TOO BUSY TO POTTY
Q
My daughter is fully potty trained, but every day when I pick her up from preschool the teacher tells me she wet herself. When I asked my daughter why this was happening she eventually indicated that she’s so busy playing that she forgets to go to the loo until it’s too late. How can I teach her to listen to her body’s cues?
A
Cara Blackie answers: What’s happening with your toddler is very common and may happen on more than a few occasions. As a parent you may feel frustrated at this regression but it is best for your daughter that you remain calm and relaxed. Your daughter’s response was actually very accurate in terms of what is going on with her at preschool and is often a reason why children start regressing. Children often get so carried away with certain activities that they do forget to go to the loo. It may also be that your daughter is concerned about missing out on an activity. This fear of missing out or losing a toy is very real to children but may seem silly to adults. The difficulty as a mother is that you don’t have much control over the situation as you are not physically there. Talk to your daughter’s teachers and with their assistance she will be back on track in no time.
The teachers can assist by reminding your daughter every few hours that she needs to go to the loo, and this could be done with all of the children in the class. When improvement starts it is vital that your daughter is praised and that her efforts are acknowledged. YB