Tips on Potty Training

Will Early Toilet Training Help Your Child?
Toilet training is the method of teaching your young kids on the proper use of the toilet and usually starts with the use of a potty chair or a smaller toilet bowl-shaped instrument.

A lot of old time parents believe that a child will be fully trained early on the right use of the toilet if their parents give them early toilet training. However, child experts are not in agreement with this belief. Study shows that even with early toilet training, a child will begin to recognize his "need to go" only when he is at least a year old. But he will still be too young at this age to understand of having to sit still on a toilet bowl. Only if a child is at least 18 months old that he will only be responsive to the toilet training you are subjecting him to. And will be relatively dry and clean when he's about two-and-a-half or three years old.

Early Toilet Training is Ineffective
Do not think that you satisfyingly started your baby on early toilet training if he bears your sitting him on a potty chair every time he passes bowel movement.

Over time you will notice that he will be putting up a struggle if you insist to sit him on the pot, and eventually will refuse to sit on it at all. It is because he really detest your forcing him to sit on a pot longer that he wants to as he is only learning to crawl at this point.

Although you may catch a larger portion of your kid's movement on the pot, his diapers will still get dirty. And you will find that changing soiled diapers is a lot easier than sitting your baby on a pot. For potting would mean that you will undress your kid, struggle to keep him sit still on the pot, clean him up before dressing him again. Then, you will dispose the soiled diapers after you have cleaned the potty chair.

You may ask yourself. What do you gain after all these? Nothing. Your child will not only learn nothing from the training you gave him, he may also develop an intense dislike for it. This will just delay his real toilet training later on.

Facts About Potting
At this point, there is actually no training going on but only a whole lot of catching action. By the end of the first year of your baby, he would have learned to sit up by himself and his bowel movements would more or less be predictable. Should you decide by this time to start giving him toilet training, it is likely that you will have a pot ready every time you expect him to pass bowel movement.
The moment he sends out signals that he is ready to go, you will immediately strip him off his diapers and sit him on the pot. Your intention here is to catch his stool into the potty chair. But, do you think your baby will understand what you are trying to do and allow you to do your thing in peace without any resentment from him?

Steps to prepare your child for toilet training
1. When you go to the bathroom, bring your child with you. Make him comfortable inside. Allow him to enjoy flushing the toilet and let him see urine and bowel movements in the toilet bowl.
2. Make your child observe, touch and play with a potty chair until he become familiar with it. It is best that you place a potty in your baby's play area.
3. Tell your child that the potty is his own chair. Do not force him to sit and spend time on it. He will resent your actions if you do so. Instead, and while fully clothed, allow him to sit on the potty chair and to leave it anytime he wants to as if it were a regular chair.
4. Your child will be familiar with the pot by this time. Now you can remove his pants and diapers and try having him sit on it until he becomes comfortable.
5. You can now show your child how to use the potty chair. First, put a stool into the potty chair from a dirty diaper. Next, let your child see how the bowel movement transfers from the potty chair into the toilet. Last, have your child flush the toilet and observe stool down the toilet.

On Using the Toilet
Since your child is now at ease in sitting on the pot and is comfortable flushing the toilet, you may start to teach him on how to go to the bathroom. Have him wear loose pants that can be removed easily.
Normally, your child will send out clear signals once he felt the need to urinate or have bowel movement. His facial expression will noticeably change or he will suddenly stop on any activity that he is engaged in. Once you see these signals, you know its time to sit him on a pot.

It helps to know that most children urinate within an hour after having a large drink or have bowel movement within an hour after eating.

While waiting on your child to send out signals that he needs to go to the toilet, you can place your baby on the potty at regular intervals, preferably every 1 and a half to 2 hours.
Never leave your child when he is on the potty chair. Stay with him. You can talk or read to him until he becomes relax. Praise your child when he goes to the bathroom in the potty chair, but never express disappointment if he doesn't. Be patient. It is just normal. Remember, he is still learning.

At daytime, it will take as long as 6 to 8 months to toilet train your child. It will take longer during night time especially when his bladder control is reduced. On cases that your child is having difficulties even with months of toilet training, you can bring the matter to your family doctor. It is probable that your child is not yet ready for toilet training.

So there. I hope you have learned a lot reading this post, Toilet Training Your Kids - A Real Challenge.

Lulu or Waki to her friends, although a busy mom, enjoys writing articles on her spare time. She love topics about family matters and practical money saving tips as she encounters them at home. See this link as she posts more of her tips.