Stool Withholding Help

Stool Withholding Help 🌟 Dr Kate McGarry 🧠 Developmental Psychologist 📖 Check out my book for support and guidance ⬇️

Helping little ones feel confident about poo doesn’t have to be stressful 💛I wrote Squiggy the Poo as a developmental ps...
01/05/2026

Helping little ones feel confident about poo doesn’t have to be stressful 💛

I wrote Squiggy the Poo as a developmental psychologist to gently support children who struggle with toilet training and stool withholding. It’s designed to turn a tricky topic into something approachable, engaging, and even a little bit fun 😊

If you’re navigating toilet challenges at home, this could be the supportive tool you’ve been looking for 📘✨

28/04/2026

🚽✨ Taking away control from your withholder won’t help — it will make the withholding worse.

Stool withholding is so often about control 🧠✋

When a child feels pressured, rushed, or overridden, their body does the only thing it can to feel safe — it holds on tighter 😣
If we want change, we have to create positive associations with toileting

Not fear ❌
Not force ❌
Not “you have to go now” ❌

Children need support to re‑learn how their body works 💩↔️🧠
How to initiate, feel, and control a bowel movement again.
They need time ⏳, consistency 🔁, and confidence 🌱 to trust their body.

So often, the response is:
➡️ give a stimulant 💊
➡️ keep increasing it 📈
➡️ wait until they can’t hold it anymore 🚨

But taking control away like this doesn’t teach the body how to poo 🚽 — it teaches it that pooing is unpredictable and unsafe 😕. In many cases, this leads to more accidents, more soiling, and even stronger withholding 😔

Real progress comes from:
✨ safety
✨ predictability
✨ body awareness
✨ rebuilding confidence

Because regulation doesn’t come from force — it comes from feeling in control again 💛

✨ Real outcomes come from the right education and support ✨💛 A parent came to me feeling overwhelmed after struggling fo...
27/04/2026

✨ Real outcomes come from the right education and support ✨

💛 A parent came to me feeling overwhelmed after struggling for over a year without clear guidance. Through a consultation, personalised recommendations and practical education, they saw meaningful change. In just three weeks, their daughter was consistently using the toilet and out of nappies.

🌱 This is what my consultations are designed to do. They provide clear, evidence based guidance that helps parents understand what is going on and what to do next, with confidence and reassurance.

🤍 If you are feeling stuck or unsure how to support your child, help is available.

👇 Comment “YES” to find out more about my consultations and how I can help your child.

14/04/2026

💛 This work is deeply personal for me.
I don’t just talk about stool withholding from a professional perspective — I’ve lived it.
👧 When my eldest daughter was struggling, I was told she was “just constipated,” even though I knew in my gut she was holding her poo in. I kept saying something didn’t feel right, but my concerns weren’t always listened to. That feeling — knowing your child and feeling dismissed — is incredibly hard.
👶 At the same time, I was on maternity leave with my youngest. I was exhausted, emotional, and trying to care for a newborn while navigating repeated disimpactions and the stress that came with them. It was overwhelming, isolating, and honestly one of the toughest periods I’ve been through as a parent.
📚 That experience changed everything.
It pushed me to look deeper — to immerse myself in the research, explore the literature around stool withholding, and apply developmental and psychological theories to understand what was really going on for children like my daughter.
✨ What started as personal desperation became the foundation of my professional focus, and it’s why all of my work today is dedicated to this area.
🔥 I’m passionate about supporting families and shifting the conversation away from “they’ll just grow out of it” and towards “how do we actually tackle this, in a way that supports the child and the family?”
💛 If any part of this resonates, know that you’re not alone — and there is a way forward.

If you’d like to learn more about how I support families through consultations:
👇 Comment YES below 👇

Struggling with a little one who avoids pooing? 💩🚽 You’re not alone—and there is a way through.Squiggy the Poo is an int...
13/04/2026

Struggling with a little one who avoids pooing? 💩🚽 You’re not alone—and there is a way through.

Squiggy the Poo is an interactive, child-friendly story designed to gently support children who feel anxious, scared, or resistant to pooing. Through playful storytelling, it helps children understand their bodies, feel more in control, and build confidence around using the toilet 💛

✨ Loved by parents
✨ Recommended by families
✨ A total game changer for withholders

If you’re ready to take the stress out of poo time and support your child in a positive, pressure-free way…

👉 Comment SQUIGGY below and I’ll DM you the Amazon link!

Nothing means more than hearing how supported families feel after working together 🤍This beautiful testimonial captures ...
09/04/2026

Nothing means more than hearing how supported families feel after working together 🤍

This beautiful testimonial captures exactly why I do what I do—helping children feel safe, understood, and back in control of their bodies 💩✨

My consultations are held online, making them accessible and convenient for families wherever you are. Together, we explore your child’s unique challenges and I guide you through practical, evidence-based strategies you can start using straight away.

You also have the option to add a personalised written plan—so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and a step-by-step approach tailored specifically to your child.

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure what to try next… you don’t have to figure it out alone

08/04/2026

🚽 Stool Withholding Isn’t “Just Constipation”
When stool withholding keeps coming back, it’s a sign we’re missing something.
🧠 It’s About the Whole Child
Withholding is often driven by: • Pain or past painful poos
• Fear or anxiety around toileting
• Sensory sensitivities
• Stress, routines, and environments
Laxatives alone don’t change these underlying drivers.
💛 What Actually Helps
Real progress comes from supporting the child and addressing the behaviours behind the withholding, not just focusing on the poo.
📘 Want Practical Support?
Comment GUIDE and I’ll DM you a link to my practical parent guide with clear strategies you can start using straight away.

07/04/2026

Parents are loving Squiggy the Poo 💩🚽

This fun, friendly story is quickly becoming a go-to for families navigating toileting struggles — especially for little ones who feel worried, anxious, or tend to withhold.

✨ Recommended by parents
✨ Loved by children
✨ Backed by psychology

Squiggy the Poo uses gentle psychological techniques to create positive associations with pooing and the toilet — helping children feel safe, confident, and in control.

It also introduces simple, child-friendly pelvic floor exercises, supporting little ones to learn how to initiate and control their bowel movements in a relaxed, pressure-free way.

Families tell me it’s helped open up conversations, reduce anxiety, and even bring laughter to what can feel like a really challenging stage 💛

If you’re in the thick of it right now, you’re not alone — and Squiggy is here to help make things feel easier.

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