Even if your toddler is potty trained, sometimes, he may be unable or unwilling to tell you that their bladder is full, and they have to pee. Unluckily, those incidents will generally happen when you are away from the comfort of your toilet.
You already understand that being a mom needs you to have some superpowers, so now you will want to be a mind reader in addition to being a multitasker and crisis negotiator.
Now your first mission would be to find out how to know when your child needs to pee without them telling you. Recognizing the signs that your kid has to pee can help you avoid accidents and messy clean-ups.
In this article, we will discuss how do you get your toddler to tell you they have to pee.
Table of Contents
How do you get your toddler to tell you they have to pee?
Taking younger kids to the bathroom regularly is a great way to introduce the potty and help your child get used to a new way of peeing. If they don’t let you know when they have to pee, you should start recognizing things like crossing their legs and fidgeting as tell-tale signs that your toddler is holding on to the urge to pee. If you want your toddler to be able to go to the toilet on his own based on his awareness of bodily sensations. The best way is to help your kid make the connection that being wet is not pleasant and the right way to avoid this feeling is to use the toilet or potty chair.
Different ways to let your toddler tell you they have to pee
Here is how to get your kid to tell you that they have to pee.
Catch the accident
If you caught your kid in the middle of an accident, you should take him straight to the bathroom, no matter how “finished” his accident may be.
It will help them connect the physical sensations to the action that requires to happen, that is to go to the bathroom and sit on the potty.
Don’t wait for your toddler to finish doing what he is doing before taking him to the bathroom. Hurry him there so he knows that this is what he should do when he feels himself peeing.
Look for triggers
Your kid may not convey the exact words to say he wants to pee, but he may be dropping clues enough for you to encourage him to go to the bathroom and use the toilet.
For example, your toddler may have an uncomfortable posture or attitude when he needs to pee. He may say his belly hurts. Look for indicative signs that he needs to go pee.
Model the behavior
Another effective way to show your toddler what he should do is to model it yourself.
You can simply announce that you need to go to pee and even explain why you think you need to. For example, you can say, “I drank a lot of water, so I am going to the bathroom to go pee.” Or “I feel a tingle in my bladder, feels like I need to pee.”
In this way, you will be putting words into your physical sensations and telling them what they should do when they feel the same.
Conclusion
Trying to convince your little one to tell you when he needs to pee can be challenging. Even if your kid is potty trained, he may only be using the toilet with your reminders and not because of habit. How do you get your toddler to tell you they have to pee?
One effective strategy is to rush him to the toilet the minute you spot an accident. It will help them connect the behavior to the action that needs to happen. Look for indicative triggers that can hint to you that he is about to pee.
Lastly, model the behavior by stating when you have to go pee, which can encourage him to do the same.