NO MORE NAPPIES
TOILET TRAINING
Toilet training or potty training is one of the phases parents and infants need to handle. Each child reacts differently to potty training, for some, it happens easily and others struggle a bit. These are just a few guidelines to help you through potty training.
When is the best time to start with potty training?
It is not recommended to start toilet training before the age of 24 months. The reason is the readiness skill and physical development which the child needs for this process occur between the age of 18 months and 2 and a half years.
SIGNS FOR READINESS FOR POTTY TRAINING:
Stays dry about for 2 hours or more
Bowel movements come at a specific time every day
The infant is aware of the urge to go and verbally express a need to go
Understands or can tell the difference between wet and dry, clean and dirty or up and down
Able to follow simple instructions
The infant is curious about bathroom habits
Understands words about the toilet process
The child can control the muscles responsible for the elimination
Get to the potty, sit on it and then get off the potty
Pull down the nappy or training pants
GENERAL ADVICE FOR POTTY TRAINING:
The infant needs to be off the bottle and dummy
The parents need to persevere and be patient
You need to have the right equipment
Make a big fuss when successful, no fighting
Wait till they are ready
Be consistent, encourage them and praise them when they go to the potty and make use of a reward system
Don’t put pressure on your child, they learn at their own pace
Potty train in underwear
The little one likes to copy parents; they watch and learn, take them with you when you use the bathroom, girls with the mommy and boys with the dad
Take them to use the potty in regular intervals
Cut off all liquids and snacks after dinner
Complete one final potty mission before bedtime
Wake your child up halfway through the night to use the potty
Little boys generally sit down and after copying their dad they stand up to pass urine, lift the lid and ring of the toilet for them
Teach them restroom signs and also how to use them. Always accompany the child to the bathroom. Teach them to wipe and to undress and dress again
Put a potty chair in the regular toilet. Move from a potty chair to a child-size toilet seat for the child and provide something that the child can use to climb up and down by themselves and also give the child a surface on which to put the feet while using the toilet.
STEPS IN POTTY TRAINING:
For the first few weeks, let the child sit on the potty fully clothed while you tell the child about the toilet, what it is for and when to use it.
Once the child sits on the potty willingly, let the child try without the nappy.
Make the potty part of the child's daily routine.
Teach the child to put feet on the floor since this will be important when having a bowel movement (poo).
When comfortable with the pattern try changing the nappy while the child is seated on the potty and drop contents of dirty nappy into potty under the child to let the child know that this is the purpose of the potty.
As soon as they understand the process the child will probably be more interested in using the potty properly.
After the child is using the potty regularly, gradually switch over from nappy to training pants during the day.
If scared of the potty, put a nappy over the potty and let the child sit on the nappy. Let the child hold onto you if afraid so that the child is secured.
REFERENCES:
Caring for your baby and young child; Steven P. Shelov, M.D., F.A.A.P., editor-in-chief Tanya Remer Altmann, M.D., F.A.A.P., associate medical Editor
Baba-kindersorg handboek; Marina Petropulos, 2014
Caring for your baby and young child; Steven P Shelov 2009
www.baby.care.com
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