Potty trained but refusing to go with Daddy

jArgHA

We recently potty trained our 2.5 year old daughter, and she was pretty quick to pick it up. We did it over a 2 week period when we were both on holidays, and by the end of it she would tell us when she needed to go, and allow either of us to take her to the loo (whether at home or out and about) - so all was going well...

After this 2 week stint I (daddy) had to return to work while my other half went to her parents for a week with my daughter. Afterwards when I met up with them again, initially everything was normal and I continued to help bringing her to the loo when needed, however now about a week or two later again she is point blank refusing to allow me to bring her to the loo, this has been going on for almost a week.

This is becoming quite a strain as my partner is also breast-feeding a 4 month old, and is often being interrupted during feeds with requests from the 2 year old to bring her to the toilet - if I try to take her, the back arching and screaming starts and there would be no point in trying to force her to go with me..

I'm wondering whether it may be a delayed reaction to having been away from me for a week, and / or another way of getting a bit of dedicated time from her mother, who is spending a fair amount of time tending to the 4 month old baby.

We're guessing it is just a phase, but if there are any tricks out there to speed up a change in behaviour where she will start allowing me again I'd love to know..!

Have you tried going with her together. Starting with having her do all the work with your daugther but then after 2 or 3 times you do something (pants up, pants down, wipe, hand washing, whatever). Then after 2 or 3 times you take another. Slowly working towards a situation where your partner does nothing but come as far as the door of the room.

Then perhaps after that she will go with you alone - having phased the requirement for mother out?

jArgHA

Deleted User wrote: »

Have you tried going with her together. Starting with having her do all the work with your daugther but then after 2 or 3 times you do something (pants up, pants down, wipe, hand washing, whatever). Then after 2 or 3 times you take another. Slowly working towards a situation where your partner does nothing but come as far as the door of the room.

Then perhaps after that she will go with you alone - having phased the requirement for mother out?

Thanks that's a great idea, I have gone together with them but not really made a concerted effort at participating as she would usually go nuts if she got an inkling that Mammy wasn't going to do all the help. But I guess starting off with just one part and trying to gradually bring in more parts might work.. Thanks again!

December2012

I'd she it's not that she's rejecting you, rather she wants more of her mother and the baby.

I remember sitting on a the bath breast feeding my second child while the first was sitting on the toilet for ages!

She might be more used to going into the bathroom when Mammy goes, so maybe if you allowed her to come in with you she might go in with you.

wmpdd3

I agree I think this is more about mammy and daughter time than her rejecting you.