TOILET TRAINING
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Learning to use the toilet is one of the big new steps for toddlers and it can take them a while to get the hang of what to do. Some children seem to train themselves when they are ready, but many will need some help from their parents. Parents see toilet training as an important milestone for their children and often become very concerned if it doesn’t all go smoothly.
When will my child be ready?
Most children are not ready to learn to control their poo and wee (bowels and bladder) until they are two years old and some not until they are three. Often boys are later than girls.
To be ready to use the toilet or potty, a child first needs to be able to tell when his bowels or bladder are full. He needs to be able to hold on to his wee (urine) for an hour or so, for example, to be waking up dry from his daytime nap. He needs to be able to understand that he is meant to use the toilet or potty.
The first sign of knowing these things may be that he tells you when he is actually doing wee or poo or when he has just done it. When he gets praise for telling you, he will be ready to move on to the next step of telling you before he does it.
Other signs of readiness are:
taking an interest in others using the toilet
pulling at wet and dirty nappies
telling you that his nappy is wet
telling you that he doesn’t want to wear nappies anymore.
Be prepared to wait until your child is ready. Most toilet training problems can be avoided if you don’t start too early.
Don’t try and set a date by which you want your child to be toilet trained, for example, before the new baby arrives. This is almost a sure recipe for failure. It works best if there is no pressure and you toilet train your child at the pace he can manage.
Getting ready for toilet training
Teach your child the words needed for toilet training, such as wet, dry, wee, poo, it’s coming. Choose words that you are comfortable with.
Choose either a potty, or a special toilet seat with a footstool or a brick (a brick is cheap and easy to step up on). A step is necessary if you choose to use a toilet, so that your child can get up to the toilet and can feel safe and relaxed there. A potty can be moved around the house but you may need to take it out with you if your child is not
used to using a toilet.
Some toddlers are afraid of being flushed down the toilet because they don’t yet understand that they cannot fit down such a small hole. For these children a potty is better or let them learn to flush the toilet with you or by themselves. You may need to flush it when they are safely out of the way.
Make sure that the toilet area is safe. Keep household cleaners, deodorants and toiletries out of reach.
If you feel comfortable about it, let your child go with you to the toilet and talk about what you are doing.
Make sure your child is wearing clothing that is easy to get on and off, and easy to wash, such as trainer pants.
In the warm weather toilet training is often easier because there are less clothes to remove quickly when ‘wee is coming’. You might like to let your child go without pants or nappies for some of the time.
If you are alert to your childs signals, you can be ready to guide her to the potty or toilet in time.
Starting toilet training
Note: it is best not to start toilet training at a time when your child is adjusting to other changes, for example, when there is a new baby in the family or starting childcare. If you think your child might be nearly ready to start training, choose a time when you are likely to have the time and patience to give your attention.
Some toddlers can be introduced to toilet training by getting comfortable with the potty first, for example, leaving the potty in easy sight and touch or letting teddy sit on the pott
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