What Might Cause A Potty-Trained Child To Regress?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ส.ค. 2021
- “My four-year-old, who has had potty training, consistently urinates on himself at night and even during the day while he’s awake. His response is that he doesn’t care about using the bathroom and doesn’t want to stop his playtime in order to use it. I’ve tried everything from rationalizing with him, encouraging and congratulating him when he goes to the bathroom, and admittedly even putting him in timeout or taking away his toys when he urinates on himself. He has not experienced any recent trauma that I’m aware of. There haven’t been any major changes in our family that could possibly be connected to this. Nothing seems to be helping, I would appreciate your insight.”
In this episode, I will address a very common issue, potty training regression, especially when kids claim they just don’t care or don’t want to stop playing. I will give some background on what is appropriate for different developmental stages, discuss potential underlying issues, and provide strategies to get them to want to keep their pants (and bed) dry.
Episode Highlights
Critical to consider a child’s developmental level and context when assessing toileting behaviors
- Young children can struggle with toileting during the day and/or night, especially if they have any sensory processing issues or are easily dysregulated
Habit Trained vs. Toilet Trained
- Habit training: when the child is brought to/put on the toilet, they know to urinate or defecate
- Toilet trained: in addition to the child knowing to urinate or defecate when on the toilet, they are also aware of the sensations and are independently able to get themselves to the toilet.
Bed Wetting
- It is not uncommon for young children to struggle with night wetting as they are still within the range of what is developmentally typical
- Some kids, once they are day-trained, pretty quickly stay dry at night, for others it’s a much longer process
Sense of Interoception
- There are five well-known senses, but there’s also interoception sense, which is our sensation and awareness of internal body signals
- It’s critical, especially to be successful with toilet training, to have a strong brain-body connection; to have an awareness of those sensations, and then know what to do in response to those
- In this case, they may not have the mind-body awareness that the body even needs to use the bathroom or understand the consequences that would follow
Tools & Strategies to Build Interoception
- Build their connection between their brain and body for awareness of sensations in general, such as having them touch a warm vs cold washcloth.
- Model interoception: such as describing out loud what it might feel like when you are hungry, thirsty, or have a full bladder, and then going and doing that thing
- Occupational therapists are a great resource for interoceptive curriculums and activities
- Toileting alarm systems are discrete and effective for all ages
- Schedule bathroom breaks throughout the day
- Use a visual bathroom schedule if needed
- Help them be successful throughout the day with staying dry, that in itself can help curb the wettings
- Top tip: Do not ask them if they need to use the bathroom, instead tell them it’s time, and if needed, escort them to the bathroom
- If at any point the situation has turned into a negative cycle and power struggle, perhaps a break is necessary so it doesn’t become a deeper issue.
- Approach toilet training with the concept of “natural consequences”
- Stay calm but firm about what needs to happen and not in a punitive manner.
Medical & Physiological Components
- Constipation causes a big problem with urination. When painful, a child is more likely to resist to toilet train
- Microbial overgrowths such as candida, yeast, or chronic UTI’s could be a cause, this is especially important to check if suddenly regressing
- Nutrient deficiencies: omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, zinc, iron
- Undiagnosed or untreated food sensitivities, food allergies, or environmental allergies
- Check all medication for side effects in both prescription and over the counter
RESOURCES & LINKS:
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Life Will Get Better [Book] - www.drbeurkens.com/book/
Dr. Nicole Beurkens [Website] - www.drbeurkens.com
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#pottytraining #parentingtips #pottytrainingregression
Very informative and in depth! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Liked, subscribed and sharing! ❤️💥👏
I had a ton of trauma growing up so I was regressing so it took a while for me to be potty trained, and of course the potty training was of course forced.
No recent trauma what exactly is recent when talking about a 4 year old
Hello, I ran across this video while searching and had a question. This isn't the same situation as the regression you spoke of but I hope you can help. I have a niece and she is almost 9 years old. She only started going to the bathroom a year ago and that was only to pee. She still will not go poop in the commode. She poops on herself even at school. This is a very smart, brilliant child with no developmental issues. She has been to the doctor and had X-rays and everything was fine. She is spoiled beyond what spoiled is though. Do you think this is a health issue, or because she's being lazy, or just doesn't want to wipe herself? I have never heard of a child this age still messing in her pants.. especially knowing that she is extremely intelligent. Thanks for any information ❤
She may have encopresis.
Probably finds it very disgusting to touch even with wet wipes. `She will be ashamed of it at school one day and solve it by herself, I think.
When you take a break and go back to diapers when do you try again?