5 Common Potty Training Obstacles
/When you started this parenting thing, you just knew potty training wouldn’t be an issue for you. You knew this to be it true, until it wasn’t anymore. Potty training is hard stuff! Rest assured, you’re not the first parent to encounter some obstacles, and you certainly won’t be the last! Knowing that you’re not alone in these potty training woes should definitely help you find solace. In case you don’t believe us, below are some of the most common potty training obstacles parents encounter. Of course, not every child will have every one of these obstacles because every child is different.
1. The Potty is Uninteresting: Some children find the toilet completely uninteresting. It can be so uninteresting that they just don’t find the need to even try to go in the toilet. The first step in potty training is really making sure the child understands what potty training is all about. If your child doesn’t show interest to any degree the probability of this child not being ready for potty training is very high. Everyone develops at a different speed and potty training does not need to happen on a certain date at a certain time on a certain day of the week. Child development will occur naturally so there is no need to rush milestones like this.
2. Number One is Okay & Number Two is Not: Some children will only urinate on the toilet and will absolutely refuse to go number two on the toilet. If your child resists using the toilet in this way, the first thing that needs to be determined is if your child is constipated. If this is the case, a simple diet adjustment may do the trick. If this isn’t the case and your child is perfectly fine going in their diaper, it might be the genuine fear of the unknown. Children have wild imaginations and some children actually believe they’re losing a part of their body when they go in the toilet and it flushes. They also might be afraid of getting sucked in. There are a million reasons that could be causing this fear but only a few to solve it – a gradual process of teaching what is actually happening during this time in the bathroom and time to overcome this fear.
3. Day Time is Okay: Lots of parents find that their children can be completely potty trained during the day, but still wake up wet. Some toddlers and preschoolers simply aren’t capable of staying dry at night because their bladders are so tiny and their ability to sleep soundly is legit. This problem is typically solved with age.
4. I’m Comfortable at Home: There are a lot of children who get accustomed to having their own toilet seat in their own bathroom that the task of using the toilet away from these surroundings is pretty daunting. A really great way of teaching that there is nothing to be afraid of is the gradual education that new places aren’t always scary. Start familiar, maybe with a trip to a relative’s house. Try to keep things as familiar as possible, brining the potty with you or a portable toilet-seat cover.
5. Your Son Wants To Sit: A lot of boys will actually want to sit down to go potty. Let your child learn to urinate sitting down first, and then after you’re both comfortable explain to him that boys typically go standing up. This might also be a learned behavior if he sees his father doing it, or other males in his life.
Do you have any potty training tips to share? We’d love to hear them! Comment below.