Description
Potty training or otherwise know as toilet
training is the process whereby a child is
taught to control their bladder and bowel
and utilize the toilet for elimination.
This an important milestone for the toddler
to achieve, so it is important that it is
not accompanied by distress for both child
and caregiver.
Statistical studies
show the following:
While statistically most girls potty train
earlier than boys, the majority of children
show signs of readiness to start utilizing
the toilet as toddlers, usually between the
ages of 18 months and 3 years of age.
Control of the bowels or bladder is usually
achieved first in the daytime than in the
evening. Some children are able to control
the bowels first while others control the
urine first.
Signs of Readiness
There are a number of ways you can tell that your toddler is ready to
start using the toilet.
Able to walk steadily
Urinates a moderate amount each time
Bowel movements are well formed and at predictable times
Able to hold urine for 2-3 hours
Stops their activity when urinating or defacating into their diaper
Verbalizes desire to have training pants
Asks to have their diaper changed immediately after wetting or soiling
Imitates parent or older sibling using the toilet
Able to follow simple commands and directions
Able to understand physical symptoms of having to urinate or defacate and
is able to use words to convey it before
acting on it.
Questions to ask the
expert
How should I prepare my toddler for potty training
How often should I ask my child about needing to go to the bathroom
What are some of the techniques that in your experienced have worked well
What do I do if my child refused to be toilet trained
How do I handle accidents
Should I use laxatives to regulate bowel movements
General Tips
Look for signs of
readiness before beginning potty training,
starting too early will only prolong the
time of training
Praise your child if he tells you that he soiled or
wet his/her diaper, but encourage them to
tell you in advance the next time
Keep him seated for only a few minutes at a time.
Dont fight his resistance, be prepared to postpone
the training.
If your child has a bowel movement regularly,
choose that time to go to the bathroom with
him
If the child is not regular, try putting him on the
potty 30 minutes after a meal.
Praise the child each time for urinating or having
a bowel movement in the potty and offer
words of encouragement and praise just for
sitting and trying.
Encourage your child to tell you if he needs to go
to the bathroom
Look at the childs body language to see signs of
wanting to urinate or have a bowel movement
Set a schedule of putting your child on the potty
on regular intervals for bladder trainng
Keep the child company while he is sitting on the
potty. There are some children who prefer
privacy, make sure that they are in a safe
environment
To encourage urination, try turning on the faucet
and letting water run
When teaching your son to pee in the toilet try
drawing a circle at the bottom of the toilet
as a target
Dress the child in clothes he can easily take off.
Make sure the potty is close to where he plays and
allow him to take a toy with him to
entertain while he is sitting on the potty.
If the child does have an accident you can show
disappointment but do not treat it as an
emergency
Notify your doctor if the child reverts back to
wetting and soiling after being toilet
trained for awhile if the child is already 4
years old
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