Are you potty training a 3 year old? Are you experiencing resistance or even regression?
These are common problems when potty training preschoolers, however, a simple checklist of common mistakes that are easy to fix can help you understand what you need to do to get your learner back on track.
1. Ignoring the signs of preparation.
While most 3-year-olds definitely show signs of potty training readiness, some don’t.
Just as a handful of toddlers are potty-trained very early, some aren’t potty-equipped until much later.
Alright. It’s also true that if your 3-year-old is developmentally delayed, he may have to wait a while to be potty trained. Consulting with your pediatrician can clear up any confusion and give you the confidence to train your child when he is ready and not because he feels guilty.
2. Training during stressful times.
Moving, divorce, death, job change, incorporation of a family member; they are all stressful events and they will all impact your 3-year-old.
Honestly, the bottom line here is that if you are stressed, then your child is also subject to that stress.
A calm and stable home is very helpful during potty training. You will need to be able to give your 3-year-old your undivided attention, not divided focus.
Sure, things come up every day, but if you’re in the midst of tough times, plan potty training after you’ve worked these issues out, as much as you can.
3. Go back to using diapers.
It’s easy to get frustrated while potty training a 3-year-old and remembering that diapers were somehow more convenient. After all, he didn’t have to wait for his son to go to the bathroom or wonder if there would be an accident when he was on the move. You just changed the diaper; Closed topic.
Or perhaps you have a 3-year-old who has decided to back off and have daily accidents. You’ve tried everything: scrapping, punishing, yelling, listening, anything you can think of.
No change.
So, at your wit’s end, you’ve told your son that he’s going to have to go back to wearing diapers if he’s going to act like a baby.
Maybe you did and put him back in diapers. And that doesn’t seem to have helped either. She still has accidents, whether in her underwear or diapers.
You are so frustrated. I may never train!
Chill out.
The first is the first. Take a breather with your 3-year-old. Stop potty training for a few days to a couple of weeks. Put your head in order and your heart calm again. And let your child catch his breath too.
Then talk to her. Explain that she really is big and growing. The diapers are done. They are gone (during the day, at least). You understand that she will have an accident sometimes, but you trust that she can stay clean and dry whenever she wants.
Then do it. She put her underwear back on and keep it. No more diapers. It can be very confusing for a 3 year old to change from underwear to diapers.
It may be more convenient for you to have her in diapers. It may simply be an act of frustration on your part. All understandable.
But it is not useful for your preschooler.
Once in your underwear, stay in your underwear. Try different types of underwear, if you like. And make sure that when your child experiences an accident, she feels it. The more uncomfortable, the better.
Over time, you’ll get two insights. One, that wet or dirty underwear is uncomfortable. Two, that mom or dad mean what they say.
Both are ideas your preschooler should take seriously.
So remember, when potty training 3-year-olds, avoid the mistakes of ignoring readiness cues, trying to potty train during stressful times, and switching between diapers and underwear.
Give your preschooler a big hug and tell him how excited you are that he’s growing up and that you’re there to share the ride. That is what you will remember.
And that’s what matters.
