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Why do I have to go to the toilet? |
Burps, Boogers, and Beyond
Everybody (yes, everybody) goes to the bathroom: your mom and dad, your brothers and sisters, all of your friends, the people on TV, the people who live next door, teachers, doctors, firefighters, police officers, and the president -- they all go the bathroom, just like you do.
In order to grow, play, and learn your body needs energy, which it gets from the food that you eat. But even when you eat healthy foods with all the nutrients you need, there are still certain things in your food that your body doesn’t hang on to -- this is what you get rid of when you go to the bathroom!
The way your body breaks down food is known as digestion. Digestion actually begins in your mouth as you chew your food and mix it with saliva. From your mouth, the food passes into your stomach and then your intestines. Along the way, your body takes in the meal’s nutrients. Eventually, the things you don’t need reach the end of your intestines (about 30 feet of traveling!) and are discarded when you use the toilet!
In order to grow, play, and learn your body needs energy, which it gets from the food that you eat. But even when you eat healthy foods with all the nutrients you need, there are still certain things in your food that your body doesn’t hang on to -- this is what you get rid of when you go to the bathroom!
The way your body breaks down food is known as digestion. Digestion actually begins in your mouth as you chew your food and mix it with saliva. From your mouth, the food passes into your stomach and then your intestines. Along the way, your body takes in the meal’s nutrients. Eventually, the things you don’t need reach the end of your intestines (about 30 feet of traveling!) and are discarded when you use the toilet!
The limerick of Pat and the potty!
With her potty, young Pat is a pro
She uses it daily, you know!
And then when she's done
Back outside she has fun
Till the next time that she needs to go!
- “Digestive system.” First Human Body Encyclopedia. Ed. Penny Smith. 1 vol. New York: DK Publishing Inc., 2005. 82-91.
- “Your Digestive System and How It Works.” National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). 2008. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases –National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 27 Nov. 2010