Most preschoolers like to think that they are in control. That means that, like adults, they’re likely to be defensive, or even get angry, if you ask them constantly whether they need to go to the toilet.
A good idea is to watch your child’s behaviour instead. If you notice him swaying from side to side, or grabbing himself, then you may want to gently remind him that it’s time to go to the toilet. If you’re not right at least half the time when you do this, then you’re probably asking to often.
Asking your child whether he needs to go more often than you need to can actually be counterproductive – he may tune out the signals that he needs to go to the toilet, or even say no simply to prove a point.
If you notice that your child is becoming resistant to using the toilet, even when he needs to, then there’s a good chance you’ve pushed too hard. It’s a good idea to back off a little, if you’d rather not undo all your hard work of potty training.
A good idea is to watch your child’s behaviour instead. If you notice him swaying from side to side, or grabbing himself, then you may want to gently remind him that it’s time to go to the toilet. If you’re not right at least half the time when you do this, then you’re probably asking to often.
Asking your child whether he needs to go more often than you need to can actually be counterproductive – he may tune out the signals that he needs to go to the toilet, or even say no simply to prove a point.
If you notice that your child is becoming resistant to using the toilet, even when he needs to, then there’s a good chance you’ve pushed too hard. It’s a good idea to back off a little, if you’d rather not undo all your hard work of potty training.
