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Most mothers do not wait until the baby indicates he wants to go to the toilet himself as they are afraid he will never learn. Sometimes they find it difficult to deal with soiled diapers and rush the potty training. If they can wait, however, they will usually find that when the child is somewhere around fifteen months old, he will know when his movement is coming and be able to control it. He can be led to the toilet, and if he is not, will probably take himself before he is two, having learned from watching others in the household. By two and a half or three he would probably have trained himself simply by imitating the family.
If a parent wants to start potty training a child, it is best to be aware of their own attitudes. There is a need to be patient; and to indicate to the child that this is not a matter of tremendous importance, and be sure not to make an elaborate ceremony of sitting on the potty or toilet.
A common mistake a parent can make is to take the child to the toilet too frequently and insisting that he use the potty. This will accomplish little and may produce resentment and resistance in the child. If he does not perform, do not be cross or scold; be matter-of-fact and patient. When he succeeds you are, of course, pleased. But do not make a big fuss about it. A smile and a word, "That's good," is enough.
A seat which allows a child to sit with his feet o the floor is best. At a later age, two and a half or so, he will be able to use a seat placed on the adult toilet seat.
As the child develops a vocabulary he soon learns a word to indicate that he has to go to the toilet. Many child of a year and a half can tell when they need to go to the toilet, but it not until the child is around two or more that he can tell whether it is for a bowel movement or urination. When he does have a bowel movement he will point to it and be very proud. Be sure to have a good attitude if this happens as your attitude toward his potty training will affect the child.
By the time a child is eighteen months old he will most likely cooperate enough to keep clean during the day. By two, most children have fairly reliable control. When they have an accident it should, of course, not be treated as a calamity. By two and a half, accidents are rare, and at three many children go to the toilet themselves although they may still need help when they are finished.
The more a parent makes an issue of potty training, the more it becomes a battle, and the easier it is for the child to use soiling or retention as a way of making the parent angry or worried. When potty training becomes a battle a parent cannot win. I would suggest taking your time in trying to potty train your child and before you know it he will be going to the potty alone.
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