Few things in potty training are as frustrating as the moment when you think your child has this whole thing all figured out, only for them to start having accidents again.
It is the dreaded regression and it happens to a lot of people.
Here is one mom’s view on how regression can actually be about re-training the parent, not the child, and how it is part of the process of moving forward in potty training. Enjoy!
Perhaps one of the more frustrating parts of potty training is regression. You think your child has this whole potty training thing worked out and then one day it is back to accidents or diapers. In this article we address some of the reasons behind potty training regression and give you some strategies for managing it. Continue reading
Here in North America we tend to potty train children as toddlers, often being told this is the most developmentally appropriate practice. However, in the Elimination Communication community, and in other cultures around the world, they train much earlier. We take a look at some of those practices and examine the rationale behind them. Continue reading
New and expectant parents are faced with a mountain of decisions. Breast-feeding or formula? Home care or daycare? And then you have the diaper dilemma. For many, it’s tough to decide between the two basic choices; disposable or cloth. However, there is a third option you might not have heard about. There is a growing movement of North American parents who are choosing to use no diapers at all. They are advocates of the elimination communication method (Also known as infant potty training, natural infant hygiene and potty whispering). Followers of this method say that you can start training your baby to use the potty almost from birth. Continue reading
Adventures in Potty Training a Willful Child
(Part two of a three part series. You can read Part one HERE)
By now our beautiful and willful baby girl had turned two years old, and with this had come a tremendous number of accomplishments for someone so young. Evalyn now had a 325-word vocabulary in American Sign Language and we were clearly seeing the benefits this was having with many areas of her development, in particular with her verbal and cognitive skills. These skills proved to be very helpful when it came to any potty time discussions we would have with Evalyn. Continue reading
We hear a lot of wonderful stories over on the Potty Time Facebook page. One in particular that stood out to me came from mom Denille, about her son Quinn (now 39 months).
My son is 37-months and loves Potty Time just as much as he has loved his entire Baby Signing Time and Signing Time DVDs. Although he is still scared to sit on the potty (he has Down syndrome and we do things on our own timetable), he seems excited about the new
Quinn at the beach
signs and is stringing them together to communicate in new ways. Today he signed “Body Amazing Time Thirsty” and then signed “drink milk please”. He signs “Potty, wipe, flush, wash” when someone else goes to the bathroom. Potty Time is helping him make more connections and communicate about his world- yet another step toward independence and potty training. Our path will no doubt be easier and filled with more fun and songs because of Potty Time. Thank you!! Continue reading
Here’s another question/comment from our Facebook community:
“I don’t know what to do about the regression. It’s so frustrating.
Regression is frustrating, no doubt! Just when you think you’ve gotten somewhere with this whole potty training thing, your sweet little ones get another idea in their heads and it’s back to accidents, wet clothes, and maybe even diapers.
Our Facebook fans are asking some great questions. We’ll be answering them over on Facebook and archiving them on our Community Questions page! You can read the Facebook conversation by clicking on the actual question too.
Will it ever end? This made me laugh because I felt much the same way… yes, it will, I promise!! Continue reading
Using Non-Tangible Rewards
Many parents like to use stickers or candy as rewards, and if that works for your family, great. Others prefer non-tangible (sometimes called “intrinsic”) motivators: things that are not “stuff”. Perhaps a combination of the two will work as well. In this article, we’ll discuss some ideas for non-tangible rewards. Continue reading
Adventures in Potty Training a Willful Child (Part one of a three part series)
Monkey see, Monkey do
From early on, Evalyn took an interest in the potty time routines in our home. She was familiar with the signs of bathroom-related vocabulary thanks to the fact that we use American Sign Language in the house. So, she was taught and understood the terminology and was able to communicate it from infancy (6 months). Evalyn also had a wonderful role model in her older sister, Elizabeth. So, as the saying goes…monkey see monkey do. Continue reading