 When
to potty train
Teaching your child to use the potty and the toilet is about
learning to read the signs from your child and working together when the
time is right for you. Here is some guidance on how to potty or toilet
train your toddler.
When to start
Being 'trained' is more than being reliably clean and dry most of the
day. Before he can be trained, your toddler needs to be able to:
- Recognise the need to 'go'
- Hang on for a short time until he gets to the potty or the loo
- Pull his clothing up or down - though children will need help with
difficult garments for some time
While a few toddlers are properly trained before the age of two, most
children are rather older than this, particularly if they don't have older
siblings to copy. And even after they are trained it's not at all unusual
for a three or four-year-old to have 'accidents' from time to time.
Yes, you can achieve training before the age of two, but it often means
your child has to be reminded about the toilet several times a day, and
the 'hanging on' time is reduced to a few vital seconds. Leave training
that little bit later, and your child's physical maturity will mean the
whole process is easier and quicker - maybe no more than a few days.
Preparing to potty train
If your child is past his first birthday you can begin incorporating
the idea of becoming nappy-free. Here are some simple things that will help
prepare the way for potty training and make the process much easier when
you begin.
- If you are comfortable with the idea let your child see you using
the loo. Tell him when he gets bigger that he'll put his wee and poo
in the toilet instead of his nappy. Let him flush the toilet if he wants
to.
- Better still, if possible, let him watch other children using the
potty, for example at a friend's or mums and tots group
- Explain very simply the connection between what he eats and drinks
and what comes out in the potty
- Around 15 to 18 months introduce your child to the potty. Simply leave
it in the bathroom so he can sit on it - for fun - at bathtime
- Encourage your child to do things on her own eg pull up tights or
trousers, carry her beaker and plate to the sink.
Starting to potty train
- From around two years, sit your child on the potty from time to time,
and give lots of praise if you 'catch' something
- If your child regularly opens his bowels at about the same time each
day, choose this moment to sit him on the potty
- When you are at home take off his nappy and if it's warm enough let
him run around without pants. You will need to remind him regularly
to tell you if he needs the potty
- He is bound to have accidents - simply clean up and tell him where
the poo or the wee should go next time
- Occasionally, let him try the loo - some children prefer it. Put a
child seat on it and a step up to it to make it easier. He may still
want you to hold him though
- Don't expect him to be able to wipe his own bottom - most children
need help with this delicate skill for some time.
Tips for success
- An older or physically confident child can skip the potty stage and
use the loo from the start
- Trainer nappies (disposable nappies that look and feel like pants)
are useful for the in-between stage of being 'almost dry', and ideal
for trips away from home
- Dress your child in loose trousers or leggings that can be pulled
down easily
- Teach boys to use the potty sitting down at first. They can progress
to standing up later on - ask dad to demonstrate!
- Don't get cross! When accidents happen, stay calm and sympathetic.
It's so easy for a toddler to forget about the potty and the loo. If
the accidents are making you irritable, leave training for a week or
two and go back to nappies. It's no big deal.
Nightime and naps
It's not unusual for many children to still be in night-time nappies
for a year or more after they are dry and nappy-less in the day. Staying
dry at night has a lot to do with your child's physical development as
well as interest and motivation. Don't be suprised if you are still getting
occasional bed-wetting up to the age of seven.
Continue to put on nappies or pull-ups on your child for naps and bedtime.
When he wakes remove the nappy straightaway and make him use the toilet
or potty.
She is ready for night-time training when you have had consistently dry
nappies in the morning.
Resistant toddlers!
Whilst most children take to potty training there are some who simply
object! Take a deep breath and relax otherwise you will pass your tension
on to your child which will only make matters worse.Try not to get too
stressed over it, all toddlers get there in the end - when the time is
right for them and you. Here are a few tricks to try:
- Firstly stop training for a week or two to give yourselves a breather.
You might be suprised to find that your child then asks for the potty!
- If you've tried everything in the book your child is probably confused!Take
a step back and simplify the way you are potty training.
- If your child seems totally clueless he probably is! Picture books
are great way to convey the potty-training message and can also help
him to relax which is beneficial. Here
is a round-up of some new and old titles that have helped many
parents to potty train!
- Praise and reward. But don't overdo it he may become more resistant.
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