#SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL TRAUMA IN TODDLERS HOW TO#

There is no cause to criticize or punish a child who behaves in this way.

They may hide their wet underwear, or even try to clean up the mess before you see it. As a result, they may claim to have used the bathroom when they really urinated on the living room floor. A child who longs for their parents’ approval may suddenly start to feel embarrassed or ashamed after a bathroom accident, no matter how accepting their parents are actually likely to be. However, most children this age do not know what to do with these feelings. When your child tries to hide their accidentsAt about three years of age, children start developing the capacity to experience discomfort, or shame, when they have done something they know is wrong. Inner stress prompted by your child’s normal development can affect her bathroom behaviors as well. This may involveīedwetting, puddling, withholding of stool and even pooping in inappropriate places. A new baby in the family, a move to a new home, family conflict, or any other emotionally stressful situation may cause your child to revert to an earlier level of bathroom mastery. Regression can occur for similar reasons long after toilet training.

#SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL TRAUMA IN TODDLERS HOW TO#

Potty training regression: why it happens & how to reactĪ major change in a child's life can cause them to regress during toilet training. Once physical causes have been ruled out, however, the reasons behind many of these behaviors can be unearthed by considering any changes in your child’s life or emotional development, observing thier other behaviors and listening carefully to what they say. Behaviors such as defecating (pooping) in a corner of the bedroom, having daily accidents at school after many months of complete dryness, or pleading to return to diapers are disturbing and even frightening to many parents-more so when they do not understand the cause. Emotional causes of bathroom-related problems are among the most challenging to address, since young children are rarely able to express their confusion, anxiety, or fear in words.

Signs of emotional trauma in toddlers