Oh Crap! Potty Training

Of course, we can’t look at pooping problems without talking about
diet. Most kids have a pretty clean diet when they’re young (generally
speaking, I’ll say up to about twenty-four months). Most moms focus
on fruits, veggies, and other good stuff. Most moms allow the
occasional treat or juice box. After their child turns two, though, I
find that most parents start “caving in” a little more. The number of
birthday party invitations increases and, along with them, cake
consumption increases. Parents start allowing a little more candy or
juice or whatever the case may be. It is, in general, something we all
start to relent on a little bit more.
Two years of age is also around the time that toddlers can start to
get picky. They start showing food preferences, and it’s usually crappy
food they prefer. This is the age when the “won’t eat anything but
macaroni and cheese” phase begins. This is also the age of the on-
the-go food. Your child has probably mastered eating without you
watching every bite to make sure he doesn’t choke, right? So you’re
more comfortable giving snacks in the car and at the playground.
These snacks are generally easy to grab and not horribly messy, like
crackers and dry cereal.
Now, I know this isn’t a nutrition book, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t
include a bit about food allergies here in the poop section.
One in three of my clients with children with poop problems end
up with a food allergy diagnosis. Gluten is the major offender, with
dairy being a close second. If your child is either often constipated or has
loose stools, please, do yourself a huge favor and see an allergist. If your
child is pooping loose stools more than four times a day . . . something is
not right. More important, your child is not digesting their food,
which can lead to malnutrition.