If your 4 Year Old Won’t Potty Train then it can be very stressful.
Getting your toddler to use the potty is very important and it can get more difficult the older they get.
Your job is not only to get them to understand what a potty is and how to use it, but you also need to give them enough freedom to make their own mistakes.
Potty training is a vital part of every child’s development and every child is different.
If you want to fast track your child then we’ve set out some easy to follow guidelines below.
If you need some help with making potty training simple try these 5 steps to get your toddler to relax on the potty.
4 Year Old Won’t Potty Train – 5 Practical Tips
1. Comfortablility
Ensure they have the correct type of potty and that it fits around them appropriately.
Many children won’t want to go in the toilet even with a trainer seat as it looks too big and they feel scared they may fall in.
Try to understand the situation from your toddler’s point of view.
Don’t have the toddler too close to a radiator or nearby a cold draughty door.
These small differences will have big effects and can aid your efforts in learning how to get your 4 year old to successfully use the potty.
2. Repetition is KEY
Getting your four-year-old to relax on the potty means creating a positive structure around potty time.
The way you do this is by constant repetition even when you think it isn’t’ working.
A perfect example of this is to setup the potty in the morning in the correct potty area.
Call “potty time” or “toilet time” and leave your child to sit down to try to go potty at the same tie each day.
This repetition will prove to be vital as your child will soon start to pick up the routine and his body will expect to expel wee or poo in the morning when they get up.
3. Breathing exercises
This one is a bit fun, but it does work. Whilst on the potty give your child a small game to do.
Pretend that there are candles that you have and they have to blow hard to get them out.
Blowing out helps as it naturally pulls your belly button towards your core which puts some pressure on your bladder.
This will make it remarkable easier to pee! (try it)
4. Turn the tap on
You can also try to run a tap or a bath next to your toddler when they are trying to go.
There is some evidence to suggest that the sound of water trickling can stimulate the sensors to expel water at the same time.
Whether it’s down to a natural link to water or just setting up an anchor and your toddler following the cues, it’s worth a try.
5. Give it more time
Sometimes we have very big expectations for our little ones.
While this can push them to excel in some areas, potty training is more of a nurturing arrangement.
Younger children can pick up subtle clues about how we are feeling by looking at our body language.
Be careful with your body language to prevent more problems, as your child will pick up your stresses and it will become impossible for him to naturally learn the correct way to use the potty
When a 4 Year Old Won’t Potty Train it can cause increasing tension and frustrations.
You need to show less anxiety and pressure and more fun and support if you want to see faster results.
This will leave them in a better state of mind to go naturally.
Mo Mulla is a work from home dad who enjoys reading and listening to music, He loves being a dad and husband to a growing family. He also loves writing about his passions and hopes to change the world, 1 blog post at a time!
