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Tips on establishing a daytime routine
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If your child shows interest in using the potty, that's great. You have just cleared a big hurdle. Now it is time to begin the training. The first goal is for the child to stay dry while awake. Here are some tips on establishing a daytime routine.
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- Make frequent trips to the bathroom.You can't force your child to urinate or produce a bowel movement, but you can encourage him to practice. Have your child sit on the potty for 2 to 4 minutes every hour or so. Schedule these sittings close to times your child usually has a bowel movement or urination, such as just after a meal, snack or nap. Remember that you cannot control when your child urinates or has a bowel movement
- Know when it's time to stop. Don't expect performance at first. If your child can't urinate or produce a bowel movement after 2 to 4 minutes, it's time to try later. If your child protests strongly when you suggest s/he return to the potty, don't insist. Such resistance may mean that it is not the right time to start training.
- Let your child learn from you and others. Children are often interested in their family's bathroom activities. It is sometimes helpful to let children watch parents, older brothers and sisters, trusted friends, and even relatives when they go to the bathroom. Seeing these people use the toilet makes children want to do the same.
- Involve your child in getting dressed/undressed.Let your child practice lowering and raising their underwear or training pants sometimes, or putting them on and taking them off.
- Relocate the potty if necessary. At first, keep the potty chair in the room your child usually plays in. Easy access will greatly increase the chance that he or she will use it. Consider owning two potty chairs, one for the playroom and one for the bathroom.
- Prevent the door from closing or locking. To prevent children from locking themselves in the bathroom or closing the door on their fingers, put a towel over the top of the bathroom door. This will stop it from closing.
- Have boys sit before standing. Have a boy start out sitting to minimize sprays and dribbles on the walls and floors.
- Respect your child's feelings and privacy. Potty training focuses on the most personal and private parts of your child's body so proceed in a dignified respectful manner. Some children need privacy and will not go if anyone is looking or is in the bathroom with them. Respect this.
- Expect some fooling around. Expect some fooling around by toddlers. For example, when they go through the phase of saying "no" to everything, their "no" does not always really mean "no." In short, if you ask your toddler if s/he needs to go potty and are met with a resounding "no," this response may sometimes have little to do with your question. This is all part of learning to read your child and becoming familiar with all forms of communication.
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