Pediatricians and fellow parents are great sources of potty training advice, but one key element often gets overlooked—nutrition and diet. Dr. Bill Sears, America’s pediatrician and father of eight, is a big believer in the power of fiber, and he always includes it as one of his best potty-training secrets.
Is your child avoiding the potty?
According to Dr. Bill, children should ideally have a bowel movement three times a day, or at least once daily. It should be easy to pass without straining.
When bowel movements become hard and painful to pass, children may avoid or even develop anxiety about going potty. If they continue to hold it in, constipation can worsen, making the situation even more uncomfortable.
How fiber supports potty training
Fiber is essential for keeping the digestive system moving. Unfortunately, most children (and even adults) don’t consume enough daily fiber, leading to common gut-related issues like occasional constipation or bloating.
A simple way to figure out how much fiber your child needs each day is by adding 10 grams to their age, according to Dr. Bill. For example, a two-year-old should get 12 grams of fiber daily. Happy Tummies is an easy, gentle, and effective way to add fiber to a child-friendly diet.
Why choose Happy Tummies?
Happy Tummies is suitable for all ages and can be easily mixed into water, juice, smoothies, or yogurt, without changing the texture. The recommended dosage is one serving (3 – 7 grams) for all ages above 9 months.
Remember, supplemental fiber like Happy Tummies is used alongside, not instead of, fiber-rich, poo-friendly foods such as pears, peaches, plums, and prunes. As Dr. Bill often says, "The food that goes in at the top affects the ease of passage at the bottom."
Best of luck on your potty training journey.