Potty Training Accidents

Submitted by Pregnancy and Baby Care team on January 16, 2012

Potty training is a form of behavioral training that is performed by parents on toddlers. Human beings follow certain habits and for hygiene and sanitation reasons, we use toilets to defecate and urinate. This ensures a safe and healthy disposal of waste. Potty training is the process of training a child to control his or her urination and defecation and to train the child about the hygienic method of releasing such waste. It involves training in the use of toilets and toilet seats. Different cultures recommend different methods of potty training as well as different times when this training should start. It is commonly agreed that potty training...

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...can start as early as 2 years into the child’s life. There are signs that a parent can look for to understand that the child is ready to begin potty training. When the child indicates the need for defecation or urination, it means that the child has some control over these activities and is also aware of the sensation that precedes these activities. This is considered to be a sign of development in the child when the child is able to understand his or her body functions. Keep in mind that the first few weeks of training may have plenty of potty training accidents and it is important that you do not chastise your child for them.

Other signs that the child is ready for potty training include an ability to identify when the diaper has become wet and dissatisfaction with a wet or soiled diaper. When the child becomes uncomfortable with a diaper being soiled or wet, one can assume that the child is ready to be taught about potty training.

Potty training accidents are a hurdle to the development of the child’s proper toilet habits. This is because an accident can cause the child to feel ashamed or guilty. When parents react aggressively to a potty training accident, it might be counterproductive as the child will likely end up being ashamed and may try to hide any evidence of an accident. Potty training accidents are common in children who have just been successfully trained. For them, distractions can make it difficult for them to gauge when they are ready to go to the toilet. This happens with children who are playing or watching television. Adults are able to plan and control their bowel or urinary movements with a considerable amount of success. Children cannot plan so far ahead, nor can they control the movement as well as adults can. When an accident does occur, deal with it on a case to case basis, unless you realize that the child is deliberately causing potty training accidents as a way of getting the parent’s attention.

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