Oh Crap! Potty Training

the game. Don’t use the words “It’s okay” if poop ends up on the floor.
For some kids, those specific words imply permission.
If your child doesn’t poop at all on this first day, or if she normally
poops in the morning and doesn’t today, it’s okay. Again, we’ll be
looking at poop very closely soon enough. Pooping behavior generally
changes during potty training. When wearing a diaper, most children
poop as many as three or more times a day. During potty training,
that typically goes down to about one poop a day. I don’t know why
this is. I suspect it’s a natural consolidation and part of socialization.
I mean, who has time to sit and poop three times a day, you know?
Anyway, if your child doesn’t poop (or doesn’t poop at the normal
time) today, it’s nothing to be concerned with. As for holding poop,
yes, it can be uncomfortable, but most children can go longer than
you would think without a poop before most pediatricians will even
blink. Your child is in no danger if he holds it for a day or two. I want
to remind you again that your vibe is running the show. If you are
freaked out or overly anxious about getting a poop out of your child,
he will hold it. The best thing to do is to act supercasual and assume
the poop is (eventually) coming.
A few notes about “accidents” in Block One. Any pee/poop that
ends up on the floor is not an accident at this point; it’s a learning
tool. Have your child help clean up and don’t scold her. Use positive
but simple language. “You are learning. You pooped on the floor.
Next time, your poop goes in the potty.”
Another thing many parents don’t know is that pee is sterile. You
can drink your own pee. I know . . . why would you want to? But you
can. A quick tangent: I used to be a trapeze artist. We would regularly