It's not ideal but it's nothing to worry about. Parenting expert and child psychologist Dr Pat Spungin, CEO of Raisingkids.co.uk, offers advice on how to make this unpleasant phase as brief as possible!

Raisingkids member's problem
My 20 month-old son poos in the bath regularly - is this normal?

Dr Spungin's advice
Do certain situations trigger the reflex to poo? Maybe being in the bath is the trigger but it's more likely he's bathing at a regular time each day. He's a bit young to toilet train, but if he appears to know what's about to happen and he can tell you, you could use the regularity of his pooing to start the process. He may not have control as yet, so just try to get him to poo in the potty. Let him sit on the potty before his bath, read to him to keep him there for a while and if he poos - praise him enthusiastically!

If he doesn't, just leave it until he is older and ready. When he poos in the bath, take the poo and put it in his potty (ugh!) to show him where it should go. But don't expect him to have complete control or be trained for all circumstances yet - that could take another year.

• Ask Our Parenting Expert: More Answers About 1-4 Yr-Olds
• Discussion: What Are Other Parents Doing About Potty-Training?
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