1. Skip to navigation
  2. Skip to content
  3. Skip to sidebar

Topics:

Potty-training pitfalls

Expert advice on dealing with toilet-training setbacks

By
//
Originally published in Today's Parent May 2010

iStock

Once in a while, a tot will pull on his superhero Underoos, start using the potty and never look back, but most kids have a few lapses along the way. “About 80 percent of parents report having to deal with toilet-training setbacks,” says Elizabeth Pantley, the author of The No-Cry Potty Training Solution. There are dozens of reasons why children who are doing well with toilet training suddenly backtrack on the road to success; here are five of the most common and how to handle them.

Roadblock #1: Routine regression

When I took my newly diaper-free toddler to Halifax for Christmas, I threw a few training diapers into the suitcase, just in case. I didn’t really think I’d need them, but two days into our trip, I was racing out to the drugstore to buy more! My three-year-old daughter may have had a long dry spell back home, but as soon as she started sleeping at Grandma’s, she sprang a leak.

Newly trained tots may not have the same success in unfamiliar surroundings. In fact, any change in day-to-day activities is a common setback, says Mia Lang, an assistant professor in the department of paediatrics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. “What we consider minor could be something really big for them.” Starting school, getting a new babysitter, even a road trip could prove tricky for your little one’s potty skills.

Detour Putting your child back in training diapers may be the easiest temporary solution for vacations, but try to maintain as much of his normal potty routine as possible. Take him to the toilet after every meal, and read a book or sing a song with him if that’s what you normally do.

Starting a new school? Try having a practice run to familiarize your little one with the new potty protocol, suggests Lang. “Introduce him to the teacher, review the routine and find out whether he needs to put up his hand to use the bathroom.” And try to be patient. Chances are most problems will resolve themselves within a couple of weeks.

Subscribe to Today's Parent for just $14.95* That's only $1.25 an issue!

May We Also Suggest...

What do you think?