Potty training is usually a procedure that most mothers dread, but find out how you can make it easier for both you and your child.
Most children are ready to start real potty training between 18 and 24 months. More important than age is physical and mental readiness. Evaluate your child’s ability to control his bladder by checking his diapers. If he stays dry for at least two hours at a time, his bladder is maturing.
Preparing your child:
Before you start potty training, mentally prepare your child. During changing time, point out key terms: diaper, underpants, wet, dry, clean, dirty. Also, while he’s still in diapers, if he shows signs of urinating or having a bowel movement, point out what he is doing. Always use the same words to refer to urination and bowel movements.
Potty chairs are better for early training than seats that fit onto the adult toilet, because they seem less scary to a toddler. When you bring the potty home, encourage your toddler to sit on it, but don’t insist. If he prefers to sit while fully clothed, let him. Let him sit on the potty whenever he seems interested. If he refuses, don’t pressure him.
Getting started:
Once you decide to start potty training, remove your child’s diaper during the day. You should never put him in a diaper during the day again, even for special occasions, as this will confuse him. For this reason, it’s best to start training when you have no stressful engagements like traveling or a lot of outings planned. When you are at home with your child, make the potty available and encourage him to use it often. When your toddler starts to request the potty, make sure there is always a potty available, even when you go out. Once you start training, never ignore your child’s request to use the potty.
Dress your child in easy to remove garments. Many mothers prefer to start potty training in warm weather, because light clothes are easier to take off in a hurry. Some mothers like to let their toddlers go without underpants in early training to increase chances of success.
Start by sitting your child on the potty for a few minutes with his favorite toy or sit next to him and read a book. If he urinates or has a bowel movement in the potty, show him your approval and he will learn that he is expected to urinate there. If he has a bowel movement at the same time each day, encourage him to sit on the potty at that time.
If your child doesn’t urinate or have a bowel movement right away, you can encourage him to sit on the potty for a while longer. Don’t make him sit for too long or put pressure on him, though, because he will get tired and hate the procedure. After he has urinated or had a bowel movement in the potty two or three times, he will realize that he sits on the potty for a reason and will start asking to sit on it when he needs to.
WHEN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN :
In the beginning, a few accidents may occur every day. Don’t scold or punish your child. Accept accidents as natural, and tell him that next time he should try to make it to the potty. In your first few outings during training, ask your child every 15 to 30 minutes if he needs the potty and always carry a set of clean clothes. Even when he gets older, accompany your child to an unfamiliar bathroom. Some children will wet their pants rather than use a strange toilet.
DRY NIGHTS:
Controlling the bladder at night is usually the last stage of potty training, so your child will probably continue to wear diapers at night even after he has stopped wearing them during the day. When he starts to wake up with dry diapers, you can take the diapers off at night. At this point, it will help to put your child on the potty right before he goes to sleep.
Be patient, because potty training isn’t something that you start and finish within a few weeks. For a few years to come, there will be many times when you will have to ask your child if he needs to go to the bathroom when he is excited or distracted by other things: birthday parties, traveling, going to the club, illnesses and other situations. Potty training has its setbacks, but eventually every child uses the toilet, and one day soon your toddler will too!
Most children are ready to start real potty training between 18 and 24 months. More important than age is physical and mental readiness. Evaluate your child’s ability to control his bladder by checking his diapers. If he stays dry for at least two hours at a time, his bladder is maturing.
Preparing your child:
Before you start potty training, mentally prepare your child. During changing time, point out key terms: diaper, underpants, wet, dry, clean, dirty. Also, while he’s still in diapers, if he shows signs of urinating or having a bowel movement, point out what he is doing. Always use the same words to refer to urination and bowel movements.
Potty chairs are better for early training than seats that fit onto the adult toilet, because they seem less scary to a toddler. When you bring the potty home, encourage your toddler to sit on it, but don’t insist. If he prefers to sit while fully clothed, let him. Let him sit on the potty whenever he seems interested. If he refuses, don’t pressure him.
Getting started:
Once you decide to start potty training, remove your child’s diaper during the day. You should never put him in a diaper during the day again, even for special occasions, as this will confuse him. For this reason, it’s best to start training when you have no stressful engagements like traveling or a lot of outings planned. When you are at home with your child, make the potty available and encourage him to use it often. When your toddler starts to request the potty, make sure there is always a potty available, even when you go out. Once you start training, never ignore your child’s request to use the potty.
Dress your child in easy to remove garments. Many mothers prefer to start potty training in warm weather, because light clothes are easier to take off in a hurry. Some mothers like to let their toddlers go without underpants in early training to increase chances of success.
Start by sitting your child on the potty for a few minutes with his favorite toy or sit next to him and read a book. If he urinates or has a bowel movement in the potty, show him your approval and he will learn that he is expected to urinate there. If he has a bowel movement at the same time each day, encourage him to sit on the potty at that time.
If your child doesn’t urinate or have a bowel movement right away, you can encourage him to sit on the potty for a while longer. Don’t make him sit for too long or put pressure on him, though, because he will get tired and hate the procedure. After he has urinated or had a bowel movement in the potty two or three times, he will realize that he sits on the potty for a reason and will start asking to sit on it when he needs to.
WHEN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN :
In the beginning, a few accidents may occur every day. Don’t scold or punish your child. Accept accidents as natural, and tell him that next time he should try to make it to the potty. In your first few outings during training, ask your child every 15 to 30 minutes if he needs the potty and always carry a set of clean clothes. Even when he gets older, accompany your child to an unfamiliar bathroom. Some children will wet their pants rather than use a strange toilet.
DRY NIGHTS:
Controlling the bladder at night is usually the last stage of potty training, so your child will probably continue to wear diapers at night even after he has stopped wearing them during the day. When he starts to wake up with dry diapers, you can take the diapers off at night. At this point, it will help to put your child on the potty right before he goes to sleep.
Be patient, because potty training isn’t something that you start and finish within a few weeks. For a few years to come, there will be many times when you will have to ask your child if he needs to go to the bathroom when he is excited or distracted by other things: birthday parties, traveling, going to the club, illnesses and other situations. Potty training has its setbacks, but eventually every child uses the toilet, and one day soon your toddler will too!
No comments:
Post a Comment