Help! My child won’t potty train!!

There are many different ways and theories on how to toilet train children.  Most children are able to start toilet training between the ages of 2-4.  Girls can be toilet trained a little younger than boys, however this is not always the case.  Toilet training is a new concept for children to process, and different children are toilet trained at different ages.

 

It is best to initiate toilet training your child when he or she shows an interest in toilet training.  Once toilet training commences, the child is learning a lot of new sensations in their body and also learning how they can voluntarily control the act of going to the bathroom.  It is important to have frequent reminders for the child to visit the restroom when they are beginning this journey.

If after a concerted effort to get the child toilet trained, the child never has any dry periods during the day, a further evaluation by a pediatric urologist may be warranted.

 

Many times a child will start having dry periods during the day, but they start having accidents after being dry for a short period of time.  This usually means that the child has figured out that once they get the urge to urinate they can put off going to the bathroom a little longer by holding their urine.  As they start to ignore the messages the bladder is sending to the brain, they can start to have small or large accidents.  For these children it is best to encourage them to void on a schedule and allow them to slowly start listening to the signals the bladder is sending to the brain.  These children are just too busy with what they are doing to stop and go to the bathroom. Who wouldn’t rather play than go to the bathroom?!

 

Constipation can also be a factor that causes a child to have accidents.  It is important to make sure that your child is having regular bowel movements and that they are soft.  Children with constipation have a harder time controlling their urge to urinate, and sometimes have a harder time telling when they need to urinate.  This is something that we always assess in young children when there are complaints about urinary accidents.

 

When is a child expected to be dry at night?

 

Being dry at night comes after day time urinary control.  This is related to where the child is developmentally and toileting and bowel habits of the child. All of these aspects need to be assessed in order to come up with a treatment plan for the child to be successfully night trained.

 

If there are additional questions not answered by this post please call us to set up a consultation!!