Toilet Training Methods for Toddlers

Parents with young children are always in search of information about the activities they will do with their children, nutrition, education and gaining toilet habits. Things can get frustrating when it’s time to start toilet training. Here are some tips to successfully overcome this process without becoming too stressful:

When to Start Toilet Training for Toddlers?

Toilet training is an individual process for both parents and children, and there are many approaches that can be taken. The best thing to do in this regard is to wait until the toddler is ready for toilet training. Most kids between the ages of 18 months and 3 years are a good time to start potty training. However, some children aged 3 and 4 may not be fully ready to get into the toilet habit yet. Here are some signs that the child is ready to start toilet training;

Signs that the child is physically ready to use the potty

These signs indicate that the child has developed some control over his bladder and bowels. Here are the symptoms:

• Keeping the diaper dry for longer: If the toddler takes a few hours to soak his bottom, takes a short nap with a dry cloth or sleeps at night

• No bowel movements at night: Most young children do not defecate in their sleep, which is a good sign of gaining control!

• Telling that the toilet is coming: The child’s telling his parent that he has come to the toilet indicates the urge to go to the toilet.

• To toilet in hiding: If the child starts to toilet in hiding, it is a physical sign that it is time for toilet training. Because by nature, everyone loves the sense of intimacy.

Signs that the Child is Mentally and Emotionally Ready to Potty

Being physically prepared to gain toilet habit is not the same as being emotionally or mentally ready. Signs that the child may be emotionally or mentally ready for potty training include:

• Interest in using potty

• To tell when he gets dirty

• Willingness to sit on the potty

• Willing to use potty or wearing underwear

• The desire to do something for himself becomes evident

Potty training preparation is a combination of the above signs and a bit of parental intuition. It is the parent who decides whether the child is ready for this process.

Potty Anxiety

While fear or anxiety about using the potty can be a sign that you are not fully prepared, it can also be a sign that these fears have to be overcome. Parent playing with their child about potty use can help overcome fear. In this process, it may be beneficial to give examples such as that younger children are tied up and that they have to use a potty because they have grown up. This gives children a chance to explore their emotions clearly and can help alleviate anxiety.

Training Methods for Potty

There are many different ways to accustom the child to the potty, but these are generally divided into three categories:

1. The toilet habit taught by following the child: With this method, the child should be expected to use the potty and then this interest should be supported. There should be no rewarding actions, such as buying something for the child to use the potty. Because, according to one theory, toilet training is a natural milestone that does not need to be actively taught like walking. In this process, the child can be trained more easily with the following;

• Reading toilet training books together

• Buying a potty for every bathroom

• Modeling toilet usage

The disadvantages of this method are that it takes time and children who follow this method are more likely to become independent from the toilet at a later age. If the parent plans to send their child to kindergarten, this can cause an obvious problem because most preschoolers need to wear underwear.

2. Two to three days method: With this potty training approach created by psychologists Richard Foxx and Nathan Azrin, you should wait until the child is ready. However, when he realizes that he is ready, training should be given quickly. This method has emerged in the last decade and became popular with the publication of the book. In this potty training, toilet training is gained as if given in a training camp. There are many types of this method, but the basic steps are as follows:

• Parents do not take care of anything else for 2 to 3 days in toilet training preparation.

• The child is told that he will no longer use diapers and will use the potty. While some variants of this method recommend discarding diapers and baby rompers, this is a decision up to the parent. Because some children still need them at night.

• The parent should watch the child very closely for signs of needing to use the potty for two or three days. Even the child should be allowed to be bare at least below the waist. Thus it can be easily understood when the urge to toilet started and when to take it to the potty At first, the parent takes the child to the potty, and later the child starts to go himself. Because it begins to link the feeling of needing to sit on the potty. This will help him learn to go to the potty when he feels the urge to urinate or defecate.

• Once the child begins to recognize the urge to go to the toilet, they should be allowed to practice putting on or taking off underwear. Some people suggest teaching them to wear underwear before going into the toilet habit. This is because underwear can make some kids feel like they have diapers.

• When he is successful in wearing trousers and underwear, he should be allowed to play outside and monitored to try to make him realize that he has come to the toilet while outside.

The benefit of this approach is that potty training is usually done within a few days and then. However, because some children are very interested in play, toilet accidents can be very high and cause anxiety about failure.

3. Starting an early approach: This method is the first time Dr. It was created by T. Berry Brazelton in 1962 in response to constipation and other problems that arise very early on from potty training. It has been further refined and modified by many child development experts. The steps of the early approach are as follows:

• A potty should be bought when the child is physically ready. This usually happens around 12-18 months.

• After the child is allowed to examine the potty, he is encouraged to sit on the potty fully clothed.

• If this goes well, the child should start sitting on the potty by removing the diaper and helping to connect the diaper to the potty.

This method is a backward method, but appeals to many parents, suggesting gradual acclimatization to the potty consistently and deliberately. However, it may take longer than a year, which is long enough to overwhelm some parents.

According to a study on effective toilet training strategies, it was found that the second and third methods are equally successful and do not cause problems such as constipation due to toilet restraint.

Common Mistakes Made

Potty training can be deceiving and cause frustration. Avoiding these common mistakes can make the process less stressful and more manageable. Here are some of the common mistakes made:

• Do not tolerate toilet accidents: During the practice process, the child should be made to feel that there is nothing important when he accidentally does it. It should also be emphasized that they are there to assist in this process.

• To embarrass the child: Do not talk to the child in an embarrassing manner, such as if you are a baby, when he accidentally urinates in underwear. Although these words are effective in making the child feel big from time to time and gaining toilet habit, it is important how they are used as a style. And it can have the opposite effect. It is necessary to pay close attention to the fine line here.

• Trying to fit by force: If the child does not want to sit on the potty, it should never be tried to sit by force. This may turn into insurmountable fears in the future.

• Rewarding: Rewarding him for a correct behavior can be a good action for positive reinforcement. Keeping this reward high may cause the child to have high expectations and the feeling that the toilet habit is not a normal process. In addition, in order to provide positive reinforcement, underwear with cartoon characters that the child is interested in can be purchased, or oral reinforcements can be made to encourage children to start pre-kindergarten education after gaining toilet habit.

• Discouraged by setbacks: If a toddler or preschooler has been fully trained for a week, then they should not be worried about toilet accidents. Because this is usually not a cause for concern and may have occurred, especially if there has been a major change in the child’s life. However, if accidents happen consistently over a long period of time, consulting a doctor can help.

Potty Training Tips For Men

Potty training is a little different in boys than girls, so here are a few extra tips:

• Patience: Boys tend to be ready later than girls in toilet training. Experts say this is because men are more interested in gross motor activities such as running, rolling, jumping. They also report that men are not as patient as girls in this regard.

• Taught to sit before standing: Boys may be confused when they see their father or older brother urinating while standing. Before discovering the idea of ​​standing peeing, they need to learn the toilet habit. If they are determined to stand, it is up to the parent to allow or not.

• Setting goals: When the child starts peeing, a goal should be set in the potty. For example, a piece of paper can be made like a tiny bead and thrown into the designated area and asked to pee on it.

• Reading potty books together: Reading with a child about potty use can help dispel process concerns. Books that use the anatomically correct language should be selected.

Potty training tips for girls

Girls tend to learn more about toilet habits than boys. A few tips for gaining this habit:

• Reading potty books together: Reading with the parent about the potty books eliminates the child’s worries. A book that uses the anatomically correct language should be chosen.

• Teaching the cleaning after the toilet correctly: Cleaning incorrectly after using the toilet can cause urinary tract infections. That’s why it’s important to show him how to do it right. This cleaning should be done from front to back.

Toilet training, which is one of the important steps in the development of children, is an important process for parents. This period, which is important for parents as well as confusion in finding the right methods, is a process that can be successfully overcome in a very short time if it is carried out correctly. If parents manage this process with patience, tolerance and attention, it is possible to overcome this process without stress and success.