Question
After reading your book on toilet training, I started to train my daughter at 18 months and 1 week. I used the potty bell and in almost 3 weeks she was almost accident-free at home, but sometimes was refusing to use her potty while out. 1 week after, she got an infection and fever so I put her in pull-ups for a couple of days because she was grumpy and showed some resistance when offered to the potty. Since then, she is resisting to sit on her potty even with the bell. She is now 20 months and 10 days, and I noticed that she is completely aware of her bladder and bowel movements because she tells me when she feels something but refuses to sit on the potty and she started to hold herself until she can't hold anymore so she poops and/or pees on the floor. I tried to use the gate in her room after the bell rings or after she poops or pees on the floor but she started to get scared and anxious when the bell rings because she knows she will be confined by the gate. she continued to hold herself and soil or wet her bed instead of the potty. I tried to calmly assure her that the gate is just to let her stay in until she poops or pees in the potty but seems that she perceived that the gate is a punishment and her resistance even increased with tantrums. Her dad is suggesting to "reset" the process and put her back in pull-ups for a while and start over after few weeks, but I am not sure if that would make the situation better or worse. Should I continue trying to use the gate until she becomes used to it? What should I do as the next step?
Thank you
