Why potty trained children regress

A few toddlers start using the potty and never look back. For most, though, accidents happen. Young kids often learn in spurts and stalls.

Sometimes, they even regress, or lose skills they've recently acquired — including using the toilet. As a parent, it's natural to feel frustrated and even upset when your potty-trained child has an accident. Know that, in many cases, regression is actually a healthy emotional response to feelings your child isn't yet able to express. So your best bet to handling a potty training setback is to remain positive and take steps to help your child get back on track.

Potty training accidents happen as your child first learns to use the toilet — it is a learning process, after all. The good news: In most cases of regression, your child should pick right up where she left off in a few days or weeks. Dealing with the causes of accidents is the key to putting potty training back on track, so be on the lookout for common triggers, which may include:.

Lack of readiness. If the timing isn't right, even the best toilet training tactics won't prevent setbacks. Most toddlers show signs of potty training readiness between 20 and 30 months, though some will show these signs earlier or later.

Any new situation, such as a new sibling, a new sitter, a new daycare, changes to your child's regular routine or a family conflict may be stressful enough to trigger a regression in potty training. Feeling tired or sluggish can prevent your toddler from reaching the potty in time to use it.

Parental pressure. Pushing a toddler who isn't ready or interested in using the toilet is likely to backfire. It's important to be patient, supportive, encouraging and reassuring during the potty training process.

It's also essential to let your child set the pace. If your child is busy playing or engrossed in another activity, she may not notice the urge to go to the potty until it's too late, or she may choose to avoid going simply because she doesn't want to stop what she's doing.

For tots who are new to the toilet, even just being excited 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.

Cleaning up puddles of pee is particularly frustrating when you thought you had already achieved this developmental milestone. These tips can help:. Be comforting. There will always be accidents along the path to toilet self-sufficiency. Some regressions can seem retaliatory, she says.

For example, if your preschooler pees on the couch every time you breastfeed the baby. Regressions typically occur when kids are going through an upheaval, such as a divorce, a new sibling or starting preschool. For instance, in the case of the arrival of a new sibling—the most common cause of a regression—your child likely wishes they were still a baby, getting all that attention.

Involve them in your downtime with the new baby, like reading a picture book together while you nurse. Maybe let them help you with big-kid jobs like preparing dinner so they can feel proud of their abilities—this also highlights the benefits of being older. This tactic should tackle the underlying reason for the relapse.

After two weeks without improvement, they gave up on the stickers and a family friend coincidentally gave him a bike anyway. The key is knowing how your particular child is motivated. On the flip side, some experts advise against using rewards , as it can create a cycle where kids expect to be rewarded for everything. Again, knowing your child is crucial. When he filled it, he got to pick out a small toy.

After filling it once, he never regressed again. According to Jandu, most regressions resolve themselves within two weeks. In the interim, try to keep things in perspective — as well as your cool. With my second, I barely batted an eyelash when she started having accidents, and sure enough, she was back on the potty in no time. Type 1 diabetes can cause increased urination in children. Urinary tract infections UTI. UTIs , which are more common in girls than boys, can cause both an increase in urination, as well as pain while urinating.

Potty training regression is never fun.