Toddler, toddler tantrums, mums guide

our little boy will be 3 in feb, weve been potty training for about 9 months, he seemed to really get the hang of it, weeing and pooing on the toilet but over the last few weeks just went backwards, weeing and pooing in his pants. I saw on here about stickers as rewards, wasnt sure but decided to give it a go. weve put a big sheet of paper on his bedroom door and when he wees or poos in the toilet he gets a "well done" sticker. we count them up when were out and he gets them when we get back. 9 today, I am so pleased. its been a week now. you could try that? good luck, its hard

Well done for getting him dry! Some children do take longer to get the hang of the poo bit – for a number of reasons. Some children actually like the sensation of pooing in a nappy, others seem frightened at the thought of dropping something more solid into the water in the toilet (it can splash!) and others will use the control of their bowels as the only area in their lives that they do have complete control over and may use this when life becomes too much for them and things happen that are out of their control. Now none of these may apply to your son so let’s assume that he just doesn’t get it! One of the most successful routes to a clean nappy is the star chart – and of course not letting him know that pooing in his nappy upsets you in any way! You can buy star charts from the internet but it is very easy to make your own and your little boy can help. Explain to him that he really is too big for nappies now so he is going to have big boy pants – take him to the shop and let him choose the pants. Then off the sticker shop to choose a packet for his star chart. Draw a ladder (or something that your son likes) on a large piece of paper, every time he poos in the potty or the toilet he chooses a sticker and when he has say 5 he can have a small treat – but do keep it smal, a box of raisins or some coloured pencils is fine! He will soon get the idea and although he may have the occasional accident it really shouldn’t take too long at this age.

I run a childrens fun exercise programme called Rugbytots. it is designed to be a safe, non contact environment for girls and boys aged 2 - 7 to use Rugby based skills to exercise and have fun whilst learning. Please visit our website www.rugbytots.co.uk to watch our video and find our nearest class.