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Potty training gone horribly wrong - please help!

3 replies

MrsSnoops · 22/05/2009 07:19

My DS (2.9) has been potty trained for the last 2 months. He took to it really well and asked to go to the toilet and was dry within a week.
For the last month or so he has been having a few accidents, but it is now at the point when he is no longer taking himself to the toilet and is simply peeing where he is and saying 'I've done one!'.

I know these are not accidents as such, but more done on purpose.
I am getting really annoyed with it and it is becoming a battle, so last week I figured he wasn't ready maybe and asked him if he would like a nappy and he said yes. So put him back in a nappy and five minutes later he said he needed the toilet and he was once more dry. Hence knowing it is not accidents as such.

The wetting himself has been creeping back in and again I cannot seem to keep my frustration under control and yesterday told him one more and he is back in a nappy. He did and so we put him in one. He wet his nappy and did a poo.

He doesn't wet himself outside of home. If we are out he will either tell us or when asked if he needs to will say yes.
At home he has stopped telling us once more and when we try and prompt, we get told he doesn't want to go to the toilet.

I really don't know what to do as making him sit on the toilet or potty seems to be turning it in to a battle and taking control away from him and making it worse.

So, I figured I'd put him back in a nappy and wait until he tells me he wants to do it. Have I done the right thing, as I have read once they are out of nappies you shouldn't put them back.

I don't know whether to put him in a nappy or pants when he gets up.

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flamingobingo · 22/05/2009 07:34

Don't get annoyed by it - just clear it up without a fuss. Give him more attention in other areas of his life. Toddlers often find something they can control in life when things are changing (even if you can't work out what it is that's changing!) and where and when he wees is something only he can decide.

I've had this experience and really would strongly suggest just a quick, calm, efficient 'oh dear, let's clean you up and get you clean clothes'. And, alongside that, make sure you are doing more things with him, and trying to take away/help him deal with any other stressors you can identify in his life.

mumofeve · 22/05/2009 20:19

I had exactly the same problem and found sticker charts worked brilliantly. I thought I had successfully potty trained my DD in November, and she totally regressed after Xmas. I was 8 mths pregnant so not in any state to be crawling around on the floor mopping up 3 to 4 'accidents' a day. I found it so hard to stop getting cross about it.
However, I stocked up on some cheap 'prizes' and made a sticker chart. She got a gold star for each successful potty visit, and a prize after 10. It worked brilliantly, and she has been dry ever since - with just the odd accident about once a week/fortnight.

MrsSnoops · 23/05/2009 07:49

Thanks very much for the replies.
I will try the sticker route I think. He just needs an incentive to go at the moment.

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