety of foods. Include foods containing fibre:
- vegetables
- fruits
- lentils and legumes
- whole grain cereal, breads, pasta and rice.
Help your child enjoy water as their main drink
Introduce water from six months of age. For children over one year offer about four cups of water everyday by:
- offering water with every meal and snack
- having water easily available to drink over the day.
A good tip is to keep a drink bottle or cup of water on the kitchen bench.
After one year of age, children only need two cups of milk a day.
Keep active as a family
Physical activity has many benefits, and helping you have a good toilet routine is one of them. For babies, floor play and crawling is a great activity. Make time and space for children to move every day.
When to seek help
Some children do become constipated. This is when poo’s are infrequent or hard to pass. The poo is often hard and dry. Sometimes it is not about what they are eating or drinking. If you are concerned about the firmness or how often your child passes a poo or if it is causing pain or distress talk to your GP or child health nurse. It’s not a good idea to try any medications or diet remedies without talking to a health professional first.