One of the most important steps in child development is toilet training. It is a period that can affect the whole life and personality of the child. Parents’ giving the right support at the right time affects the future of the child. Wrong practices delay the toilet training of the child. A delayed toilet training may present with a lack of self-confidence and deficiencies in personality development in the child.
When should toilet training start in children?
Toilet training in children is affected by factors such as whether the child has an additional disease, developmental stage, being a girl or a boy. The child must be ready in terms of mental and muscle development. For this reason, there is no standard time to start toilet training, it may vary for each child.
Generally, the age to start toilet training in children is 18-24 months, but some children may not be ready until 3 years old. Your child’s behavior and skills will let you know that it’s time to learn.
Some signs that your child is ready for toilet training include:
- Muscle development in children who start walking and sitting upright for short periods of time may be ready for toilet training,
- The ability of the child to pull his pants down and up without help from anyone else can also show that his muscle development is ready for toilet training,
- If his/her tolerance of being wet is weaker than before, if he/she tries to pull his/her diaper off,
- If your child wants to go to the toilet when you ask him, there is a high probability that he will be ready, especially in some psychological traumas such as the birth of a new sibling, he may not want to go to the toilet even though it’s time, in this case it is useful to wait a little.
- The time periods that the child does gold have reached a standard, mostly at the same time. It can be observed especially in infants with regular feeding habits.
- If the child’s diaper can stay dry for up to two hours,
- If the child can understand and apply some basic rules,
- If he can communicate regularly with you,
- If the interest in wearing underwear has increased,
Consciousness for toilet training in your child has begun to settle. He starts to use some words he learned from the family, such as “poop”. He informs you that his toilet is coming. It is important to follow these signs and behaviors well in order to start education on time. Correct timing is the most important part of training.
There is a high probability of accidents in the training process. Punishment does not play a role in this process. Patience is the best method.
When it’s time to start toilet training:
The right words: Choose the right words to communicate with your child when it’s time to go to the toilet. These words will be a means of communication between you and your child. Avoid negative expressions such as stinky, bad, dirty, filthy at this stage. Try to choose words that your child can comfortably say.
The right equipment: Put the potty where your child can easily reach. Your child should be able to sit comfortably with their potty clothes and their feet should be able to touch the ground. Choose places where the odor does not spread as much as possible, such as the bathroom. Bad odor can reduce the child’s desire to go to the toilet. Demonstrate flushing at the post-potty toilet stage and make it a habit.
Potty breaks: Schedule toilet breaks. When he wakes up, have him sit on the potty at two-hour intervals, such as between games and after meals. Praise this gesture, even if it sits doing nothing, show that you are happy. If your child does not want the opposite during potty breaks, being with him, reading a book or singing can be beneficial. If the child wants to get up, do not insist. If you are away from home for more than two hours, such as as a guest, take the potty with you.
Simple commands: When you notice your child’s movements that indicate that the toilet is coming, direct them to the potty. Children may get too caught up in activities like games and forget about the potty, or they may worry about not being able to play again when they go to the potty. Give your child simple commands to remind them to potty. Let him continue playing after potty. Praise him when he goes to the potty, show your happiness. Dress your child in easily removable and wearable clothing so that he or she can use the potty easily.
Cleaning: Teach your child the rules of post-toilet cleaning. The most important cause of urinary tract infections, especially in girls, is improper cleaning after the toilet. Teach front-to-back cleaning so you can prevent germ contamination. Get into the habit of washing hands after the toilet.
Get rid of the old ones : If your child has been able to use the potty successfully for several weeks, remove the diapers. Put on underwear. This will be a reward for your child and will show that he can no longer use diapers. Reward every good move he makes, every good habit he gains. If after a few weeks she has started to shed again, go back to the diaper, take a break and start training again.
Night education: It is not possible for children to wake up for the toilet every two hours at night or during sleep periods in terms of child health and development. Disposable night pants can be used during these times.
Accidents: Accidents such as suffocation, overflowing the potty will definitely happen. Always be prepared and calm against accidents. Have spare underwear and clothes nearby. Do not punish the child for geese. Invite him to try again.
Get support: If your child is unsuccessful or late in toilet training, you can get help from your doctor.