Potty Training Regression – Easy Steps to get your child back on track

Just when you think you’ve arrived safely in the land of no diapers, your worst nightmare comes true. Yes, your worst nightmare is potty training regression. Don’t worry though you aren’t alone as this is actually a really common thing for your little one to go through. Just keep calm and remember this phase will pass as soon as it has come, and we’ve got all the potty training regression tips that you could ever need.

Potty Training Regression – Easy Steps to get them back on track

First and foremost, accidents are totally normal.

For your sake we hope they don’t happen to often or in an unfortunate place, but if you’re standing in the grocery store line and suddenly standing in a puddle made by your kiddo just know that you aren’t the first mom in this position. This being said just because your child has an occasional accident does not mean they are in potty regression. Potty regression is when the child actually no longer wants to use the toilet when they previously had no hesitation about it or when accidents are happening very frequently after a period of time where they weren’t happening at all. Potty training is a process and it rarely comes without some bumps in the road.
Stay positive

This is extremely important, and trust us we know it isn’t always easy. When it comes to potty training it truly seems that praise, praise, and more praise is the key to success.
Figure out what the source of the potty training regression is
1. Stress.
  
  When big life changes are happening, it’s easy to forget newly learned skills. A new school, a new house or a new baby sibling are all examples of something that might set a new potty trainee back.
2. They were not actually ready.
  
  There’s no set date or milestone point for when a child should be potty trained. It’s our job as the parent to watch for signs that they are ready. Most children are potty trained at about 3 years old, but there are plenty of cases of being trained both earlier and later. Sometimes when a child catches on to potty training an suddenly goes into regression they actually were not ready in the first place. No one is to blame, this whole thing is just complicated.
3. Distraction or excitement.
  
  Just as with stress, if your child has many distractions or some sort of excitement to focus on they may begin to avoid the potty. Distractions can vary greatly from a new movie they love to a bunch of new toys after a birthday or Christmas. If you find this to be the reason for regression, the fix may be as simple as frequent reminders to go to the restroom.
Open up communication

make sure your little one is getting across any frustration or anxiety they might be having. If your child was seemingly potty trained and suddenly regressing there is a good chance something is going on that they are not talking to you about. Approach these conversations gently and with a positive tone rather than putting any pressure on the issue. Although it may not seem like it to you, potty training and the issues that come with it can be very daunting.
Go back to the basics.

I know, this probably sounds like the most frustrating plan ever but it’s one of the best ways to get your kid back on track. Plus we will all keep our fingers crossed for you that they catch onto all the concepts a little quicker this time around.
Give Your Kiddo a Chance to Succeed.

Things aren’t always perfect and you can’t always find a bathroom with 30 seconds notice, but by giving your child frequent reminders and dressing them in easy on and off clothing you’ll help them out immensely. You may have started to forget all the ways you helped them out in the beginning of potty training because they were like, “I totally got this,” but as with many things they might not actually “got this” yet.
Training pants might save you both from a whole lot of stress.

If your child is experiencing potty training regression, there is nothing wrong with reverting back to pull ups especially if you’ll be spending any time away from home. It will keep mom and dad relaxed because they won’t have to worry about messes and it might just encourage your kiddo to get their booty on the toilet because somewhere deep down they do want to be a big kid.
Take a break from potty training all together.

We’re all rooting for your little one and give this as a last resort, but sometimes it’s better to just take all the pressure off potty training and hit reset. Your child may just not be truly ready yet and can benefit greatly from some extra time. You will get out of the diaper phase soon enough!