Will Pressure & Forcefulness Cause Regression In Our Potty-Training Child?
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Are you potty training your child even though he is showing signs of no interest? Many parents fall into this category because when their child reaches a certain age, generally two or three years old, they believe he should be potty trained. However, this is not really the case at all. Some children take longer to potty train than others. It is completely normal for one child to potty train at 18 months and another not until three and a half years. These differences can be very frustrating for parents who want to do the best for their children, and themselves, and have them potty trained early.
The result of common beliefs about potty training is that many childrens parents begin potty training them before they are ready. What does this lead to? A power struggle. The last thing you want to get involved in is a power struggle over going potty. You should never pressure your child to learn to use the potty and absolutely never force him to. This seems rather difficult for some parents who want their child out of diapers right now. But, the best advice for these parents is to take a step back, regain their composure, and realize that their child should be in control of the potty training process.
Why Forcefulness Does Not Work
You might be thinking yeah, whatever and still believe that forcing your child to use the toilet will be successful. You may go this route if you like, but just be very careful because it will backfire with more kids than it wont. Your child may not be physically or emotionally ready to potty train and by forcing him to use the potty you might be setting yourself up for potty training regression not to mention constipation and other issues.
Sometimes children who are forced to go potty enter the power struggle with their parents and refuse to have a BM. The result is constipation, several compacted stools, fissures, and other problems that will cause a lot of pain for your child and several visits to the doctor. This might even start a long term problem of constipation that your child needs medicine for. So, weigh the benefits and risks when it comes to potty training and at least give your toddler a chance to start potty training on his/her own.
If age three comes and goes and your toddler shows no interest then consider buying a potty and some big boy or girl underwear to spark some interest. It might take some time and will require a whole lot of encouragement, but your toddler will learn to potty train all on his own without any forcefulness or pressure from his parents.
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