It's very easy to begin potty training with your child, but in a lot of cases parents forget that potty training CAN be done wrong. That causes more harm than good, so avoiding mistakes when potty training a strong-willed child is super important and you won't know to avoid them if you don't know what they are.
Some of these potty training mistakes are pretty common, and some you are probably already making. It's okay, we all do – and it's not too late to scale back and re-try with a new approach. Here are some mistakes to avoid when potty training a strong-willed child.
Forcing Your Child To Start Potty Training Too Early
Every child is different and we often forget this fact as parents. Some kids may be ready to potty train early, while others may not be ready yet to dump the diapers. Understanding your child is very important.
It has been clinically proven that some kids aren't developed enough to begin potty training jearly. Some signs of unreadiness include:
- Your child is not able to take instructions and directions yet.
- Your child can not communicate through speech or expression.
- Your child doesn't notice when a diaper is dirty or soiled.
- Your child is unable to remove their under pants by themselves.
If your child is still showing any of these signs, they may not be ready to be potty trained yet. You might just need to hold off a little bit.
Your Child is Showing Signs Of Fear When Doing #2
Some children have been said to feel fear when using the potty. While it's absolutely normal, this is a sign that it simply may not be the right time to initiate potty training.
Doctors have reported many cases where parents come in to complain that their child is showing signs of fear. The child will attempt to hold off on pooping for as long as their little body can hold it in – this can even result in impaction problems and constipation that requires medication to remedy.
If your child is in this stage, the best thing you can do is teach and explain to them how the body works. Tell them that it's normal for the body to eliminate the food they've eaten, and how important that is. Children often get over this stage naturally when they fully understand this concept.
Your Child Displays Strong Forms Of Resistance
When potty training your strong willed child, if they show or display strong forms of resistance you might want to consider taking a break. The last thing you want to do is make your child hate the toilet.
Allow your child to take the lead and display signs of readiness for potty training before initiating it. Here are some common readiness signs you may want to look out for:
- Your child shows interest in sitting on a toilet.
- Your child easily gets uncomfortable with diapers and attempts to take them off.
- Your child sometimes indicates the need to pee or poop using facial expressions or words.
If you notice any of these signs in your child no matter how early it may seem, you'll want to initiate potty training just to see where it goes. Especially if your child is between 12 to 16 months old, this can be one of the initial success periods for potty training as their development is in line with understanding the mechanics of using the toilet.
Keep in mind that potty training a strong-willed child is not the easiest thing to do, and can really get exhausting sometimes. It's okay. Give them time.
The best thing to remember is to always pace your child, listen to them, and give them to time and space that they need.
You might want to check out some of our posts on how we have potty trained our boys:
- Potty Training without Pleading
- 5 Tips for Potty Training with Siblings
- Two Things Nobody Tells you about Potty Training
What other potty training tips have worked for you so far? We would love to share your potty training journey!
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