Potty Training Tips From an OT The Little Body Tricks Nobody Tells You

You've bought the tiny potty, the fun undies, the sticker chart. Your toddler will happily sit… and sit… and then poop in their pull-up ten minutes later. If you've started to feel like everyone else's kid got the memo and yours didn't, take a breath — you are not failing at this. Most potty training tips skip the part that actually matters: how the little body is set up on the seat.

Here's what I tell every family in my sessions. Potty training isn't just a behavior thing you reward your way through — it's a body thing. When a kid is perched too high with legs dangling, or straining and holding their breath, their muscles are literally working against them. Fix the position and the breathing, and pooping stops being a battle. Let me show you the tricks nobody explains.

Is Your Toddler Actually Ready? The Signs I Look For

Readiness isn't a birthday — it's a set of signs. Pushing a kid who isn't there yet is the fastest way to a power struggle, so go by what you're seeing, not the calendar.

Toileting can also carry a big sensory load — the cold seat, the echoey room, the loud flush, the strange feeling of letting go. If your kiddo seems genuinely overwhelmed rather than stubborn, my guide to sensory processing, explained will help you tell the difference.

The Foot Position That Changes Everything

This is the tip I wish were on every potty box. When your child sits with their feet dangling, their pelvic floor can't relax and their tummy muscles have nothing to push against. Poop physically has a harder time coming out.

The fix is a squat. You want feet flat and fully supported — on a small stool, a stack of sturdy books, or an upside-down storage bin — with knees higher than their hips, and their body leaning slightly forward, elbows resting on knees. That knees-above-hips angle straightens out the "kink" in the lower bowel (the anorectal angle, if you want the fancy term) so things pass easily, the way our bodies are actually built to go.

On a big adult toilet with a kid seat, a footstool isn't optional — it's the whole game. Little legs need somewhere to press. Get the feet right and you've solved half the poop problem before you've said a word.

More Potty Training Tips Using Stuff You Already Have

No special gear required. These are the small tweaks I lean on most — each one takes the pressure off and lets the body do its job.

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When to Check In With an OT (or Your Pediatrician)

Slow starts, poop holdouts, and the occasional accident are all a normal part of learning this big new skill. Most kids get there on their own timeline with a relaxed body, supported feet, and a grown-up who keeps it low-pressure — not because of any perfect method.

That said, it's worth a no-pressure chat with your pediatrician or a pediatric OT if you're consistently seeing things like poops that are hard, painful, or so infrequent that your child seems constipated, a kiddo who actively withholds and fears pooping to the point of hiding or holding for days, a strong sensory overwhelm that makes the whole bathroom a meltdown (not just a preference), no progress at all by around age four despite lots of low-key trying, or a sudden regression after a stretch of success.

None of those means anything is wrong with your child — they're just gentle "let's take a closer look" flags, and there's almost always a simple, playful tweak (or a quick medical check for constipation) that turns it around. Watching a scared little poop-holder finally relax and go is honestly one of the most triumphant moments in my job. You've got this.

This post is for learning and support — it isn't a diagnosis. © Tiny Hands