Potty training setbacks

Potty training is an important part of your child’s life. A child is considered fully toilet trained when they are conscious of the fact that they need to pass urine or open their bowels and can take themselves to the toilet without reminders from their parents. Set backs are a normal part of toilet training and should be anticipated. It is important to stay calm and positive and avoid getting angry. Toilet training is complex and involves several steps. There are may be some setbacks in your potty training.

Accidents

Accidents are a natural part of toilet training and will happen even once your child is toilet trained. When accidents occur it is best to clean the child up and to keep fuss and negativity to a minimum. Reassure your child that accidents don’t matter and that it takes time to master the skill of using the potty. Punishment has no role in potty training. It is best to carry a spare change of clothes at all times.

My child refuses to use the potty

One in five children will go through a period where they refuse to go to the toilet. This behaviour can be associated with delayed toilet training, constipation and an increased risk of encopresis. If your toddler refuses to use the potty don’t force the issue and try again in a month’s time.

What do I do during times of illness and stress?

It is best to avoid initiating toilet training during times of illness and stress, including the arrival of a new baby. If your child becomes ill during the toilet training period it is best to stop toilet training until he/she is better and then start again.

Constipation

Bedwetting and constipation are closely related with 7 to 70% of children who wet the bed experiencing constipation. Constipation can aggravate bed wetting through retained stools in the rectum compressing the bladder. This in turn reduces the capacity of the bladder, triggering an early desire to pass urine. In addition, hard stools within the rectum can cause spasm of the pelvic floor muscles which prevents them from relaxing when urine needs to be passed, leading to retained urine in the bladder.

Your doctor will be able to advise you on how to best manage your child’s constipation. A variety of different tactics including addressing incorrect toileting habits, increasing fibre in your child’s diet and the correct use of laxatives as may be used.

Bed wetting

Bed wetting (also known as enuresis) refers to intermittent bed wetting that occurs at night but may be associated with episodes of wetness during the day in children over the age of 5 years. Bed wetting is a common problem affecting 20% of 5 year olds, 10% of 10 year olds and 3% of 15 year olds. It has a significant impact on both the child that wets their bed and their family.

There are many treatment options available for children who wet their bed. Your doctor will decided which treatment is best for your child after excluding other medical problems which can cause bed wetting.

If your child has been dry for a period of 6 months and then starts to wet themselves again, this might be a sign of an underlying health problem. If the wetting continues it is important to see your local medical practitioner for further assessment.

If you face problems

There are several avenues of help for parents who want advice on toilet training or who are experiencing difficulties;

Toilet training books available through local library. Most parenting books will have a section on toilet training;

Over the internet you can find a lot of solutions, try which one match with yours;

Your local child health centre;

Your local doctor;