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How do i know my child is ready for potty training


Signs Of Potty Training Readiness

When should you start potty training? It’s an important question, and no parents will have the same answer. When it comes down to it, there is no set “right time” to potty train your son or daughter.

Potty training varies for every family and every child. But once you observe some potty training readiness behaviors, you’ll know it’s time to move forward with your family’s potty training adventure.

Whether the start of potty training comes earlier or later for your child, you’ll get your cues on “when it’s time” from your child. That emerging independence starts shining through and they’re eager to please. Now is the time to start actively watching for these signs of potty training readiness.

If your child shows two or more of these signs, it’s a good indication that they’re ready to start potty training:

  1. Pulling at a wet or dirty diaper
  2. Hiding to pee or poop
  3. Showing Interest in others’ use of the potty, or copying their behavior
  4. Having a dry diaper for a longer-than-usual time
  5. Awakening dry from a nap
  6. Telling you that they’re about to go, are going or have just gone in their diaper

If you're still not sure if you are ready, take our Potty Training Readiness Quiz. This fun quiz will help you recognize some of these signs of potty training readiness and determine when it’s time to move forward with your family’s potty training adventure!

The potty training journey is something you and your child will be taking on together, so it’s important to make sure you’re ready to start when your child is.

  • When a child shows readiness, that’s a parent’s cue to start preparing the child by buying products such as a small potty, training pants and children’s books about using the toilet. You also can let your child practice on the potty.
  • Surf the Potty Training Tips area of Pull-Ups.com for more advice and tips and take advantage of the learning games, quizzes and songs to help you motivate your child.
  • Remember the basics of being a good coach for your potty trainer and keep things motivating right from the start by being patient, positive and consistent.

    • Focus on what your child does right. Stay upbeat. You’ll make it smoother, simpler and more rewarding for both of you.

Toilet training is a developmental process. Children’s bodies and brains are developing all the time, and each new phase sets the foundation for those to come. No amount of teaching can make those developments happen before their time.

So, don’t try to potty train when your child is already dealing with a lot of change. Here are 10 examples of when NOT to push potty training:

  1. Experiencing the birth of a sibling
  2. Moving into a new home or having other major family changes
  3. Transitioning from a crib into a Big Kid bed
  4. No longer using a bottle at night
  5. Being weaned from breastfeeding
  6. Stopping the use of a pacifier
  7. Starting at daycare or preschool or switching to a new school
  8. Experiencing illness
  9. Being in the middle of the holidays and there’s already a cascade of candy, many late nights and excitement in the air
  10. Feeling pressure from some external force — like a preschool or a well-meaning relative — to potty train your child, but your child is not ready

Stabilize the family ship before tossing a new skill like potty training out there. And besides, YOU don’t need the extra burden of potty training when things are stressful either! Waiting until things are calm will ensure the potty training seas will be pleasant — and successful — for the whole family.

When you and your child are ready to start potty training, make it a big occasion. Mark the start of potty training with the introduction of Pull-Ups® Training Pants and the potty seat. Steer clear of worrying about hard and fast deadlines. No matter what your mother told you, there’s no one right age to start potty training.

  • Keep it positive. Keep it fun. With a positive outlook and a little creativity, potty training really can be more about quality time. Find ways to encourage your child’s early interest.

    • Play up the fun with activities like decorating the potty chair, picking out rewards or creating a special potty progress chart together.
  • Use incentives.  Don’t forget to load on the praise and rewards right from the start. Bragging rights and the expectation of applause are strong motivators to your child. So, find those moments to celebrate and share them with everyone in your child’s cheering section.
  • Ready, Set ... Not Yet! If your child starts out fine but then gets hopelessly stuck, no worries! It’s not unusual for the potty chair to go back into the closet for weeks or even months. If your child loses interest, hold off for a few weeks and then try again.

    • Learn more about regression here.

The real secret of successful potty training is waiting until your child shows signs of readiness that suggest interest in toilet training. Like so many skills your child will gain, potty training requires developmental readiness, and it cannot be held to a deadline. Just remember patience; your Big Kid will be potty trained when the time is right!

When to Start Potty Training: 7 Readiness Signs

When it comes to potty training, and when to begin the process, patience is usually rewarded. Many parents find that the best plan is to wait until their child shows signs of readiness, rather than bowing to pressure from friends or family to jump-start the process too early, or to have their child potty trained by a certain age or deadline.

Read on to discover some of the signs that your little one is getting ready to start potty training, how to prepare your child for potty training, and how to actually start potty training.

Signs of Readiness for Potty Training

A key point to remember is that there’s no single “right age” for when to start potty training — a process that requires your little one to develop a complex set of skills. You know your child best, and you might sense when the time is right. Learning how to use the potty might be easier, and go more quickly, when your child is at least 2, or even a little older.

In fact, instead of focusing on age, you might find it’s better to look out for the signs that your little one is getting ready to start potty training.

What Are Some Potty Training Readiness Signs?

Here are some signs that your child may be ready to start potty training:

  1. Your child shows an interest in learning to use the potty and wanting to be more independent. For example, he might show interest by asking questions if he sees a family member going to the bathroom.

  2. Your child can understand and verbalize words about using the potty. For example, he might say “my diaper is dirty” or “I need to go pee pee.” He might even tell you he needs to go potty even if his diaper is already dirty or wet.

  3. Your child can make the connection between having the urge to pee or poop and going to use the potty.

  4. Your child can follow simple instructions and likes to copy your behavior, including bathroom habits.

  5. Your child can keep his diaper dry for at least two hours.

  6. Your child can get on the potty, stay on the potty long enough to pee or poop, and get off the potty.

  7. Your child can pull down his own diapers, training pants, or underwear.

When Will Your Child Be Ready for Potty Training?

Although early training is possible, studies show that many children who begin potty training before 18 months aren't completely trained until after the age of 4. In contrast, children who don't start training until around the age of 2 are likely to be fully potty trained before they turn 3.

Girls tend to be ready to potty train a little earlier than boys, but the readiness signs for both boys and girls are the same.

As you go through all those diapers or disposable training pants before your child is fully potty trained, why not get some great rewards and coupons for your Pampers products? Download the Pampers Rewards app to get started.

Things You Can Do to Prepare Your Toddler for Potty Training

Even before you start noticing the signs of readiness, there are steps you can take to prepare your child for potty training and help make the experience successful.

Tackling some of these pre-potty training steps will help familiarize your child with the concept of the potty before training begins. It may also make the process less scary and confusing for your child — which in turn may make potty training your little one easier for you.

Here's what you can do to prepare your child for potty training:

  • Get a potty chair to keep around the house, explaining in simple terms what it's for and how it works. When you're choosing your child's potty seat, perhaps you can let your child pick one he likes to help him get more excited about the potty.

  • Use words like “pee pee” and “poop” to familiarize your child with what's happening when you're using the toilet or when you're changing a dirty diaper.

  • As your child gets a bit older and closer to actual potty training (and you've spotted some of readiness signs mentioned above), show him where the poop from his diaper goes, and let him put it in his potty or flush it down the toilet.

  • If possible, let your child watch when other family members of the same sex use the toilet.

How to Start Potty Training

Once you've seen most of the signs of readiness mentioned above, it's time to start potty training.

It's a good idea to start with bowel training, which is focusing on potty training when your child is pooping or about to poop. Peeing usually happens during pooping, so young children often have a hard time telling the difference. Once bowel training is established and your child is typically successfully pooping in her potty chair, most children — especially girls — will begin to relate the pooping with peeing and then can start to understand the difference between them.

Because you'll start potty training with a focus on bowel training, boys usually learn to pee sitting down. However, they can gradually learn to do it standing up. Imitating an older sibling of the same gender or maybe Dad can help him learn. There are also books you could refer to that show how boys can pee standing up.

If you started preparing your child for potty training in advance, you probably already have a potty chair at home.

The First Steps of Potty Training

Once your child is familiar with “her” potty chair, these are some steps you can take to start potty training:

  1. Let your child sit on her potty fully clothed while you talk to her about the potty and what it's for.

  2. Once your child is sitting on the potty by herself without being prompted, you can try getting her to sit there with her diaper off. Don't make your child sit on the potty if she doesn't want to.

  3. When she's comfortable with that routine, try changing her diaper while she's on the potty. If she pooped, show her how you drop the poop into the potty chair or the toilet.

  4. Introduce the habit of handwashing every time your child gets off the potty, even if she didn't pee or poop.

An important thing to remember is to keep the experience positive and praise your child for all her potty successes. If you can make potty training fun, your little one will have an easier time making this transition.

When to Delay Potty Training

Trust your instincts on whether or not the time is right to launch into potty training. Even if your toddler is showing signs of being ready for potty training, you might want to put off introducing this new skill in the following situations:

  • If your child is sick

  • If you’re in the middle of traveling

  • Around the birth of a sibling

  • If your child is transitioning from the crib to a bed

  • If you’re moving to a new home.

Starting potty training can be a great learning experience for your little one if she’s ready for this next step towards more independence. Although accidents will happen along the way, staying patient and positive will help your little one learn more quickly and have fewer problems with it. Have fun and good luck!

Potty training

When to start

The normal development of young children is largely determined by proper care for them. The process of potty training is an important stage in the development and maturation of the child, as well as in the formation of his relationship with his parents. Many parents tend to become overly anxious when their child does not develop according to their expectations.

The methods of "early potty training" practiced until recently (during the first year of life) should be considered outdated and non-physiological, since their use does not take into account the degree of maturity of the muscles and nervous system of the child (in particular, the innervation of the bladder and intestines). As a result, learning becomes a long and unproductive process. In addition, when using them, children may experience negative reactions (since education is built on pressure from parents) and somato-neurological dysfunctions, which subsequently is fraught with problems such as constipation, urinary / fecal incontinence, numerous neurotic reactions (including logoneurosis, tics, etc.). .), and upon reaching a certain age - enuresis, overactive bladder and persistent encopresis. Forced potty training at any age can be stressful for both the child and the parent. The described stress becomes even more pronounced if the child is not able to understand or interpret the command received. Attempts to impose on a child such methods based on adult dominance inevitably lead to a delay in the learning process and low efficiency.

The described methods of early potty training are reflex, that is, based on the development of a conditioned reflex, and not a conscious skill. In the process of training, parents determine the signals and "body language" of the child before urination or defecation, similar to how pets are toilet trained. Such techniques are not based on real learning, but on the development of a reflex, and therefore are ineffective. The success of the process depends on whether the adult can recognize the need or desire of the child to go to the toilet (there are no basic elements of learning, and the process is not associative). The "skill" acquired by the child is of a non-permanent nature and can be lost in any stressful situation (for example, illness or moving from an apartment, a quarrel between parents) or other adverse circumstances. Therefore, attempts to force a child to potty train before he reaches physical readiness and / or increased intensity of training in no way accelerate or bring the desired result closer. Successful potty training is the development of a cognitive (conscious) skill or ability that should be centered around the child; it should be positive and entertaining. It is important to remember that an acquired reflex is easily lost if it is not a learned pattern of behavior.

To make the process of potty training quick and easy, parents should be informed about the “child-centered” method.

The “child-centered” or physiological toilet training method is a method that takes into account the degree of maturity of the central nervous system. It is the central nervous system that provides innervation to the muscles, organs of the genitourinary system and the gastrointestinal tract of children. This approach helps parents to understand the child correctly and direct the process of potty training in accordance with the level of development of the child. According to this method, the child becomes the main figure, his self-confidence and self-esteem increase. Training, according to this technique, is designed not only to develop a reflex in a child, but to accelerate the assimilation of relevant information or skills, in the case of potty training, the child's acquaintance with his own body. The physiological model takes into account three main components of child development: physiological maturity (strengthening the muscles of the sphincter of the bladder and intestines, the necessary development of the central nervous system), psychological and emotional readiness (understanding and desire to follow instructions). According to the literature, a healthy child reaches the required physiological maturity at an average age of 18 to 24 months (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2003).

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How a baby's body works

When potty training a child, you should know that the success of training depends entirely on how ready his body is for it. It has been proven that the child's body is ready for potty training on average no earlier than 18 months. A child can consciously go to the toilet only when he develops a connection between the nervous system and muscles. This connection is finally formed around the age of 18 months and consists of numerous neural structures that connect the spinal cord with the bladder and intestines. When the bladder or intestines are full, a signal is transmitted along the nerves to the spinal cord, from there to the brain, and the baby understands that he wants to pee or poop. Only then can the child consciously sit on the potty and do their thing. Knowing this, one can come to very significant conclusions, which, however, are quite obvious. The sooner you start the process of potty training, the more effort it will require from you. Potty training is more successful, painless and easier, the higher the level of physiological development of the child. And if you start training when the child's body is fully prepared for it, you and your child will succeed much faster and easier.

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Early successes

True, many patient and active parents manage to achieve excellent results already in the first year of life. Quite often, proud statements are made that a child at 10, 9, 8, even at 7 months old, pees on the “pee-pee” command, and poops only after “ah”. And there is absolutely nothing surprising in this. It is not difficult to achieve the appearance of a conditioned reflex by repeated beeping and aakan, only this reflex is not quite what we need. Why? Yes, because this is the connection between the process of emptying the bladder and the sound "wee-wee. " And if this sound is pronounced often and for a long time, and if anyway you are not left alone until you pee, then this connection will be established sooner or later. But the chain should be different: not “wee-wee” - filling the bladder - urination, but filling the bladder - a pot - urination. That is, the physiological process (filling the bubble), and not the sound stimulus (“pee-pee”), should become the motive for the potty.

Potty training around 18 months of age

Potty training at an earlier age

Child consciously controls all processes

Process based entirely on reflexes

Acquired skills are not lost

With any changes in a child's life, he quickly forgets everything he has learned

Teaching is faster and easier

Teaching is longer and harder for the child

The child enjoys his successes and the process itself

Frequent misses, more stress for the child

Payback for early success comes in the second year of life. A supposedly capable and developed child, who has been sitting on the potty since the age of 9 months, suddenly, for some “incomprehensible” reasons, stops doing this, and actively fights for his freedom with anxious relatives. And the considerations are very understandable - the time is coming for the formation of that very normal, natural control over secretions, which we have already talked about. The bladder is empty, and they are here climbing with their "wee-wee" ... No matter how "amazing success" you have achieved, but before the child is ready for potty training (and this is approximately 18 months), these successes will be temporary, and misses are frequent. And this must be treated very philosophically. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the fact that you will be able to introduce your child to such an interesting thing as a potty. But this acquaintance, at least from the point of view of medical science, will be superficial, and the skills developed are not stable.

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How to know if a child is ready

In order for the process to go as smoothly as possible, you should know some signs that indicate the mental and physiological readiness of the child's body to learn toilet science.

These signs include:

  • establishment of a more or less stable bowel habit
  • the ability to keep diapers dry for more than 2 hours
  • knowledge of body parts and names of garments
  • knowledge or understanding of the words "pee" and "poop"
  • demonstration of negative emotions from being in soiled diapers
  • desire to dress and undress independently
  • the desire to imitate adults
  • interest in the toilet room and the processes taking place there

And, finally, the most reliable sign: the ability to communicate the word “I want” to parents in any way — with a word, facial expressions, gestures. And not because it will be easier for mom and she will have time to put the child on the pot - this indicates that the baby has learned to communicate!

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10 Rules for Successful Potty Training

Is your baby about 18 months old? Did you notice any of the above signs of readiness in his behavior? So, you can start mastering a new complex science. Let's get started.

1. In addition to the readiness of the child, there must also be the readiness of adults. Obviously, at the stage of transition from a diaper to a potty, the time spent on direct communication with the baby increases markedly. It is impossible to develop toilet skills only on Sundays or only on those days when an official visit from the grandmother is expected.

2. A child, like any adult, is prone to mood swings. Early toilet training is best done when all family members are healthy and cheerful.

3. Buy a comfortable and ... warm pot - a cold seat can ruin your relationship with the potty for a long time. The seat should repeat the anatomical curves, it is desirable to have a comfortable back (such pots are called physiological). First of all, wash the pot and put it in the room with the crumbs so that it becomes a familiar item for him.

4. Getting to know the potty. We offer it to the child when the probability of a "process" is maximum - after sleep, after eating, when he

shows by his behavior that it is time for him.

5. In case of success - very, very praise. In case of failure, we do our best not to be upset, and if we are upset, we do not show grief.

6. We fix attention not only on the potty itself, but also on the actions immediately preceding communication with the potty and parting with it: how to get the potty, how to open it, how to take off the panties, how to put on the panties, how and where to pour the contents from the pot how to wash the pot, how to close the pot and put it back in its place. The implementation of all of the above easily turns into an interesting game. It is wonderful if, after each successful action, parents do not skimp on praise - the whole process in this case is accompanied by positive emotions, and this is perhaps the main thing at the transitional stage.

7. Gradually we organize meetings with the potty not only when it is time for the child, but when the daily routine requires it. For example, without fail we sit down before going to bed, before a walk.

8. You shouldn't part with diapers completely and irrevocably. They are quite useful for traveling in transport, at night, for a walk in the cool season, at first and during daytime sleep. But every time when we woke up dry and quickly sat down on the potty, we pay attention to what good fellows we are, and in confirmation of this obvious fact, we demonstrate a dry diaper.

9. It is important that the pot is perceived not as a toy, but as an object of a very specific purpose. And in this regard, you should not encourage just playing with the potty. “This is a chair. They sit on it" - and, by analogy, - "This is a pot, they pee and poop on it."

10. It doesn't matter: a potty or a toilet (assuming a special child seat). Here's how you feel more comfortable. Considering that, especially at first, the process can be delayed, the potty is more convenient, since it is more pleasant to communicate in a room than in a cramped toilet space. Combining a potty with a toilet is a perfectly acceptable option, especially for boys. A special stool in the toilet, and peeing from it is just a pleasure and a conscious introduction to the world of adults. And if dad finds time to show how it's done...

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“Baby refuses potty. How to be?

“We are already one year old. Our Anyuta can sit on the potty for a very long time, play, look at books, but she does not do what is necessary. How can we be? Maria

Don't worry about it. Your daughter is still too young to be potty trained. It is possible to start accustoming a child only when his body is physiologically ready for this - that is, approximately at the age of 18 months. Only by this age does his nervous system form and he begins to realize that he wants to go to the toilet. And now, when your daughter is 1 year old and she is starting to walk, it is very important to help her develop balance and strengthen her back muscles - exercises on a gymnastic ball would be very suitable for this (swaying a baby lying down). 0005

with your back or belly on a ball) or stepping over obstacles (over toys on the floor).

“We started potty training our baby about 3 weeks ago, he seemed to understand everything right away and did everything right, and then he began to refuse, and now he doesn’t even want to come close to him. We are 1.5 years old. Irina

This happens often, and there is nothing to worry about. Try to remember, after which the child began to refuse the potty. Maybe something scared him, or the pot was cold. Pay attention to the situation in the family, think about what has changed in the life of the baby and is he experiencing stress? And if you understand the reason, try to eliminate it. Never force him to sit on the potty. It is best to suspend the learning process for a few weeks and surround the child with attention and affection. Usually, after such a respite, children are ready to reacquaint themselves with the potty.

“Our Katyusha, at 1 year and 7 months old, does not use the potty. But she is very interested in everything that happens in the bathroom. When one of us goes there, every time she tries to break in and see what we are doing there. Is this normal? Daria

Don't worry! This is absolutely normal, moreover, this interest of your daughter indicates her readiness for potty training. If she is now ignoring the learning process, take a close look at my rules for successful potty training and make sure

You are doing everything right. And if a mistake was made somewhere and the pot now causes negative emotions in the child, stop and start learning again. Take advantage of her curiosity about adult behavior. It is known that kids are very fond of imitating adults. Buy your daughter a baby toilet seat and show her how to use the toilet. After that, most likely she herself will want to act like an adult and do the same.

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6 most common misconceptions

1. “It seems to me that the sooner I start teaching the baby to use the potty, the sooner he will learn to do it. Is it so?"

You, like all parents, want only the best for your child and try to develop all his abilities as early as possible. But in such a matter as potty training, you should not rush. The earlier you start, the longer and more difficult this process will be for the child. After all, he will be able to control his bladder and intestines only when his body is sufficiently developed - an average of 18 months. And if you start learning at the right age, then the child will learn much faster and easier and will be able to be proud of his achievement. And you will be proud of it!

2. “Is it true that if a baby wears disposable diapers all the time in which he does not feel that he is wet, then it is more difficult to teach him to use the potty?”

No matter what diapers your baby wears or if he wears them at all, he will learn to use the potty when his body is ready. In support of this, there are the results of studies that compared the behavior of two groups of children - in the first group, babies wore traditional gauze diapers from birth, and in the second - disposable diapers. In both groups, the age at which the babies stopped completely needing diapers was exactly the same - an average of 27 months (E. Takanashi, 1988, Japan). Therefore, it is safe to say that the use of disposable dry surface diapers does not affect the ability of babies to learn to use the potty and the age when they can do it.

3. "I'm afraid to wear diapers on my 3-month-old son, because I heard that they can lead to infertility due to the greenhouse effect"

First, the reproductive system in boys begins to develop only at the age of 7-9 years. At the age of 7, spermatozoa precursor cells appear, and the spermatozoa themselves can be detected not earlier than at 10 years old, but as a rule, much later. From this it is clear that diapers cannot affect the quality of sperm in any way - boys at this age do not have it in principle. There are also a number of studies that confirm that disposable diapers do not create a greenhouse effect - the temperature under the diaper is practically the same as the skin temperature in ordinary diapers, and the humidity level under the diaper is much lower than when using diapers. Therefore, to sum up: disposable diapers and boys are compatible.

4. “My daughter is 1 year old. I know it’s too early to potty train her, but I’m very worried that we won’t have time to learn before kindergarten.”

No matter what age you start potty training your child, there is no guarantee that she will learn to do it before kindergarten. After all, all children are potty trained at about the same time. Therefore, if you start teaching at an early age, this will not help speed up the process, but on the contrary, the training will be delayed - the child will not understand what they want from him, she will be upset because of this, and you too. And if you start when the child's body is ready for this, then you and your baby will achieve success much faster and easier, and the child will already understand that this is his achievement and will be proud of it.

5. “Many of my friends in the yard say that their babies go to the potty at the age of 9, 8, and even at 6 months. My daughter is 1 year old, I tried to teach her, but nothing comes of it. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Why can't my child learn as quickly as other children?

Tatyana, I understand that you, like all other parents, compare your child with other people's children and try to prove that yours is no worse. I want to reassure you - at such an early age, children are simply physically unable to consciously go to the potty. Their nervous system is not yet sufficiently developed to give signals about a full bladder or intestines. Until the age of 1.5, they go to the toilet without realizing it or noticing it. And you can not influence it in any way and accelerate the development of the child.

Your girlfriends most likely keep silent about the fact that their babies sit on the potty and listen to endless “pee-pee” and “ah-ah” for 30-40 minutes, and by this time the child’s even empty bladder is full, and they pissing in a pot. And this leads to the development of a conditioned reflex to the mother's requests to pee or poop. But in the second year of life, this reflex suddenly disappears for the parents. And only then the child begins to consciously learn to go to the potty.

So remember that everything, especially potty stuff, has its time.

6. “My mother thinks that using diapers is better for our baby's health than diapers. Is it true?"

Such prejudices of the older generation towards diapers are due to the fact that earlier these hygiene products were simply not available. And today, grandmothers, who are often suspicious of everything new, find it difficult to appreciate the merits of diapers. Although, if we compare diapers with diapers, then the advantages of the first are obvious - the wet surface of the diapers causes irritation and skin diseases, and in cold weather, the duration of the baby's walks in diapers is significantly reduced. The Union of Pediatricians of Russia conducted clinical studies, and the results showed that the moisture content of the baby's skin in diapers is much lower than in diapers. Research has also shown that disposable diapers help soothe irritation on baby's skin, even if the baby has diaper dermatitis, which diapers can't do. Therefore, SPR doctors recommend that mothers regularly use disposable diapers from the very birth of their baby.

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How to potty train your child: step by step instructions | Chalk

The moment when a child himself asks for a potty can be safely compared in significance with the first step and the first word. How to bring this time closer - and is it possible? Let's figure it out.

When to start potty training a child

This is perhaps the most important question asked by parents of children from 1 year old. But there are no exact recommendations regarding both the lower and upper limits of the age of potty training. It is believed that by the age of 3, children should already be able to cope with going to the toilet on their own. But in the West, you can often meet children who wear diapers at the age of 3 or 4 - and no one pays attention to this.

In any case, both our and Western experts now agree that each child is individual and it is necessary to focus not on age, but on the level of his development.

An approximate lower age range that can be identified is from 14 months to 3 years. However, doctors usually clarify: if you start potty training at 14-16 months, then the process can stretch for several more months, and if you start at 2 years and later, you can do it in just a week.

Why such numbers? The thing is that the signaling system is responsible for the process of urination and defecation, and until it matures, you can try for as long as you like, but there will be no result. In fact, if you are trying to teach a six-month-old baby to consciously potty train, this can be compared to trying to teach a newborn to walk: a child at this age is simply not ready for this process from a purely physiological point of view.

Up to 16–18 months, excretory processes occur reflexively, without involvement of the nervous system

From a physiological point of view, potty training can begin when the child has learned to walk, can squat, holds himself in space, can take off his clothes and gestures show what he wants. As a rule, a child masters all these skills by 1–1.5 years. But here a psychological moment comes in the way, namely the crisis of the first year, when the child becomes capricious and uncontrollable, for the first time begins to say “no”.

How to understand that the child is ready to use the potty

  • He shows interest in the toilet and what other family members are doing there;
  • Understands when he went to the toilet, requires gestures or words to change the diaper or wash it. That is, he experiences discomfort and understands the reason for this discomfort;
  • Child stays dry during naps or more than two hours during the day;
  • The child shows by gestures, words or facial expressions when he wants to go to the toilet. It is not uncommon for children to hide behind a curtain when they are doing "big things", squat down, move into another room, or hide in a corner, trying to simulate the isolation of the space for their intimate needs.

In addition, it is very important that at the time of the beginning of potty training the child is healthy, cheerful and cheerful.

7 reasons that should make you put off the pot until better times:

  • the child is sick;
  • the child is teething;
  • the child did not pass the crisis of the first year;
  • you are weaning or weaning a baby from a bottle/pacifier;
  • a younger brother or sister has recently been born;
  • moving to a new location;
  • mother's going to work (and other stressful situations that knock the child out of his usual rhythm of life).
Photo: Lopolo / shutterstock / fotodom

How to start potty training

The first step is to get yourself a potty. The choice of a toilet accessory should be approached with all seriousness. It often happens that it is the wrong potty that causes the child to categorically refuse to "go to the toilet like a big one. "

So which pot should you choose?
  • Plastic with rounded soft edges - it is much more comfortable to sit on such a pot than on an enameled specimen from Soviet childhood, warm plastic does not scare away;
  • With rubber pad on the bottom - keeps the pot in place and does not allow it to slip, which means that the risk of falling and injury is minimal;
  • Not a toy - It is clear that a pot in the form of a throne, a car or an animal can be bright and attractive, but it is still a toiletry item, not a toy. Choose calm colors, without bright ornaments, etc.;
  • Without musical accompaniment - potty, equipped with a sensor that plays music or a song when the child has successfully completed his task, designed to motivate the child to do it regularly. However, sudden loud noises can simply cause fear. And music as an encouragement after toilet chores can reinforce the wrong reflex, from which you will then have to wean.

Potty Training Instructions

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the potty. Tell the child what the pot is for, call a spade a spade. Yes, saying the words "pissed" and "pooped" may not be very comfortable, but this is physiology, and you can't do without it. Remember that if you are ashamed to talk about this topic, then this feeling of shame will be transmitted to the child, and this can subsequently provoke a number of problems and difficulties not only with mastering the potty, but also with the psychosexual development of the child.

Step 2: Find a place for the pot. The pot must be within reach. If you close the door to the toilet so that the child does not throw toys and other things into the toilet, it is better to keep the potty in the corner of the child's room or in the bathroom. If you are worried about cleanliness around, you can put the potty on a disposable diaper (make sure it does not slip on the floor) or a rubber mat.

Step 3: Show how to use the potty. Place a teddy bear, rabbit or doll on the potty. The role-playing game will allow you to consolidate the pattern of behavior. If there is a baby doll who can really write if you give him water to drink, then this will be even more of a help.

Another important point. There are children who do not want to sit on the potty, but prefer to immediately sit on the toilet "like a big one." Excellent - a special toilet seat and your own example will help solve this problem.

Step 4: Remove the diaper. A child who constantly walks in a diaper will not learn to go to the potty simply because he does not correlate the processes in his body with the result of what is happening. To establish this connection, he needs to see everything with his own eyes and feel it for himself. That is why panties for potty training began to appear, which do not immediately absorb all the moisture.

For the time when you remove the diaper and potty train your baby, it is better to use comfortable clothes that the toddler can easily take off by himself. Most accidents most often occur for a banal reason: the child does not have time to unbutton and zip on jeans, pull off tight leggings and tights, and then also panties. Make it easy for him.

One mother, while potty training, simply covered the entire floor in her apartment with disposable diapers, and undressed the children, and they ran around naked. Her life hack has since been used by thousands of fans, and it really works. When a child sees that a puddle appears on the floor after he has peed, he begins to understand how this happens, which means that a causal relationship is formed faster.

Step 5: Offer the pot on a "schedule". This does not mean that you need to set an alarm clock and put your child on the potty by the hour. No. A simple rule works here: a potty after sleep and before bed, plus 15–20 minutes after eating, as well as before and after a walk.

The season, oddly enough, also matters, especially in our latitudes. Easier and faster potty training occurs in spring and summer, when a child can run around the countryside naked, and in the city - in light shorts or panties and a dress. Accidents, which will undoubtedly happen at first, do not damage the psyche of parents, which means that the number of shouts and shameful words is minimized, since even the most patient and conscious parent has the right to break down at some point and not withstand the next wet pants.

By the way, in Japan, children are potty trained in the summer for purely hygienic reasons. It’s just that in winter, tatami mats lie on the floor in houses, which are very difficult to wash in case of unforeseen situations.

Step 6: Remove the diaper completely. When you potty train your child, at first, the diaper should be worn only for daytime and nighttime sleep. Then he is first removed for daytime sleep, covering the bed with disposable diapers, and after some time (for some children it may take a week, while for others it may take several months), they begin to remove the diaper for a night's sleep too. And here you need to be prepared for the fact that wet nights will happen, even if you put the child on the potty in the middle of the night. This is completely normal.

Potty training hacks

The process of potty training should be easy and fun for all involved, both parent and child. What can be done for this?

  • Motivation system. Have your child put stickers on the potty for each success;
  • Beautiful lingerie. Buy beautiful panties for your child. which will be a pity to get dirty. The main thing - in no case do not scold if the toddler still did not cope with the task. Everything can always be washed off;
  • Habit calendar. Together with your child, start a calendar in which mark the date when he becomes very big and learns to use the potty - in a month and a half. As we remember, a habit is formed in 21 days, and this period, on average, is enough to teach a two-year-old child to go to the potty. Cross out days together, celebrate successes (we don’t celebrate failures) and be sure to celebrate X-day;
  • Fairy tale therapy. Read therapeutic stories about potty training or make up one yourself.

Mistakes of parents in the process of potty training

The period of potty training is quite stressful for both the child and the parents. One word can sometimes spoil everything that has been achieved in a few weeks.

Do's and Don'ts