How to deal with potty training regression?

[lilbunnygirl]

I was warned Cash might regress in potty training once the baby came and when she was about 6 weeks, he did. He has stopped pooping in the toilet and started going in his underwear. It is SO FRUSTRATING. He will hold his tummy and whine and cry like he has to poop and I'll ask him if he has to and he says no, I will ask him to go to the bathroom with me "just to try" and he says no, don't got to, he will sit on the toilet and not go, but then go in his underwear later. He did it at school today when I picked him up he was in new clothes. I was so embarrassed. Then he did it twice tonight! I don't know what to do, I don't want to get mad at him & make it all traumatic, but he knows better!

The first time tonight, he came and told me he had done it & it was just a little bit and I was pretty calm about it, he promised not to do it again, etc... but then later he did it and said he hadn't and just sat there reeking of poop until I took him in the bathroom and saw that he'd really full on pooped in the his underwear and I was so upset I started crying and then he said "SORRY!" while he was sitting on the toilet not pooping then said "MOMMY SORRY! WANT TO GIVE YOU HUGS" which made me cry more and I couldn't hug him because he was covered in poop.

I just don't know how to deal with this behaviour, what do you do?

[Farah]

Deal with it as if though he'd never been trained at all. Do prizes and rewards and all of that good stuff. Regression means you need to repeat what you already did. Try not to get upset with him and just praise what he does right. He'll catch on again soon.

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[Mama Sandy]

Regression is a natural part of potty training. Like Farah said, deal with it like it's the first time you've ever dealt with it. Go on with your routine, don't punish for "mistakes" and move on. Yes, it is VERY frustrating but it's honestly to be expected and would be more shocking if he DIDN'T have a regression at some point; baby sister or not.

[meg*aka*mommy]

My first thought is that I feel so bad for you and how frustrating this is...you're over tired and over taxed! This is the last thing you need.

My 2nd instinct was just what the other moms said-treat it as if he was never trained in the 1st place and I think you'll both do better. Hang in there!

[Jojo]

Just wanted to give you some hugs! :hugs:

[bettercowpatty]

Just wanted to give you some hugs! :hugs:

I have no advise, but I wanted to second Jo's hug! :hugs:

[lilbunnygirl]

Thanks y'all, I appreciate it. We had a terrible incident this morning, i was sleeping on the sofa while he watched cartoons and I guess he got up and pooped on the floor and then snuggled back up to me with poop all over himself, so I wake up shrieking that there's poop all over me and then Sean comes in and hollers at Cash which makes him totally hysterical, so I carry Cash into the bathroom and we're both crying and it was just awful.

After I got him cleaned up & he said sorry, I went and talked to Sean about not being mean and punishing him for it because it's like bedwetting where that just makes it worse. He had a foster brother who wet the bed & his dad was really awful and mean to the kid about it, so I knew that would really be an effective way to explain it, because to this day Sean is still upset about the way his dad acted. We talked it out & Sean apologized to Cash for hollering and talked calmly to him about pooping in the toilet again.

Then I read this & it makes total sense to just act like we never succeeded and start back where we were when I first put him full time in underwear. I made him a sticker chart with a lollipop taped to each square so every time he goes he gets a sticker & a lolly and when he goes 5 times he'll get a Cars car. SO we were all happy with that solution.

Cash & I then went out to a birthday party. It was PACKED with kids and at a house where Cash feels 100% at home so let him run off and play and was taking care of Daisy. One of the other moms came up to me after a bit and said "Lily, I don't know how advanced Cash's potty training is, but he's sitting on the toilet right now, so he may need assistance"

!!!!!!

So I went in there and sure enough he is on the toilet pooping, without even using a toilet ring like he has here, just balancing on the seat and pooping all by himself! He had a little on his waistband, like he hadn't gotten his shorts off quite in time but I totally didn't care! I made the BIGGEST fuss over him and even called daddy at home to tell him what a great thing Cash did.

SO he got his sticker and lolly when we got home and hopefully we'll get back on track soon. I really appreciate the advice and support, sometimes the obvious things are just too hard to see when you're right up close!

[Farah]

Sounds great!!!!! **hug** let's hope it continues!

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