First, the researcher will introduce herself and explain the purpose of the study to the participants. Pre-tests will be administered to individuals who meet the inclusion criteria and agree to participate in the study. At the pre-test stage, the Mother and Child Descriptive Information, Defecation Frequency, Bristol Stool Form Scale, and Trait Anxiety Inventory will be administered. During follow-up assessments, Defecation Frequency and the Bristol Stool Form Scale will be used. At the final follow-up, Defecation Frequency, the Bristol Stool Form Scale, and the Trait Anxiety Inventory will be administered. A motivational interviewing-based intervention program will be implemented for the intervention group, and the follow-up period will last for one month.

In the study, no intervention will be applied to the mothers in the control group. As stated prior to the study, after the post-test data are collected, training will be planned for the participants in the control group and the training materials will be provided. At the pre-test stage, the Mother and Child Descriptive Information Form, Defecation Frequency, Bristol Stool Form Scale, and Trait Anxiety Inventory will be administered. During follow-ups, Defecation Frequency and the Bristol Stool Form Scale will be used. At the post-test stage, Defecation Frequency, the Bristol Stool Form Scale, and the Trait Anxiety Inventory will be administered. The follow-up period will last for one month.

Structured educational sessions delivered to mothers using motivational interviewing techniques, aiming to reduce maternal anxiety and improve children's constipation symptoms

The number of defecations per week will be recorded to assess changes in bowel movement frequency during the study. According to the Rome IV criteria, the weekly defecation frequency must be more than two times per week in order not to be classified as functional constipation.

Stool consistency will be assessed using the Bristol Stool Form Scale to evaluate changes over the intervention period. Seven stool types are classified. Types 1 and 2 (scores 1 and 2) indicate hard stools, which are associated with constipation; Types 3, 4, and 5 (scores 3, 4, and 5) represent normal stool forms; and Types 6 and 7 (scores 6 and 7) indicate loose or watery stools, typically observed in diarrhea.

Maternal trait anxiety will be assessed using the Trait Anxiety Inventory Form. The change in scores from baseline to post-intervention will be analyzed. The total score obtained from the scale ranges from 20 to 80. Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety, whereas lower scores indicate lower levels of anxiety.