These are particularly difficult for both parents and children to deal with because they are usually considered embarrassing. At Down To Earth, we look for one of four possible explanations when children have difficulty with toilet training.
The first thing we are concerned about is whether or not the child has some type of physical problem that is causing him to have accidents. At Down To Earth, the first thing we’ll do if this is your presenting problem is send you to a medical professional to have that all checked out first.
Next, we wonder if perhaps a neurological delay might be responsible. This is usually pretty easy to spot because other areas are usually affected, too, like sleeping patterns, eating patterns, emotional variability, speech, and coordination. If we suspect neurological delays, we might send you to a pediatric neurologist first to confirm or deny that theory.
The third thing to consider is whether or not there was adequate opportunity for the child to learn the expected behaviors. If toilet training was attempted too early or too forcefully, it is possible that the child just hasn’t learned yet, or is angry or hurt and is experiencing problems because he is emotionally troubled about the whole thing.
The final thing to consider is what’s going on in the household. It is awfully common for kids that were already toilet trained to have accidents when things are going on that are scary. These things are not always easy to spot, which is why many parents miss them. First of all, the scary thing might actually be over or it might have happened a long time ago. Second of all, the scary thing might not even be a real threat to the child, but a simple misunderstanding. Finally, the scary thing might be the parent’s behavior and that is awfully difficult both to recognize and to admit. Parental fighting or animosity can easily result in bed wetting, even when the parents try to hide problems from the children. Kids are much more perceptive than many people realize. Besides that, they often perceive things at a subconscious level and couldn’t even tell you what’s bothering them if you asked. Down To Earth will work with you and your children to discover any possible underlying fears that might be causing the regression and then work to alleviate those fears.
