A GUIDE TO POTTY TRAINING
Potty training can usually be easy for you and your child if you go about it in a calm and laid back way! Be warned that there will be lots of mess and lots more washing than usual but that will pass!
When it seems your child is ready to start and there are no real dramas going on at home i.e. new born brothers or sisters, they haven’t just changed rooms in nursery or moved house etc then feel welcome to let nursery staff know so we can help and support
Ideally it’s best to start potty training at home for a couple of weeks, or at least during a long weekend, so that the child gets acclimatised to everything. Choose a time when there isn’t much going on at home e.g. no visitors due and you don’t need to go out.
Let the child wear pants/knickers around the house to begin with and don’t worry about trousers/skirts. It’s not a good idea to let them go naked whilst training; this will only serve to confuse them when pants etc need to be worn outside the home.
Introduce the child to pants/knickers as something only ‘big’ boys/girls have and explain that you want them to try ‘weeing/pooing’ on the potty (or toilet) from now on and that nappies are only for sleep time. (Our advice is don’t bother using pull-ups; there is a general view they are a waste of your money and children of a potty training age are too young to appreciate the difference between nappies and pull-ups – this can just be confusing)
Sometimes it helps if you sit on the loo and show the child how you use it, this gives children an idea of what you’re talking about and provides them with a good role model.
Show the child the potty and bring it from room to room with you and the child so there is no rush/panic in getting to the toilet on time.
Let the child spend as long as they like just sitting on the potty (even if they don’t do anything!) this will encourage them to relax and eventually they’ll ‘wee’/‘poo’ in the potty.
To help the child relax and get used to the potty read stories or sing together whilst he/she is sitting on it!
If they do have an accident DO NOT get cross, raise you voice or say anything negative. Just say “oh dear, let’s get you cleaned up” in an even tone of voice. Any negative criticism aimed at the child will only panic them and make potty training very difficult and traumatic for them.
When your child does manage to use the potty/toilet successfully or if they sit on the potty happily for the duration of a story or song, reward them with a big hug/kisses and lots of positive verbal praise. If you wish use stickers to reinforce this (lots of children love the idea of stickers as it gives them a token to show off, be proud of and it reminds them of their achievement).
Do not use food as a reward (in any situation) as this can lead to the idea later in life that if one has a bad day food can be used as a reward, a substitute for unpleasantness/unhappiness; which does not encourage healthy eating habits.
Going out and about (during the first two weeks or so)
It’s best to keep your child in pants/knickers if you go out anywhere; if they’re in and out of nappies and pants/knickers all the time they’ll just end up really confused!
You can buy a ‘travel potty’ and take this with you when you’re out and about so that your child can really get used to the idea of self control and asking for the potty in time.
When you are going out make sure you take a bag with lots of spare clothes (pants/knickers, skirts, trousers, socks and shoes!), wipes, nappy sacks and stickers (for rewards) so if there is an ‘accident’ you can clean up easily and quickly.
At Nursery
After the trial period of potty training at home we can try it at nursery. By this point most children will have had lots of ‘accidents’ at home and will have had some successes with using the potty to ‘wee’. ‘Poos’ are a lot more difficult and it will take longer for your child to anticipate their needs in this regard.
When the child comes into nursery, bring lots of spare clothes; these should be easy for child to pull up and down and should not have any complicated buttons, ties or zips.
Staff at nursery will continue with the reward system, i.e. stickers and positive praise.
Other things
Constipation is often a common occurrence in potty training children and usually happens because a child is a bit unsure about doing ‘poos’ in the potty for the first time. Make sure you give your child lots of water to drink and fresh fruit (although not bananas, as they can add to constipation) to ease this.
Finally……….
Most children can take anything from three weeks to three months to become fully toilet trained, so don’t panic if they don’t get it straight away. Sometimes children will relapse and start having ‘accidents’ after you’ve begun to think they’ve got the hang of it. Relapses often happen if the child is looking for extra attention – if another sibling is born or something is going on at home, of if the child loses confidence in their abilities. It is important to keep praising them for remembering to use the potty!
Don’t rush to get rid of nappies all together, some children might want to keep their nappies for nap time and night time and this is fine. When you notice that their nappy is dry after the afternoon nap you can try leaving it off and encourage your child to use the potty or toilet before and just after sleep. Use the same technique for night times and if you are worried about the mattress buy a rubber sheet and that should protect the mattress.
Good luck
August 2017