The HopeFULL Muse

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found myself saying “Alright, enough potty talk at the dinner table.” to my 7 year old son (who’s currently fascinated with bodily functions) and his 5 year old sister (who laughs hysterically at just about anything, anyway). 

However, I’m going to break my own rule and set aside my table manners for the moment to talk about the two things I don’t like to talk about at the same time... 

Food and Poop.

More specifically, food and lack of poop.

Constipation occurs often in children, affecting up to 10% at any given time. By definition, it is the infrequent passage of stools (bowel movements) or the passage of hard stools. Any definition of constipation depends upon comparison with how often the child normally passes stools and with the usual consistency of his or her stools.

Many children are infrequent poopers by nature - passing stools as far apart as every few days. Regardless, you should treat hard stools that are difficult to pass and those that happen only every three days as constipation. Any parent who’s child has suffered from constipation knows it’s pretty a heartbreaking thing to deal with. Children with constipation can suffer severe stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, bedwetting, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract infections...poor little things. 

The most common cause for constipation in a child older than 18 months is their willful avoidance of the toilet (for various reasons). For example, toddlers are often so involved in their play that they lack time or patience for toilet breaks. At school they may be concerned with lack of privacy.

Changes in diet is another cause for constipation. Children who eat well-balanced meals typically are not constipated while children who eat a lot of sugar are prone to constipation. 

Intense changes such as; illnesses that cause fever, becoming bedridden, eating less, or dehydration may decrease the frequency of stools or may harden stools.

Another common contributer to constipation in children are over-the-counter cold medications and antacids. Antidepressants, anticonvulsants, chemotherapy medications, or narcotic pain medications (such as codeine) can also constipate.

So what do you do when you’ve got a kiddo with a poop problemo? 

Here is a couple of home remedies we came up with followed by a new HopeFULL Recipe created in an effort to keep/get things flowin’ as they should...(Remember to always trust your parental instincts and call a health professional with any questions or concerns!)

- Drink plenty of water!

- Try 2 to 4 oz. of natural apple or pear juice diluted with 2 to 4 oz of water

- Add two tablespoons of baking soda to a warm bath. Let your child soak for 15 minutes while you read them their favorite book

Happy Tummy Chocolate Pop

1 Large banana

1c milk (almond, soy, cow...use your favorite!)

1/2 c soft prunes (diced)

1/3 c black beans (rinsed) 

1 Tbs honey

1 tsp cocoa powder*

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFull tray or ice-pop mold, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze. 

*When I blended the ingredients together I got a dark brown mixture and I immediately thought to myself “My kids will never eat this!” (It looked like...yep, you guessed it!) Then my 5 year old walked into the kitchen and said “Chocolate HopeFULLs??!! YUM, Mom!” With a light bulb above my head (thank you Gabby) I added the cocoa powder at the end (just so that I wouldn’t be a liar). :)

Sources: emedicinehealth