Ahhh…toilet training. It’s one of the biggest milestones in a young child’s life and can be one of the biggest challenges for a parent. This can be especially true for working parents, as they are not at home with their child during the day.
However toilet training your toddler does not have to be a stressful experience! With the right approach and some expert tips, you can ensure that the whole process goes smoothly for both you and your little one. Prepare to wave goodbye to those nappies in no time!
Here are our top tips for toilet training your toddler:
1. Wait until your child is developmentally ready
Society can pressure us into believing that a child ‘should’ be toilet trained by a certain age.
The fact is that every child is different and reaches their developmental milestones at different stages. Trying to toilet train a child before they are ready will just result in frustration for the parent and may result in a negative association for the child. The psychologist Sigmund Freud proposed that psychological issues in adulthood could be traced back to negative experiences with toilet training as a child.
If you give it a try and you feel that your child is not ready, then don’t be afraid to put them back in nappies for two or three months. When a child is fully ready, the training process will take much less time than if you try to force it at a time when they are not.
2. Choose an appropriate time
Toilet training requires patience and dedication so it is best to plan for a time when you will have the least interruptions. If you are working it can be a good idea to wait for a long weekend or a holiday break, so that you have a few full days in a row to get things started.
Experts recommend starting off with toilet training sessions, which will introduce your child to the process and give them time to process the new change in routine. Start by introducing their new potty and making a fuss over this new arrival. Explain what this will be for and allow your child to investigate it.
After this, let them eat, drink and play as normal, but every fifteen minutes put them on the potty. When a session is over, put back on their nappy or pull-ups and continue with your day. Start another session later in the day and go through the routine again.
On the third day, try a full day session if you feel that your child is ready. Where possible, try to stay at home during these sessions so that your child is not confused. If you have to pop out for a while, make sure to bring a spare potty in the car in case it is required.
When you progress to full day sessions, take your child to the potty first thing in the morning and 15 – 30 minutes after a main meal. These are the times when a bodily movement is most likely to take place.
3. Use incentives and make ‘potty time’ fun
Children all respond differently to incentives but as a parent you will have a good idea of what makes them tick. Using this knowledge can really help to make toilet training more attractive. For instance, for some children, the reward of a sticker every time they use their potty can really help to encourage them. Alternatively, the lure of ‘big boy’ or ‘big girl’ privileges will really appeal to another.
Getting a ‘big boy’ toy or watching a movie that is ‘just for big girls’ can motivate a child to master the whole toilet training experience. Another good trick is to announce the ‘good news’ in the child’s presence, perhaps via a phone call to a favourite family member.
Lots of praise and encouragement will show the child that toilet training is a positive thing and not something to be apprehensive about. Another great tip is to make a game out of the toilet training routine. For boys, a cork placed in the toilet bowl will provide a target to aim for and prevent a mess!
4. Take it slow
Toilet training can be be daunting for toddlers and they may miss the security of their nappies. As with anything in this life, it is easier when you break it down into smaller, more manageable steps. So for example, if your child is doing well at number ones but not so much at number twos, then endeavour to make this transition less of a leap for them.
You could try leaving their nappy on and encouraging them to sit on their potty with this on. You could then invite them to open up the nappy and sit on the potty so that the nappy catches their number two like a ‘pocket’. This way the child gets gradually used to the idea and will feel more comfortable when the time comes for the nappy to be removed.
Be patient and expect set-backs. If a child has an accident be gentle in your response and don’t make them feel ashamed. Just start again and remain positive in your expectations.
5. Prevent constipation
Constipation is a common occurrence during potty training and can be distressing for a child. They simply cannot perform their bodily functions if they are not working properly. There are certain high fibre foods that are great at loosening stools, so these should be incorporated in your child’s diet regularly. The best ones include peas, beans, broccoli, pears and our favourite – kiwis. Kiwis are an amazing remedy for constipation for any age and are also packed full of vitamin C. It’s also important to ensure that your child is drinking enough fluids (ideally water) and not consuming too much dairy, as this can make the problem worse. Never sit your child on the potty/toilet to try or to ‘push’. This can result in tearing the delicate skin around the child’s anus. It will also upset the child and make the toilet training process seem unpleasant & painful.
Last of all…do what works for you!
The above tips are based on years of expert advice and have a high success rate. However every parent will have a slightly different approach to potty training and therefore will have a different experience.
We asked our mums here at Park Academy Childcare to give THEIR No.1 tip and this is what they recommend:
1. Buy lots of towels. Lots…!
2. Always bring a change of clothes when going out – even on very short trips.
3. Let your child run around naked if possible so that their clothes don’t constrict them.
4. Keep reminding your child that the potty is there. Ask them often if they need to use it.
5. Don’t forget to reward yourself when it’s all over, for a job well done!
Wishing you the best of luck with your toilet training journey!
The Park Academy Childcare Team
