Supporting Children (5-19) with promoting healthy bladder and bowels
Establishing good bladder and bowel health is essential for children’s comfort, confidence, and overall well-being preventing problems like urinary tract infections, constipation, and even emotional stress. Parents and caregivers play a key role in guiding children toward healthy routines that keep their bodies working smoothly. Our team has collated a range of advice, videos and downloadable resources for you to review and complete in your own time.
Healthy Bladder Habits for Happy Kids
- Take regular bathroom breaks – Encourage children to pee every 2–4 hours, even if they don’t feel the urge as this helps to establish a healthy bladder capacity and can prevent ongoing continence issues in childhood or later on in life. Holding urine too long also allows bacteria to grow and can lead to infections.
- Stay hydrated—but timed! – Let your child sip fluids throughout the day, avoiding most drinks close to bedtime. This supports bladder health and reduces bedwetting.
- and can improve children’s focus and attention school. You may want to consider drawing lines on the water bottle to help children to remember to drink, how often and when.
- Teach good hygiene habits – For girls especially always wipe front to back after going to the toilet to prevent urinary tract (wee) infections.
- Take a ‘double wee’ – After finishing, pause for a few seconds and try again to help fully empty the bladder.
💩 Comfort & Confidence: Healthy Bowels
- Shoot for regular, soft poops – Aim for at least one soft, easy-to-pass bowel movement daily. This helps avoid constipation and tummy pain.
- Fibre, fluids, and predictable routine – A balanced diet with plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and enough water, plus 5-minute sit-downs after meals, helps establish regularity. Using the gastro-colonic reflex, the squeezy movement your bowels make 10-20 mins after meal which is when pooing is more likely to happen.
- Don’t hold back – If kids resist pooping, stool can build up and lead to constipation and can impact on wees, by making if difficult to go for a wee or make some wee sneak out without their knowledge. Encourage them to go when they feel the urge as this will keep the ‘call to stool mechanism in place’.
- Use medicines as prescribed by a GP or advised by a pharmacist – If bowel movements are hard or infrequent, a paediatrician can recommend safe stool softeners or simple clean-out plans.
🎯 Tips for Families
- Set reminders—alarm every 2 hours to go pee or poop. This can be done by setting alarms as a reminder e.g phone or watch
- Use rewards—stickers, charts, or praise for consistent bathroom use.
- Make the bathroom as child friendly as possible.
- Keep it positive—celebrate small wins, stay calm, and avoid guilt or pressure.
- Model the habit—“I’m off for a wee—want to come too?” Normalising it helps kids learn faster.
The downloadable poo diary and questionnaire must be completed and returned to the School Nursing Team before we can offer some bespoke advice and support bht.schoolhealth-referrals@nhs.net
For more support and advice contact: Parents and carers of children and young people aged 5-19 in Buckinghamshire
