False alarms mean when the child thinks they need to eliminate but once they sit on the potty they change their mind because they don’t want to go. These are the false signals especially passing the gas. My 3.5-year-old daughter is learning these false signals these days, and I am happy she understands her body. They are different from accidents.
Accidents: I don’t think I need to go pee/poop but I did.
False Alarm: I think I need to go pee/poop but I did not.
- These false signals can be frustrating for an adult, especially outside the home, like in the playground, shopping mall, public toilets, etc., but these are also important parts of the potty training.
- False alarms are just mistakes that kids make.
- False alarms show that a child is making progress towards potty training.
- False alarms tell the child is becoming more proactive.
- False alarms should be met with praise
- False alarms are also part of a potty training learning curve!
They are natural so encouraging the child and staying positive can help them gain confidence in recognizing when they truly need to go and respond to their body signals appropriately.
