Your child may be a little late in picking up the basics of potty
training. This can happen for more than one reason. Neither you nor your
child is to be blamed and there is certainly no cause for worry if the
child is a little "behind schedule". However; sometimes this delay can
be due to avoidable reasons.
Read on to find out why delay can occur and what to do in such cases.
Often an avoidable delay in potty training occurs because parents did
not take up the issue early on. When this happens, the child can get
into a comfort zone with diaper use and may be a little resistance to
let go of his diaper dependence. One of the issues with beginning potty
training late is that it means a possibility of your child using diapers
even when in school.
But there are certain advantages to starting late potty training.
Your child is old enough to understand what you're saying; he can
communicate his desire to use the toilet and he has very good bowel and
bladder control. These are attributes that will help you train your
child in potty use in spite of beginning late. You can do it fast, in a
matter of days, in fact. So don't worry, you can pick up on lost time
pretty smoothly.
On your part, be aware of the potty training steps. If your child has
a toilet routine, then that's a big plus for you. Otherwise you need to
be aware of the child's biorhythms and take it to the toilet at the
first sign of any "pressure".
In some cases, the child may be slow to pick up instructions and
develop necessary faculties a little late; this is another reason for late potty training,
though it's not a common occurrence. Take the advice of a pediatrician
on how to take the case forward. Never lose patience with your child;
the matter is not in his control. Be patient, you're more likely to
achieve better results this way. Find out what works best in training
your child; it can be a small matter of letting your child hold is
favorite toy when you're training him. Also try to check if your child
is resistant only to potty training or is generally slow in learning
other things as well.
Constipation, for any reason, can be a deterrent for children. Their
instinct is to avoid the discomfort of straining and passing hard stool.
A fiber-rich diet and maybe a mild laxative once in a while will see
you through. Also, give your child enough exercise. With gradual coaxing
and a couple of positive experiences in using the potty, he'll learn
potty use.
Patrick is a father of three wonderful daughters. He is a family man who
loves to share his knowledge and experience in parenting and child
education with people from all walks of life. For more free information
and advice on late potty training please visit my website at pottytrainingsystem.com, the best online resource on all things related to potty training toddlers.
