Toilet training is an extremely important step in the growth and development processes of children. This process can be quite critical and sometimes worrying for parents as well as children. It is generally thought that children show interest in toilet training when they turn 24 months, but this period may be earlier or later in some children. Therefore, it is not possible to say an exact time when toilet training should be given to children.
- So, how do I know when my child is ready for toilet training?
- Can he understand and follow simple instructions?
- Does he/she feel uncomfortable if the diaper is wet or dirty?
- Does it have anything to do with potty, going to the bathroom, or wearing underwear?
- Can the bottom stay dry for at least 2 hours during the day?
- Does he say he needs to go to the bathroom with words, gestures, or body language?
- Can he pull down his pants himself and then raise them again?
- Can he delay pooping or peeing for a short time?
- Have gross motor skills such as walking, sitting and squatting improved?
If you answer ‘Yes’ to most of these questions; It may be thought that your child is ready for toilet training, but if you mostly answered ‘No’ to the questions; You can wait a while longer. Especially if there are important events in your child’s life such as a move, loss, birth of a sibling or a history of illness that coincides with that period; It would be more appropriate to delay this process a little.
How long will it take for my child to develop toilet habits?
It usually takes 3 to 6 months for children to get used to this process. On the other hand, it is known that some children can adapt in a longer or shorter time than this. Children can learn not to wet themselves at the same time, both during the day and at night, but they usually learn to hold their stools at the end of 2 years of age and their urine at 3 years of age. As for being able to sleep without a diaper, they become ready after the age of 3 at the earliest.
How should I toilet train my child?
In the period before starting this process, when you notice that your child’s diaper is dirty, change it immediately without waiting. Getting used to the cleanness of the gold will cause discomfort to the fact that it is dirty and will make your work easier.
You can buy your child a potty and tell him that he’s grown up now, so he’s entitled to a toilet of his own.
Allow your child to play on the potty, sit on and get up in their clothes a few days before starting toilet training.
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Encourage your child to sit on the potty, usually 30-40 minutes after a meal, but never force it. Since there will be movement in the digestive system after the meal, the probability of peeing and pooping will be higher.
5 minutes is enough to make your child wait on the potty. Your child may perceive a longer sitting as a punishment.
If she pees or poops while sitting on the potty dressed, congratulate her without exaggeration and remove the diaper and throw her poop into the potty, then into the toilet. Let him say goodbye to his poop; You can say ‘goodbye poop, come again’ after the poop.
Don’t be surprised if the kid looks at his poop in amazement. Avoid using expressions such as ‘bad, disgusting, dirty’ about his stool.
At first, clean your child’s bottom while you are on the toilet. Then teach him how to do it. Remind them to wash their hands after using the toilet. Handwashing can be a fun part of your child’s toilet routine.
At what point should you seek professional help?
The speed of acquiring toilet habits is completely related to the child’s own psychological and physiological readiness process. Here, the task of the parent is to follow the signals of the child’s readiness for toilet training and guide him through this process. A psychologist can be consulted at all stages of toilet training. It will be extremely beneficial to get professional help, especially for children who have reached the age of 4 and have difficulty at the point of leaving the diaper even though they do not have any physiological problems.
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Ps. Tugba INCEKARA
