When you’re over this hump, you can consider it a milestone both for you as a parent and for your toddler. Indeed, potty training is a sticky situation. But it’s necessary. Or, as a parent, you could be facing a long and winding road ahead if you fail to teach it right. It’s paramount that you do it with a lot of TLC or tender loving care. The more potty training becomes a tug-of-war, the harder it becomes part of your toddler’s routine.
Along the way, some toddlers are fast learners. Once they learn to use the potty, they never look back. But, those young ones are the exception rather than the rule. More often than not, potty training issues happen. Don’t fret. It’s just a natural progression of your child learning the ropes.
Right from the get-go, be patient. Young ones learn in spurts. To get to your goal, you must define the setback. There is a difference between a potty training accident and potty training regression. Regression is when your child has been potty trained and is doing well when out of the blue, they want to go back to their diapers. An accident is when your child is still learning the routine and gets messy in the process. Check out more essentials below to learn more.
Common Causes of Setbacks
Your child may not talk much, but their actions and emotions are telltale signs to show you the way. Take time, then, to observe. Look for possible triggers when patterns of messy behavior emerge.
For starters, timing is everything. If your child is not ready for potty training, no positive feedback and prodding will work. A good number to remember is 20. That’s 20 months from birth. Usually, this is the time your tot is ready to be potty trained. Earlier than that, and it may be counterproductive. Know more about toddler signs to determine they’re ready to train.
Stress is another possible cause. When your child faces a new situation around them (e.g., a new pet, a new sitter, conflict in the house), it may trigger fear in them, causing a possible regression.
Other triggers include being distracted. If they are lost in a new toy or running around, they may ignore their physical need to go potty. Or they may not be aware of the need to go. As a result, accidents happen.
In this regard, be watchful of their state of mind. Being sluggish can mean they might not make it to the potty in time. Additionally, if they’re super excited, they may choose to forget the need to go.
Take note that pressuring your young one to go to the bathroom even they don’t want to backfire. You need to exercise patience. And that means allowing your child to set the pace. If you want to be clinical about it all, here’s how to get potty training right.
Handling the Problem
All along, you must prepare your equipment. For one, a potty chair is a must. If your child balks at the toy-like potty and demands to do it as grown-ups do, worry not. You can get a potty seat that’s attachable to the toilet. Look for the good kind, which should not shake and spook your child back to the diaper land. Take note: A footrest to allow your tot to climb to the toilet on their own is handy.
If your bathroom is getting short on space, bathroom remodeling can do wonders for everyone, especially for your toddler whose needs are growing. In this regard, the right professionals should get the job done in style in no time at all.
From the onset, be gentle. When a potty training accident happens, the last thing your toddler need is for you to go ballistic. Be sensitive. Use comforting words instead of being critical or sarcastic. Tell them it’s okay and it’s normal. Plus, assure them they can do better next time.
Again, never make the process a tug-of-war of sorts. To do that, make sure you offer praise every step of the way. When they get it right, praise them. This will motivate them to repeat the act more.
A good measure for you is to let them wear training pants. Those brands with cute graphics that fade when wet can be a shot in the arm. This encourages them to be aware, making potty training a lot less messy.
Of course, you need to be strategic about all of this. For one, don’t hide the potty. Keep it visible for them so that they can use it anytime.
Keeping a routine for bathroom breaks is useful (e.g., when he wakes up, after meals). Even better, you can reinforce good potty behavior. Using a reward system with stickers can go a long way to put them on track. It seems a tall order, but once the habit kicks in, you’ve done your job in flying colors.
