TLDR version: we got into the habit of rewarding nearly 4 year old with tiny chocolates after a regression. How do we get out of it?! Worth noting that when nursery started winding down a previous sticker chart, he went back to more regular (wee) accidents.
DS is nearly 4. Started gently potty training at just before 3 and we’ve had a fair few ups and downs all the way. He has always struggled more at nursery than at home - think he gets distracted by the busy environment etc. Nursery had previously done a sticker chart with him which helped early on, but he always wet more often if for e.g his key worker was off and cover staff not as ‘on it’ with the stickers.
He had quite a bad regression a couple of months ago - lots of full wee accidents, constant wet patches where he’d started in his pants and stopped himself and also hiding this from us/nursery.
Anyway at our wits end and on holiday, we started giving a (tiny!) chocolate for successful wees on the toilet. I.E him actively saying that he needed to go (not us asking and cajoling) and then going, with pants dry on arrival! It’s been really successful. He does still have occasional accidents but they tend to be of the ‘I was busy and didn’t make it in time and have ended up with a wet patch’. He’s also stopped hiding accidents from us too and will tell us if he needs new pants (previously he wouldn’t mention it and was clearly having multiple small accidents over the day).
How do we move away from this? Or do I just buy shares in Milky Way magic stars and be done with it?!