| It's important for parents to understand that
toilet training is a learning experience. A toddler must be mentally, physically and
emotionally ready to learn all the new and wonderful steps involved in a fairly
complicated process. Mentally,
toddler needs to understand what potty training means, as well as what a potty, toilet and
toilet paper are for. The child must be familiar with the body parts involved and
should know the difference between urination and a bowel movement (even if baby talk is
used, like Tee Tee or Poo Poo).
Physical sensations are
important. Toddler must be able to physically "feel" the need to go potty
and feel what muscles are used to pee or to poop. These skills seem to become
instinctual very quickly, but first they need to be learned and practiced.
Emotionally, a child must
understand that potty training or going potty is natural, safe and something that everyone
does. Some children, although physically or intellectually ready, are not
emotionally ready for potty training. For example, some children are actually
afraid to have their bowel movement drop out from their bodies and into a toilet from
where it is flushed away, forever. They fear that they are losing a part of
themselves. Others may not be emotionally ready to give up the security of diapers.
Therefore it is very important for the parent or
child caregiver to observe the child's state of development and then make a determination
of when to begin the toilet training process.
Start watching for signs of potty training readiness
when toddler is between two and three years old. Most signs are fairly
obvious. Some of these include:
- Body language: squatting,
uneasy facial expressions, moving towards the bathroom, tentatively tugging at the diaper,
perhaps trying to take it off.
- Verbal expressions: Initially
they may be words that are almost primitive, such as potty, pee-pee, doo-doo, tinky or
cucky. Or, they may be accustomed to use more appropriate potty training
expressions like: have to go, have to make, need to potty, etc.
- Cognitive signs: Toddler
understands the difference between wet, dry or soaked, diapers, pants or panties, big girl
and big boy.
- Social signs: Toddler is aware
of other children who have gone through the potty training process and are no longer in
diapers. Toddler seeks to be on their level and to be finished with toilet
training.
Toddler will be happy to accept rewards or praise in
order to please grown-ups.
- Modeling signs: Toddler seeks
to imitate Mom, Dad, older siblings or peers.
- Other signs: Toddler clearly
expresses discomfort in wearing wet or dirty diapers, and prefers to be changed into
something dry and clean.
Toddler can pull up his or her own underpants and
push them down around the knees for potty training and later, when using the potty or
toilet.
Toddler clearly expresses that he or she needs to
use the potty or toilet.
Knowing when toddler is ready to be toilet trained
makes all the difference in a successful toilet training experience as opposed to a
traumatic, frustrating and unhappy one. Starting before your child
expresses readiness may lead to unwanted potty
training problems. |
