Your toddler is dressing herself, seems interested in going potty and stays dry for two or more hours at a time. In addition, she sometimes tells you when she has to go potty and asks to wear “big-girl” underwear. .
Now What?
Strategies for Toilet Training
Once you know your child is physically and emotionally ready, try the following steps:
- Have a parent or older sibling model how to use the toilet.
- Try staying home several days in a row when you begin, so your child will have easy access to a familiar potty.
- Run water in the sink or tub while your child is on the potty to stimulate bladder release.
- Offer small rewards for using the toilet.
- Use star or sticker charts for successes.
- Give choices: door open/closed; big potty or little potty.
- Let the child choose “big-kid” underpants from the store.
- Praise for every little success, even for trying.
- After you’ve made some progress, include your child in giving left-over diapers to a younger, untrained friend or sibling.
How About Training Pants?
The nice thing about disposable training pants like Pull-Ups® is that they allow kids to be independent. They can pull them on and off by themselves. One problem is that sometimes kids pull them off when they are “full,” which can cause a real mess. A bigger problem, according to many parents, is that they don’t allow the child to feel the discomfort of being wet. The pants feel just like diapers, and kids do not hesitate to use them this way.
A good way to teach your child the discomfort of wetness, while still protecting your carpet and furniture, is to use thick training panties along with plastic pants. These are sold near cloth diapers. When wet, the child will quickly want to be changed. This seemed to help our kids realize they were wetting, and the uncomfortable feeling of wet cloth against the skin seemed to speed the process of getting to the toilet on time. With the disposable panties our kids rarely asked to be changed.
He Learns, She Learns
Boys love to play target practice with cereal rings you toss into the toilet. You can do the same thing with toilet paper squares. Girls don’t get this kind of fun, but you can make a trip to the toilet more fun by reading a story or singing songs with her while you “wait” for success. To avoid infections, teach girls to wipe front to back after having a bowel movement. “Pat, pat” gently with toilet paper after urinating, to help prevent irritation.
Kim Armbrustmacher is a mother of three, a child care provider, and a freelance writer in St. Johns, Michigan.