Is my toddler ready to start toilet training?
Yes, your toddler is ready to come out of nappies. Choose a quiet day to try toilet training; and be prepared for the occasional accidents and remember to give a lot of praise. Just a note that might help: is to give them reminders…
Tips for easy potty training
- Read their favorite story book
- Encourage them with lots of praise and tell them how grown-up they are!
- Suggest the use of the potty after a meal, when they wake up and before they go to bed.
- When your toddler had an accident, do not react negatively, just remind them what the potty or toilet is for and change them without a fuss.
- If possible start toilet or potty training in the summer, this way they can run around in the garden without a nappy on, but obviously if possible.
- If you only had a few successes, be careful to switch back to nappies occasionally, I know this is convenient, but will confuse your toddler.
- Dress your child in a way that they could help themselves. Pull-up trousers with elastic waistbands, dresses and skirts usually works better.
- Let them flush the toilet after use, they will find it fun to do this.
Stay Calm
You will need to keep your cool, accidents happen; don’t make a fuss or get angry. Putting pressure on your toddler might lead them to give up or decide that this is not worth at all and we don’t want that, right? 🙂
- If there are signs that they aren’t ready yet, leave it for a week or two.
- If your toddler had an accident try to hide any feeling of disgust, no matter the pleasantness. Your toddler might feel worried or upset doing a poo seeing a bad reaction.
- Never force the potty, even if they need to; they like to think that they are in charge and may prefer to assert themself by refusing to do what you want.
- Don’t bad mouth them, if they had an accident just remind them that the next day they may not.
So what about using the toilet?
Once they are easy with the potty, then putting them on the toilet shouldn’t be that hard. They will need a sturdy stool to step up and a trainer seat for them to feel safe. They may want you to hold them, read a story or just be present. You will still need to be available to help; things like help wiping, pulling up pants or trousers . Just a note: for the girls, teaching them to wipe from the front to the back. Especially after bowel movements, because the contact between the faeces and urethra or vagina can lead to infections or a urinary tract.