Is My Toddler Ready for Toilet Training?

Often, parents are seen to be anxious about toilet training. Some of them see it as some sort of competition as though toilet training proves the intelligence of their child or how good they are as parents. It’s all nonsense of course! On the contrary, if you try to potty train your child before he or she is ready, you will be frustrated and you will traumatize the child unnecessarily.

On the other hand, waiting until your child is genuinely ready makes the whole process a whole lot easier, happier, and less stressful. Does it really matter if your little Susie is trained three months later than your neighbors Cathy?

Parents should never compare children because every child is different. Not many toddlers are genuinely toilet trained before the age of 20 months. The girls start at around the age of two and boys around the age of three. Almost all children are toilet trained by the age of 4. Some continue with bedwetting till the age of 5. This should put you at ease. You have no need to be in a hurry to toilet train your little toddler. If you force it before he is ready, there will be problems like soiling that can continue for many years into the future.

Here are some tips to prepare your child for the toilet training and how to know when he or she is ready to start.

1. First, talk to your child about the body parts and their functions. It doesn’t matter what names you as a family use as long as everyone knows what they mean.

2. Allow her to witness you or other family member (preferably same sex) using the toilet. No it won't traumatize her - unless you make a big thing of it. Just be natural and she will consider it natural as well. Talk about it as a grown-up thing to do - that one day, when she is ready, she too will be able to use a potty and then the big peoples toilet. This instills a sense of anticipation and desire as all toddlers want to do the things that grown-ups do. Letting her flush the toilet also gets her used to the whole process.

3. Nearing the time for starting toilet training, get the potty out and leave it in a visible place. Then talk about it, telling your child what it is, and what it is for. But, don’t force them on it straightaway. Tell them they will be using it some day.

How to know when your child is ready for toilet training? Watch out for the following signs:

1. The time will come when he will tell you when he is wet or dirty. Change his diaper immediately to give a clean and dry feeling as against being wet and dirty. Soon he will come and tell you that he needs a diaper change. Make sure you do it straight away and offer a lot of praise.

2. In the beginning, children find it difficult to physically manage the potty. They are not steady and might fall off. Also, they don’t get enough warning so there may be some accidents leading to frustration with getting to the bathroom and getting clothes off. If this is happening too often, it is better to wait another month or two.

3. See if your child can follow simple directions like taking a piece of tissue and throwing it into the toilet. If not, or if he refuses to do so, then you need to address that problem first.

4. Look out for signs of developing bowel and bladder control, such as clear patterns of bowel movements. If your child’s stools are firm and well formed, and he is able to stay dry for several hours at a time, he is ready for toilet training because he will be able to control himself long enough to get to the bathroom. However, don’t let the child strain to withhold; that can cause more serious problems. If your child experiences pain on passing a motion, you may have to change the diet to make the stool softer and easier to pass.

5. As part of the preparation for toilet training, remove all negative notions about potty from your child’s mind. Some children have fears about flushing water or falling into the potty. You need to address these first. Your child should be looking forward to the day he can use a toilet like a grown up.

Once all these signs start to come together, she is probably ready to get started. When you do, remember to keep it all positive! Rewards for success, "oh, well", not punishments, for failures.

Bon Voyage!

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

Go over to Dr. Noel Swanson's website for more excellent child behavior advice. While you are there, make sure you also get his book The GOOD CHILD Guide - it really is a must-buy for every parent. Visit here for more parenting articles.
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