Guides to children's bowel and bladder problems

Expertly written guides to help with children's bowel and bladder problems. Our resources are based on the latest clinical research and recommendations.

All our guides are available as free downloads.

Thinking about wee and poo now you've reached the age of 2 (English)

Meddwl am bi-pi a phw pw gan dy fod di bellach yn ddwy oed (Welsh)

Thinking about wee and poo now you're on your way to school! (English)

Meddwl am bi-pi a phw pw nawr eich bod ar y ffordd i'r ysgol! (Welsh)

ERIC's guide to potty training

ERIC's Guide to Children's Bowel Problems

ERIC's Guide to Children's Daytime Bladder Problems

ERIC's Guide to Night Time Wetting

Bedwetting Alarms - Your Questions Answered

ERIC's Guide for Children with Additional Needs

Guide for children living with complex bladder and bowel problems

You can find our factsheets and other free downloads here.

Hard copies of the guides

Bundles of our leaflets are available to purchase from our online shop. Prices start at £4 for 100 copies of an individual leaflet.

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Latest

Toilet anxiety

Why some children find the bathroom a frightening place to be and how to them overcome their fears.
Why do some children withhold?

There can be lots of different reasons why a child will stop themselves from weeing or pooing. It could be just one or a combination of issues.
Signs of withholding

There are lots of different clues that show a child is trying to avoid weeing or pooing. Here's a list of the most common tell tale signs to look out for.
Children who withhold wee

Why do some children try to avoid emptying their bladder and can it do any harm?

Managing continence issues at nursery, school and college

Best practice guidance regarding all aspects of bladder and bowel problems and toileting within education settings.
Potty Training Package for Early Years settings

Everything for your nursery or early years setting to help implement toilet training best practice.
Short film about continence issues in secondary school

Discover how common continence problems are amongst teenagers and how to make sure young people are well are supported at school.
Continence problems are having a devastating impact on school attendance

ERIC survey reveals the shocking number of days children are having to miss school with parents and carers forced to take unpaid leave, work part time and even give up work all together.
Potty training resources, downloads and links

Download information guides, read blogs, listen to podcasts and buy potty training products to help support children and families during the toilet training process.
How one school promotes poo

A teacher at a primary special school shares how they've developed a brilliant system of supporting children and their families to better understand bowels and bladders.
Why are children being potty trained later?

Potty training crisis? We have identified the reasons why children are being potty trained and toilet trained later.
More children toilet training later – how early years can help parents

ERIC is offering essential training for nursery staff and a potty training policy to help get children out of nappies and 'school ready'.
Common toilet training issues facing Early Years Practitioners

One of ERIC's Helpline Advisors, Natalie, shares tips for nursery workers who are supporting children and families with potty training.
Paediatric continence training

Find out more about our courses, covering healthy and complex bladders and bowels, nocturnal enuresis and toilet training children with additional needs.

Guides to children's bowel and bladder problems

Resources and leaflets to help with potty training, daytime wetting, bedwetting and bowel problems.
Bowel problems: FAQs

How often should children poo? Why is my child soiling? Get answers to commonly asked questions about children's poo problems.
A Parent's Guide to Disimpaction

If your child has been constipated for more than a few days your doctor or nurse may recommend a disimpaction regime. This means giving laxatives in sufficiently large quantities to ‘clear out’ all the accumulated poo. Read our Parent's Guide to Disimpaction.
Top 10 potty training tips

Top 10 potty training tips from the experts in toileting. Use these tips to successfully teach your child to use the potty.
Children who will only poo in a nappy and other toilet avoiders

Insisting on wearing a nappy to poo is normal for kids who are potty training, but some would happily poo in a nappy for years. Break the habit with these tips.
Treating bedwetting

Watch our bedwetting animation and find out how to treat and manage this common childhood condition.
How fast are your bowels? Take the sweetcorn test to find out!

A portion of sweetcorn and a clock is all you need to discover how long it takes for food to travel from your mouth to the toilet.
Helpline support

Call ERIC's helpline on freephone: 0808 169 9949
When to start potty training

To start potty training, your child needs to be physically ready and able to follow instructions. There are also things you can do to prepare them to learn.
What causes bedwetting?

There are three main reasons why children and young people struggle with bedwetting. Find out more about the underlying causes.

Your chance to change and improve continence services

An invitation for anybody caring for a young person experiencing a wee or poo difficulty to share their experience and opinions. Help drive change! Read more

Helping older children and teenagers overcome bedwetting

Nine tips for anyone supporting young people to manage their bedwetting and stay motivated. Read more