Potty Training Regression

At the end of August, my first child was three years + 4 months old and was fully daytime potty trained. He had been successfully using the potty for several months at that point, and he rarely had an accident except while sleeping.

Then, I had a baby.

I can’t begin to tell you how frustrating it is for your older child to regress when it comes to potty training. You spend your days (and nights) caring for every single need of your newest child, and suddenly, your formerly (brazenly) independent child is requiring more care again. And let’s be real, changing a newborn’s diaper, not nearly as bad as changing the underwear of your toddler, and the last thing you want to deal with after a night of restless and broken sleep is to clean out messy underwear and change your big kid’s sheets.

Thankfully, there is a silver lining to this almost inevitable regression if you cloth diaper.

I know that last tip is going to be the hardest to embrace, but trust me: it works. I also highly recommend trying a rewards system for no accidents. For our kiddo, it was earning a Tsum Tsum figurine at the end of a week with 5 or more stickers on his potty chart. Some people have success with M&Ms, quarters, honestly whatever works- you do you, boo.

From us here at Lalabye Baby to all the parents facing another round of cloth diapering and regression from an older child: we wish you the best of luck, and fluff on!