Potty-trained toddlers and accidents

Don't blow up when you see a puddle under or near your 'toilet-trained' toddler. Instead, point it out, express your regret, quickly change his clothes, help him wipe up the puddle and put the wet things in the laundry. Your child can and should help clean up, but try not to turn the experience into a guilt trip. Yelling and long discussions won't help either.

Forgive: sometimes they forget

Children really can't say why accidents happen, so don't press your child for explanations. One common cause of accidents is sheer forgetfulness: children this age can get so caught up in an activity that they forget to pay attention to the signals their bladder is sending them.

Help them handle the problem

They might also be under stress from a big change like a new child-care setting, for example, or a baby in the house. Young children lack insight into their own behaviour, but they do need to know how to handle the problem when it occurs. That's why enlisting your toddler's help in accident clean-up is so important.