A few toddlers start using the potty and never look back. For near, though, accidents happen. Young kids often learn in spurts and stalls. Sometimes, they even backslide, or lose skills they've recently acquired — including using the toilet.

As a parent, information technology'south natural to feel frustrated and even upset when your potty-trained child has an accident. Know that, in many cases, regression is really a healthy emotional response to feelings your child isn't yet able to express. So your best bet to treatment a potty grooming setback is to remain positive and take steps to assist your child get back on track.

What's the divergence between potty training accidents and potty preparation regression?

Potty grooming accidents happen as your kid kickoff learns to use the toilet — it is a learning procedure, afterward all. Regression, however, is when a child who has been seemingly potty trained suddenly has accidents and/or wants to become back to wearing diapers. The proficient news: In most cases of regression, your child should choice right up where she left off in a few days or weeks.

Common causes of potty-training regression

Dealing with the causes of accidents is the primal to putting potty preparation back on runway, so be on the lookout for common triggers, which may include:

  • Lack of readiness. If the timing isn't right, fifty-fifty the best toilet preparation tactics won't prevent setbacks. Virtually toddlers testify signs of potty grooming readiness betwixt twenty and 30 months, though some will bear witness these signs earlier or afterwards.

  • Stress. Any new state of affairs, such as a new sibling, a new sitter, a new daycare, changes to your kid'due south regular routine or a family conflict may be stressful plenty to trigger a regression in potty training.

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  • Fatigue. Feeling tired or sluggish can foreclose your toddler from reaching the potty in time to apply it.

  • Parental pressure. Pushing a toddler who isn't ready or interested in using the toilet is probable to backfire. It's important to exist patient, supportive, encouraging and reassuring during the potty training process. It's also essential to let your child fix the pace.

  • Distraction. If your kid is decorated playing or engrossed in another activity, she may non notice the urge to go to the potty until it's too late, or she may cull to avoid going simply considering she doesn't want to stop what she'due south doing.

  • Excitement. For tots who are new to the toilet, even only existence excited tin can trigger an accident — they may forget to go or ignore the urge, resulting in an accident.

  • Inability to communicate. Your child may not have the ability to express in words any fear or anxiety she's experiencing around using the toilet or any physical discomfort she may be feeling, and it may cause her to try to avoid the potty.

8 tips for handling potty training setbacks

Cleaning up puddles of pee is especially frustrating when you lot thought you had already achieved this developmental milestone. But have organized religion that information technology'south only a phase and your little 1 will move past it. These tips tin can assist:

  1. Exist comforting. Your child may be upset after having an accident, so be sensitive. ("You had an accident, but that's okay. Lots of kids have accidents. Perhaps next time you'll make it to the potty in time.") Never scold, criticize or punish your kid for having a setback.

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  2. Recall the process varies for all kids. While most kids are potty trained by about iii years old, all kids develop at dissimilar rates and some might demand more than fourth dimension. So be sure your child is old enough and has been showing signs of readiness.

  3. Troubleshoot. Does your kid seem stressed or tired? Anxious? Talk to your child about possible triggers for the setback. ("Are yous nervous about moving to our new house?" or "Has it been different with your new brother at home?") Then try to assist her communicate her feelings about what'south upsetting her. You tin then offering reassurance to help build confidence. ("It'due south normal to feel scared well-nigh your new daycare. But those feelings volition get abroad.")

  4. Go dorsum to potty preparation basics. Exist clear well-nigh when and how to use the potty. Advise regular bath breaks at key times, such as first thing in the morn, afterwards meals and snacks, before a ride in the automobile and before bed, simply effort not to nag. Consider employing (or re-activating) a reward system with stickers.

  5. Improve your child's chances for success. Keep the potty in a strategic place, and apparel your child in easy-on, easy-off bottoms.

  6. Try preparation pants. If you're potty training on the earlier side, training pants can make potty training less messy and aid teach wetness sensation with cute graphics that fade when they become wet. If your kid is potty grooming later, y'all may want to stick with pull-ups when accidents would be inconvenient (such as when you lot're abroad from home), and use cotton underwear for calm training sessions.

  7. Offer praise every stride of the mode. Help motivate your kid by playing up the "big kid" angle. Focus on positive reinforcement and enthusiastic praise when she does successfully apply the potty.

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  8. Requite it a rest. If you've ruled out other underlying causes and your child's regression lasts longer than a calendar month, she may simply not be prepare. In that case, give potty preparation a suspension for a piddling while. Just get back on track as soon equally your kid does seem to be showing signs of readiness, since consistency is essential to success.

When to phone call the doctor almost potty training regression or accidents

Accidents are role of the potty training process, but frequent accidents over a prolonged period could be a sign that there'south an underlying medical status that requires treatment. See your pediatrician if your toddler experiences any of these symptoms:

  • Constant wetness
  • Wetness following laughter
  • A weak urine stream
  • Painful urination or defecation
  • Chronic constipation
  • Blood in the urine or stool

Your pediatrician can aid identify any physical or non-physical problems your toddler may be experiencing, as well every bit offering guidance if medications, behavior modifications or other types of treatment are necessary.

Potty Training in 3 Words