• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Website Terms & Conditions
  • Le Coin De Mel
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Le Coin De Mel

Le Coin De Mel

Food, Crafts, Days Out & Photography Tips for Busy Parents

  • Ramblings
  • Food
    • Free From Recipes
    • Appetisers
    • Starters
    • Main Courses
    • Food on the Go
    • Side Dishes & Breads
    • Sweet Treats & Snacks
    • Desserts
  • Crafty Corner
    • Cards
    • Homemade Presents
  • Home Sweet Home
    • Makeovers
    • Organisation
  • Kids’ Corner
    • Pregnancy & Birth
    • Fun with the Little Ones
    • Eczema & Allergies
    • Learning
    • Party Time!
Home » Uncategorized » Kids' Corner » Potty Training Regression & Little Wins

Potty Training Regression & Little Wins

Birth & New Baby, Kids' Corner

Right, I think it’s time for a little potty training update… I won’t lie: moving from nappies to using the toilet with Wriggly hasn’t been the smoothest or most straightforward of journeys. She stayed in HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® almost as long as Beanie did and she still likes the idea of wearing training pants rather than knickers half of the time. We’ve had a fair bit of potty training regression, number 2s have never made it to the toilet (not one single time) and I have thrown away at least a dozen pairs of knickers… Doesn’t sound great, does it? It’s not all doom and gloom though, so bear with me…

Potty training regression can be really stressful, but HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® and the 6 Steps to Potty Success are there to make this milestone a lot easier.

When I hear of people potty training their offspring in 2 days and revelling in their resounding success, I just want to shout, “Stop lying!”

Just me? Seriously, I might not always be 100% consistent, but although a couple of my children were pretty quick at the whole potty training thing, there were little accidents along the way for all of them.

A month or so ago, I was out of my depth, and asked the lovely people at HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® for some help and advice about potty training regression. I learnt quite a lot from the information they sent, by mum of four and child psychologist Dr Heather Wittenberg, so I thought I would share some of it.

Could it be potty training regression?

Right, first of all, let’s not confuse setbacks and regression. Setbacks happen as your little one learns a new skill. They can be frequent and they are part of the process. They can also happen when your child is excited, engrossed in a game or asleep soundly. Setbacks are nothing to worry about.

Potty training regression is different. If your little one has been dry for a few months and suddenly starts having regular accidents, they could be going through a period of regression.

What causes potty training regression?

Quite often, regression is stress-related and linked to a big change in the child’s life (e.g. moving house or starting nursery). When Beanie was born, Crevette went through a period of regression and we went back to HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® for a couple of months. I think he must have needed more attention.

“A urinary tract infection can make it difficult and painful to control the bladder, which results in accidents. Even constipation or a painful poo can trigger regression. Seek medical advice if you’re at all concerned that your child might have a medical problem, then try again once the condition has cleared up.” Dr Heather Wittenberg

Beanie had issues with repeated urine infections between the ages of 3 and 5, and that made it really difficult for her to get dry.

How do you overcome potty training regression?

Here are some tips from Dr Wittenberg:

  • Give lots of support and encouragement
  • Going back to basics with potty training
  • Reward charts
  • Reminding your child to go to for a wee regularly
  • If your little one is getting upset, take the pressure off for a few weeks and use Pull-Ups®
  • Avoid negative reinforcement by giving too much attention to accidents

Potty training regression can be really stressful, but HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® and the 6 Steps to Potty Success are there to make this milestone a lot easier.

Little wins:

  • Wriggly now recognises when she’s wet.
  • She goes to the toilet on her own.
  • She’s occasionally dry at night.
  • She loves being a big girl!

Potty training regression can be really stressful, but HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® and the 6 Steps to Potty Success are there to make this milestone a lot easier.

Things that really helped Wriggly:

  • Getting a sticker or moving up our reward chart when she has a wee on the toilet.
  • Getting herself dressed and choosing her knickers in the morning.
  • Pride in being a big girl and doing things her siblings do, like climbing on the toilet by herself, flushing the toilet, staying dry, choosing her outfits, etc.
  • Shopping together to buy ‘big girl pants.’
  • A relaxed attitude towards potty training – despite feeling frustrated at times, I didn’t make a big issue of accidents and kept as cool as a cucumber (most of the time!).

Potty training regression can be really stressful, but HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® and the 6 Steps to Potty Success are there to make this milestone a lot easier.

How HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® and the 6 Steps to Potty Success helped us:

  • The 6 Steps to Potty Success gave us both direction (and confidence!). We are still on step 3, but getting closer and closer to step 4.
  • Rather than a military-style ‘potty train your child in a day’ kind of approach, I found the 6 Steps to Potty Success to be a very gentle approach, both for the child and the parent, with very little stress involved and clear goal-posts.
  • HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® provided the perfect transition between nappies (wetness indicator, grown up look, no velcro) and knickers (learning layer, stretchy sides: Pull-Ups® feel and look a lot more like underwear than nappies; they can be pulled up and down like pants).

Potty training regression can be really stressful, but HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® and the 6 Steps to Potty Success are there to make this milestone a lot easier.

Save me on Pinterest for later: 

Potty training regression can be really stressful, but HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® and the 6 Steps to Potty Success are there to make this milestone a lot easier.

Disclosure: This is a commissioned post as we are working with HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® this year but all opinions and photos are my own. You can get HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® from the baby aisle. For more information, tips and advice about potty training, click here.

17/08/2017 · 40 Comments

Previous Post: « The Beach at Brent Cross
Next Post: Family Update – August 2017 »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Ketki Sharangpani says

    17/08/2017 at 8:27 pm

    So useful! My little one will soon be getting into potty training age, and I’m almost dreading it! the hits and misses loll

    Reply
    • Mel says

      18/08/2017 at 10:47 am

      Tell me about it! It’s been a rocky road here, but I think we might be getting there in the end (sort of!).

      Reply
  2. Made Adayasa says

    18/08/2017 at 1:37 pm

    Interesting post to read . I don’t know is this potty training is exit in my country of perhaps in another name of kid training . Or perhaps I don’t know because we don’t have have children yet

    Reply
    • Mel says

      18/08/2017 at 2:47 pm

      🙂

      Reply
  3. arv says

    18/08/2017 at 2:23 pm

    Frankly, I don’t think most men can undertake potty training of a child. I guess it is about natural abilities….don’t you think so?

    Reply
    • Mel says

      18/08/2017 at 2:47 pm

      I couldn’t disagree more! I really think parenting is a partnership and dads should be as involved as mums are.

      Reply
  4. Rhi says

    18/08/2017 at 5:39 pm

    A very useful post. Potty training is such an individual thing for each child, I had two totally different experiences with my two and I’m sure number 3 will be a challenge too.

    Reply
    • Mel says

      18/08/2017 at 5:58 pm

      Same here. I had such different experiences with my 4!

      Reply
  5. Caroline Robinson says

    18/08/2017 at 6:06 pm

    Some fab tips here, I had no end of issues potty training my eldest. The other two weren’t as difficult, but I still found it horrendous. Really useful post xx

    Reply
    • Mel says

      18/08/2017 at 8:00 pm

      Thanks lovely. My eldest was a breeze too for potty training. One of the girls potty trained herself 🙂 The other two girls have been a nightmare though!

      Reply
  6. Laura @ Life with Baby Kicks says

    18/08/2017 at 6:14 pm

    Urgh you’ve just reminded me we are coming back into potty training territory. My eldest was difficult to “train” and we just left him too it in the end. My little one is showing the signs he’s ready but I’m not – will be following these 6 steps!

    Reply
    • Mel says

      18/08/2017 at 7:59 pm

      The 6 steps are really reassuring actually – nothing complicated, just simple milestones 🙂

      Reply
  7. Kailash Joshi says

    18/08/2017 at 6:34 pm

    This is helpful, i’m single now but i know in future i’ve to deal with this, bookmarked this post.

    Reply
  8. g taylor says

    19/08/2017 at 12:04 am

    We are going through the regression stage and gone back to nappies. However it is rather saddening when companies like this charge so much for these types of pull up nappies when they usually go through more nappies in potty training as they don’t won’t stay in a wet nappy. So please lower the price for us poor mummies!!

    Reply
    • Mel says

      19/08/2017 at 10:52 pm

      To be fair, Pull-Ups are so much more than nappies with their stretchy sides, their thinness, the wetness indicator and design that makes them look more like underwear. I know it’s a temporary stage and I’m happy to pay a bit more for a short period of time.

      Reply
  9. Ali Rost says

    19/08/2017 at 1:58 am

    I remember the days of potty training. So many people would say, by the time mine was this age they’ve been potty trained already. Honestly, it always made me feel a little anxious. Finally, I stopped worrying about it until they showed an interest. After that, it was really quick an (relatively) painless. Love the idea of a cute reward system! Good job, mom! x

    Reply
    • Mel says

      19/08/2017 at 11:02 pm

      Thanks Ali. I was anxious for my 1st one to be potty trained, but I was far more relaxed with my other 3 🙂 I just can’t wait for my ‘baby’ to finally be dry!

      Reply
  10. Michelle Kellogg says

    19/08/2017 at 4:10 am

    When I potty trained my oldest he was potty trained in two weeks. My youngest took a long time though because we found out that he had some bladder control issues so it made potty training harder for him. I certainly don’t miss those days though, lol

    Reply
    • Mel says

      19/08/2017 at 10:54 pm

      It’s my least favourite stage of development and I really can’t wait for it to be over!

      Reply
  11. Anjali Chawla says

    19/08/2017 at 7:59 am

    Been there done that! My little girl is now a responsible girl (8 year old). I had a hard time though. I wish someone had told me about these steps when I was struggling.

    Reply
    • Mel says

      19/08/2017 at 11:13 pm

      With two of mine, potty training Was fairly ‘painless’ but the other two have given me a bit more of a challenge!

      Reply
  12. Tushar S says

    19/08/2017 at 1:34 pm

    Too soon for me to read this. But I guess it’ll surely gonna make things easy in the future.

    This could help a lot of moms and dads around the world. Keep writing wonderful posts! 🙂

    Reply
    • Tushar S says

      19/08/2017 at 1:35 pm

      Correction: It’s surely gonna make things easier*

      Reply
    • Mel says

      19/08/2017 at 10:55 pm

      Thanks a lot!

      Reply
  13. eilidh says

    19/08/2017 at 6:28 pm

    Ava knows when she needs the toilet but refuses to use the potty and shouts for a nappy even when wearing big girl pants! I’m glad this will be my last time potty training. Really useful tips, thanks.

    Reply
    • Mel says

      19/08/2017 at 10:56 pm

      Same here: I’m so glad it’s my last time going through that potty training lark!

      Reply
  14. Joanna says

    20/08/2017 at 12:04 am

    I don’t have children but this is an interesting and helpful post for families who have toddlers of around the age when they start potty training. This post can help a lot of parents who might not know why the regression is happening.

    Reply
  15. Alice says

    20/08/2017 at 6:09 am

    So helpful for soon to be mums. Love how children grew so fast

    Reply
    • Mel says

      20/08/2017 at 5:00 pm

      They really do! It’s so important to enjoy every single little thing x

      Reply
      • Alice says

        21/08/2017 at 12:52 pm

        True. such an adorable cutie you have there.

        Reply
  16. Ana De- Jesus says

    20/08/2017 at 3:12 pm

    I agree that regression happens in anything that you do and being encouraging will help them get through it. Rewarding them i.e stickers like you did will help them learn x

    Reply
  17. Via Bella says

    20/08/2017 at 7:21 pm

    These tips are helpful. All mine potty trained at different times. So you are not alone in the struggles.
    XO Via Bella Blog

    Reply
    • Mel says

      20/08/2017 at 7:51 pm

      Same for my 4!

      Reply
  18. Toni | This Mama Blogs says

    22/08/2017 at 11:44 am

    These are fab tips. We had and still have a long journey with potty training as my little man has special needs. He’s almost 5 now and we’re definitely nearing the finish line. It’s so important to take your time and do it when the child is ready. Good luck and hopefully she’ll be nappy free before you know it x

    Reply
    • Mel says

      22/08/2017 at 12:26 pm

      Thanks lovely! I agree re. taking your time and listening to your little one. x

      Reply
  19. Kusum says

    22/08/2017 at 3:32 pm

    Being a new mom potty training is one of my biggest fears haha. We take so much pride in such small wins right, good luck!

    xx, Kusum

    Reply
  20. Claire Santiago says

    04/09/2017 at 12:59 am

    Thanks for sharing this. My youngest is now 3 years old and I want him to stop from using disposable diapers especially when he poops. But I am finding it really hard to train him. I hope this works.

    Reply
    • Mel says

      04/09/2017 at 1:25 am

      Same here! Some children take longer than others and my little Wriggly is definitely in the latter category! Good luck to you Claire.

      Reply
  21. bany says

    05/11/2017 at 2:21 pm

    Nice read. My little one is still not at that stage but I am looking forward to using some of these tips when the time comes.
    Can’t wait to be there.

    Reply
  22. parentingpassage.com says

    11/01/2018 at 1:00 pm

    Great tips! Thanks for sharing more information on 6 steps to potty success.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Bienvenue!

Mel
Hi, I’m Mel, a mum of four writing about family life, food, adventures, allergies & photography. You can read more about us here.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Disclosure for Affiliate Links

* ’Le Coin de Mel’ uses affiliate links. I always flag those links up with an asterisk. If you click on an affiliate link and then buy a product I recommend, I will get a commission, but you will not be charged any more for it. Thanks in advance!

Mel recommends…

I am a Tropic independent ambassador. If you click on the picture below and buy anything from my shop, I will be paid a commission.

Get the best ‘free from’ flour here:

Le Coin de Mel

Best for rubbish clearance:

Le Coin de Mel

I am a member of…

NEVER MISS A POST

Search by Category

Le Coin De Mel

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

COPYRIGHT · LE COIN DE MEL © 2020 · THYME THEME · WORDPRESS · LOG OUT