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Toilet
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abuse |
 Toilet
training for parents is taken as the biggest goal especially if you are new
parents. Some kids pick up toilet training within few weeks while for some it
takes months. Thus it is advisable that before you begin toilet training you
should know the essential basics, the do and don’ts and the easy tips to toilet
training.
When to start
The most important question that parents face is when to start toilet training.
Most children today are not toilet trained until they are at least 2½ years old.
Some don’t start off until they have crossed their third birthday. Thus don’t
fret if your child is not toilet trained even if he has crossed 3 years. Age is
not that important what you need to find out is whether your child is ready to
be toilet trained. It is advisable that parents waited until their children
showed certain signs of developmental readiness. This will make toilet training
easy, with fewer conflicts and frustrations for both parents and children.
Your child may be ready to start toilet training if he:
- Has regular,
soft, formed bowel movements, at predictable times.
- Can pull his
pants up and down.
- Is learning
to dress and undress himself and tries to do things without help.
- Imitates
others bathroom habits (likes to watch you go to the bathroom, wants to wear
underwear, etc.).
- Is stopping
briefly during play to urinate or have a bowel movement. This tells you that
your child is becoming aware of his body's signals that it's time to go.
- Makes a
physical demonstration when he's having a bowel movement (grunting,
squatting, telling you, etc.).
- Has words
for stool and urine.
- Can follow
simple instructions ("Go get the toy," etc.).
- Understands
the physical signals that mean he has to go to the toilet and can tell you
before it happens.
- Dislikes the
feeling of being in a dirty diaper.
- Has "dry"
periods of at least three or four hours (this shows his bladder muscles are
developed enough to hold his urine in and store it).
- Can walk and
sit down
- Is able to
sit still on a small chair for three to five minutes while you read or talk
to him.
Five-Step Training
Procedure
Step One:
Once you have assessed your child’s readiness and you think that he is ready to
be toilet trained now it is time to prepare yourself with the right equipments.
Choose and buy a child-sized potty or a special seat to attach to your regular
toilet. Whichever you choose, make sure your child is comfortable on it and can
stabilize himself with his feet so he can push when he's having a bowel
movement.
Step Two:
To make him comfortable and get used to the potty make him sit on the potty seat
fully clothed once a day — after breakfast, before his bath, or whenever else
he's likely to have a bowel movement (BM). If he doesn’t want to sit then don’t
force him. If you think that he seems scared then put it away and bring it out
again after a few weeks. This routine is to just make him get used to the potty
seat therefore you don’t even have to explain to him why he has to poop or pee
in the potty.
Step Three:
After you think that he is comfortable sitting on the potty seat without any
resistance whatsoever, then try it without the diaper. Again, let him get used
to what it feels like to sit there this way. Now is the time when you can start
explaining to him that this is what Mommy and Daddy do every day. If he
understands and does poop or pee in the potty then its excellent but if he
doesn’t then don’t force him. Explain the whole process to him slowly. Show your
child where his bowel movements go. The next time when he does it in the diaper,
take him to his potty, sit him down, and empty the diaper beneath him into the
bowl. This will help him understand that the poop or pee has to go in the potty.
After you've emptied his potty into the big toilet, let him flush if he wants to
(but don't make him do it if he's scared) so he can see where it goes. Teach him
to dress himself and wash his hands when he's done.
Step Four:
If he has got the idea then you have to encourage him to use the potty whenever
he feels the urge to go. Also make sure that he can signal you or tell you when
he need to use the potty. Also it is time that you introduce training pants —
extra-thick cloth or disposable ones — to your routine. While they're less
convenient, many parents say the cloth ones work better because your child can
really feel it when he pees or poops in them. Introduce them gradually, probably
for a few hours at a time and stick with diapers at night for the time being.
Step Five:
When your child seems mostly trained, you can move on to "big kid" underwear.
During the training period you will face several accidents. Don’t punish or
scold your child for that. Remember that even if he has mastered using the potty
during the day time it will take longer to master it at night. Therefore you can
continue using diapers at night. If he refuses to wear diapers at night, put a
plastic sheet under the cloth ones to minimize your cleanup after accidents. You
can help cut down on wet nights by not letting him drink too much before bedtime
and telling him that if he does wake up in the middle of the night he can call
you to help him get to the potty. Keep his potty near the bed in case he wants
to use it.
Do’s and
Don’t’s
Do:
- Make sure
your child is ready.
- Prepare
yourself. Decide when and how you want to start training. Get the required
equipments. Also prepare yourself for the accidents, and ways to keep your
child motivated throughout the entire process.
- Take it slow
and be patient with your child.
- Take your
doctor’s advice.
- Praise your
child and encourage him. Celebrate with him when he first gets something
into the potty and reward him with plenty of fanfare the first time he stays
dry all day.
- Be patient
when your child has accidents. When he make a mess, calmly clean it up and
get him into dry clothing.
Don't:
- Start at the
wrong time. Beginning right before a new baby is due, just after you've
moved into a new home, or when anything is disrupting your child's life will
only make potty training more difficult.
- Put on the
pressure. Don’t be hard on him and don’t push him to perform. Let your child
take his time to get used to this new, complicated process.
- Punish your
child. You have to be supportive and punishing him will only spoil the whole
routine.
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