becomes routine: put some thick books under your child’s feet. We
want her thighs as close to her chest as possible. This will mimic the
squat position she knows and loves. It also physically helps the poop
come out better.
Have your child carry the little pot to dump in the big toilet. This
is the reward. Let me tell you, most kids will love it! He’ll be so proud
and amazed at this poop, as well he should be. If it works for your
child, give him more verbal praise and high fives. I also recommend
helping your child connect “feeling” with “doing.” “Wow, your belly
must feel GOOD after that HUGE poop!” I’ve found that kids
respond well to adjectives and exclamations like, “huge,” “tons,”
“wow,” “my goodness,” etc.—basically anything with an exclamation
point!
Praise
There are a few different theories on praise. Some parents don’t
believe in praising at all. They’d rather have their child develop an
inner sense of pride than depend upon external reinforcement. I
personally think a “good job” once in a while is fine, though in my
own parenting, I try not to say it over and over just for something to
say. If you don’t feel comfortable praising your child, you can always
“reflect” back to them with no judgment. This would look like, “Oh.
You peed on the floor,” or “You peed in the potty.” Either praising or
reflecting is fine. I do think, since there really is only one desirable
outcome, that there should be something in your voice that says “Yay”
this or “No” that. This often gets overlooked if you are someone who