Is your toddler ready to be toilet trained?

Summer is just around the corner and children will be spending a lot of time in their bathing suits playing with water. This is the perfect time to encourage your 30 to 36 month old to use the potty or toilet.

Letting them urinate outside in the garden when they are playing with water is fine to get them started but do encourage them to use the toilet as they will be expected to do so at nursery school.

Is your toddler ready for toilet training?

You know that your toddler is interested in toilet training when:

• She watches you when you use the toilet.
• He asks you questions about your toilet habits.
• Her nappy stays dry during the day.
• He want to wear “big boy undies.”

Encourage your toddler’s curiosity

You can also encourage them to take an interest in the toilet by:

• Asking them to come to the toilet with you when you need to go, so they can watch.
• By allowing them to choose their big boy or girl undies, bathing suits.

Follow your toddler’s lead

It is imperative that you never force a child to use the toilet. Be positive and encouraging but research indicates that too much pressure on the child during this time, especially from the mother can lead to psychological disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder later in life. This is an obsession with cleanliness along with a compulsion to wash yourself constantly.

Research also shows that children who use the toilet naturally at their own pace are less likely to wet their beds when they are older.

It is always best to follow the child’s natural developmental path. Not all children will develop at the same rate. It is acceptable for children to begin using the potty or toilet between two and four-and-a-half years of age. It does not have to be done by the time a child is two or starts play group. Some nursery schools may require your toddler to use the toilet at three years of age, but I would not recommend a school that is not prepared to help you with gently encouraging your child to use the toilet.

Remember, your toddler is still young. Their brain has to train their muscles and it takes a while. Be patient. One step at a time.

Article by: Claire Marketos www.inspiredparenting.co.za

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