Reverting to bad behaviors, potty training related

[HopingFor2v1]

So, we began potty training (just during the daytime, she wasnt ready for night time) our DD at the end of January. She had been showing signs that she was ready and her teachers at school mentioned that they thought she was ready too. At first, it was tough, but something clicked for her and she did great for about a month and a half, with accidents here and there. But, she began regressing and started to refuse to poop on the potty. We kept with it, with the hopes that this was just a small hiccup. Fast forward to this week, she's now peeing and pooping without giving any warnings (which she has been great at doing) and will fight me if I try to take her to the potty. Her behavior this week has been very naughty, she's starting to hit me and bite me to the point of leaving marks.

I think I'm going to throw in the towel and put her back in diapers or pull ups. She's not even 2, so I know we have plenty of time. I just really can't take this defiant toddler she's becoming and I fear it's because she's not ready. It's been a really hard week with her. While I was dropping her off at school this morning, I was talking to her teachers about her regressing and putting her back in diapers, and I started bawling. So embarrassing!!

Is this normal for them to regress and become defiant?

 

[InHisHands]

In one word: YES .. it is completely normal for toddlers to regress.

Your lil one is still young and has plenty of time to potty train still. My son is a few months younger than your lil one and we go through phases where he wants to sit on the potty and phases that he doesn't.

I just go with the flow and don't force it. He will be off for a month or so and then all the sudden he wants back on.

In contrast one of his friends, her mom won't listen to me when I tell her that it's natural regression. Her mom says "I know my DD can do it so I'm not backing down." Now she is going on 4 straight months of defiant behavior. Her lil girl wants nothing to do with the potty and it has become a power of the wills.

Just take your little one's lead. Offer her both a diaper and pull up. But warn that if she wears a pull up she has to use the potty.

My son uses cloth pull ups but we have both in the bathroom and he picks which one he wants so I know where he is at. He's still young and isn't ready so there is no need to pressure him to the point of causing more harm than good.

 

[jd83]

If she's not even 2 yet, I'd say yes perfectly normal to regress for a time. If she's acting out quite a bit about it, I would probably go back to diapers/pull ups for a while and try again with potty training in a few months. You don't want her to develop a major negative feeling towards the potty, which is what will happen if she feels forced. It really needs to be when she is ready to do it altogether. I like the idea pp had of offering either option, and letting her choose each day whether she wants diaper or pull up. She will eventually decide she wants to be trained like a big girl and not want diapers.

 

[george83]

My little boy has been potty trained for 8 months now and this week out if nowhere he's had loads of accidents, I'm hoping his is just a phase as well

 

[HopingFor2v1]

Thanks Ladies! I really needed to hear your words of wisdom because I've been feeling down about the whole thing. I guess I thought potty training was like riding a bike, once you got, you got it for life. Boy was I wrong.

I really like your advice InHisHands about letting her choose what she wants to do. She is VERY strong willed and stubborn (my husband says she gets it from me, surprising!) so I think she will like being in control.

Plus, we can always try again in a few months. I don't want to remember the weeks leading up to her birthday to be negative.