Common Potty Training Problems

The journey to potty training is an essential time on every parents life, they are many books and guides to help you achieve your goal but make no mistakes your personal potty journey will be as unique as your child. While patience and creativity is an essential tool during potty training they are common potty training problems that once identified can be resolved. Learn how to spot these common problems and pick up some potty tips along the way to help you solve them.

Unable To Recognize The Need To Use The Potty

Some children are not able to control or understand when there having a bowel movement. This is common problem among potty trainees, and should pass as your child learn to recognize and control each urge. Continue potty training keep in mind that your child's developmental process is unique and he will move forward when ever he or she feels ready.

Reluctance to Use the Potty

Is your child ready for potty training? Think about why you started potty training. Was your child really showing readiness signs or were you eager to get him off diapers. Unfortunately when it come to potty training your child holds the cards. He can't forced or persuaded if he has no interest in the matter. Hold off for a few weeks or months until he starts to show interest again.

If your child does show readiness signs but has been having difficulties, try find out the source, he may be ready in some aspects but not may need work on others for example, he may show interest in pottying but his body may not have the control he need to start potty training. It can also be a fear associated issue that is causing the reluctance. Is your child afraid of falling in the toilet or does he dislike the flushing sound. Or he can be overwhelm about the hole process of going to the bathroom, in which case breaking it down into small steps may help.

Relapsing

Your child had continues success at pottying but is now having accidents again. Children are creatures of routine any minor changes to their environment can affect their progress. Have there been any mayor changes at home? Life altering events like a new baby, a divorce or move can cause your child to regress and start having accidents again. Also when your child is involved in high activity he may forget to listen to his body signs.

Try keeping your child's life as predictable as possible while in the process of potty training and if your child has moved up from diapers to big kid under wear avoid coming back to diapers you want to keep moving forward. Running some naked drills may help your child be more aware of his body urges.

If there haven't been any mayor changes at home, contact your pediatrician to make sure it is not a medical problem. Look for unusually colored urine or a lack of bowel movement for several days, any pain while at pottying. Once medical issues have been solved, you should be okay to continue potty training.

Playing With Poop

Poop may be fascinating to some kids. If your child discovers the playful qualities of poop, be prepared to be extra watchful in the days and weeks ahead. Poop may have a self reinforcing attraction to your child is soft and squishy and smear well. An emotional response on your part ( "OOOH GROSS, STOP THAT'S DISGUSTING OR YUUUUUCK") Also reinforces the behavior. It could create greater interest to play with the poop. Stay calm in front of your child, describe the problem "POOP BELONGS IN THE POTTY. IT HAS GERMS. SO WE DONT TOUCH IT WITH OUR HANDS. THAT WHY WE WASH OUR HANDS EVERYTHING WE USE THE POTTY."

No scolding is necessary if you clearly represent what is okay and what's not okay to do with the poop. Because poop hold a unique attraction to your child is not a one time experience. You may have to repeat your message a few more times.

End with a positive. If your child loves to get messy or loves ooey, gooey, textures, incorporate more of those things onto his play. Try squishing play dough, finger painting with paint or pudding.

Nighttime Accidents

It takes longer to learn nighttime potty training because your child may not have the physical control to be successful. He may be a heavy sleeper and wont be able to read his body urges or he might be scare of getting up to go to the potty.Try to get your toddler to use the bathroom right before bed and if he or she wakes up at night. Encourage your child to call for you if he or she feels the urge to use the toilet at night. Handle nighttime accidents same as you would day times, with a calm problem solving perspective.