What is toilet training?

Toilet training is the process of teaching a young child control over  her bladder and bowel movements, resulting in the child’s ability to  use the toilet.

How do I know if my child is ready for toilet training?

Most children are ready for toilet training by about two years of  age, but some are ready by 18 months and some are ready at  two-and-a-half years.

By age three, all children should be able to control their bladder  functions. Nighttime control may take longer; up to six years old is not  uncommon.

Signs that your child is ready to be toilet trained include:

• Your child should understand when she has gone and show awareness of a wet or soiled diaper.

• She should recognize your favorite terms for bodily functions.  Children who are ready for potty training usually have the vocabulary to  express the need for a bowel movement or urination.

• Your child may go off by herself for privacy when filling her diaper.

• Your child may show independence by feeding herself and undressing.

• Your child can sit still for five minutes without help.

Tips on toilet training

DO’s:

• Encourage your child to watch parents or siblings use the bathroom.

• Assist your child in undressing and sitting.

• Start having your child sit on the toilet when she starts giving signs that she might need to go.

• Another good time to have your child sit on the toilet is fifteen or twenty minutes after a meal.

• When your child begins to use the adult toilet, it is unlikely that  his feet will touch the ground. It is difficult for the child to  initiate a bowel movement with the feet dangling in the air. Therefore,  place a step-stool in front of the toilet to allow your child to push  down on the stool during a bowel movement.

• Put a potty chair right next to the toilet in the bathroom. It is less threatening than a regular toilet for young children.

• Limit your child to five minutes on the toilet, even if she is just sitting there.

• Give your child lots of verbal praise and rewards. Stickers and ‘big  girl’ or ‘big boy’ underpants are good rewards for using the potty  chair.

• Take your child into the bathroom for diaper changes. With a soiled  diaper, place the stool in the toilet to demonstrate the appropriate  outcome.

• Children should be taught to wipe properly, flush, and wash their hands as part of the toilet training routine.

DON’Ts:

• After your child has been training for a while, she may be sad and  distressed if she goes in her training pants. Do not criticize your  child. Try to lift her spirits with encouragement.

• A common cause of resistance to potty training is too much scolding  and lecturing. It is best to avoid a power struggle because your child  will always win; she ultimately has control over when she empties her  bowels and bladder. If your child resists training, stop your efforts  and try again in a month or two.

Buying the potty chair.

• Take your child with you to the store when you buy it and let her pick it out.

• Your child should feel that this is her own special chair; let her customize it with stickers and designs.

• Leave the chair out in the area where you child usually plays so she  can get used to it. This usually takes about two weeks. After your  child is used to the chair move it into the bathroom, next to the  toilet.