Toilet training!
A time when your head is in your hands and your patience wears thin…. but wait! It doesn’t have to be like that. Toilet training can actually be fun!
O.K, I lied, it’s not really ever going to be fun, but it can be stress free and make that transisition from nappy to pants easier.
Toilet training tips
1- It’s a little potty to use a potty!
I’ve always trained direct to toilet. Why? Well, if your potty training, you then have to train all over again to toilet and sometimes this can be a big issue.
Toilet’s are big, toilets are very different from potties, and toilets are a new thing all over again!
You can buy some fabulous toilet training seats for the toilet and little steps that help little ones reach the toilet.
However, this is just my experience and if you really would prefer to use a potty, then that’s fine.
2- Praise!
Praise, praise, and praise a little more.
Even if your littly doesn’t quite make it to the toilet, and doesn’t quite do anything on it, the trying is the key. To get them as far as the toilet is an achievement in itself!
Have a fabulous reward chart by the toilet. Pop stickers on it everytime they try or go to the toilet. Remember the key is trying, not doing. It may become a bit of a game, wanting to sit on the toilet lot’s but don’t discourage this- it’s all good and it’s all a step closer to ditching the nappies forever!
3- Make it a good thing not a bad thing
Let’s face it, poo’s and wee’s in pants are no fun to change, and no fun to feel if your small! so don’t make it into a big deal if accidents happen.
They will happen, some days more often than others. A general guide is if they have more than 4 accidents a day, they probably are just not quite ready yet. Leave it a few weeks and try again.
4- It’s not a competition!
So many parents worry when they see other children the same age or younger than their child already toilet trained. Remember all children develop at different rates. Like all stages of development, it’s not a competition. Don’t panic if your child is still in nappies when others are not, especially if they are still very young.
In my experience toilet training starts between 2.5 years to 3.5 years. That’s a big age difference so stop worrying!
5 – Target practice!
For little boys training to wee standing up, use a colourful target in the toilet. This can make weeing great fun! A cork or plastic top bottle is great for aiming at! Little girls might enjoy this too, they can see if they hit the target after!
6 – Don’t use nappy pants.
They really give false security and really are just nappies shaped like pants! They are also very expensive!
7 – Buy fabulous pants!
Favourite TV characters, colours or anything fabulous can often discourage accidents.
Talk about the pants! for example ‘Let’s remember not to wet Bob the builder on your pants’
With this is mind – it’s important to help little ones to learn to wipe properly and keep those pants clean!
It can take quite some practice for bottom wiping and so you’ll need to do this for your little one for a good while. As already mentioned it’s never an age thing – it’s a child thing, so go by your own child. Some are quite capable at 3 while others are almost 5! For more ‘keeping clean’ tips, I’ve written a separate post here.
8 – Remind and reward
When your little your first priority is fun! going to the toilet pauses that fun, so often accidents happen. An easy reminder is to set a little timer every half an hour to gently nudge your little one in to thinking about needing the toilet and trying.
Always reward the attempts or triumphs with stickers or stars on their reward charts.
9 – Poo is special!
Poo. Kids love talking about poo. If you are toilet training poo is a big part of your life right now hey?
Poo is special because it’s usually the hardest toilet training target to achieve!
When your child manages to poo on the toilet, make a huge deal about it. Cheer, clap and find a special treat to reward that very special achievement!
10 – Loose clothing!
If you’re at home (which is easiest for the first week of toilet training,) pop your little one in loose lower clothing or preferably no lower clothing. This will give them more awareness of needing the toilet. Pants and tight trousers can feel like the security of nappies. Little girls can wear dresses – this makes toilet training lot’s easier if you don’t mind seeing little bottoms running around all day!
Toilet training is hard work, but if you follow my top ten tips it should make it a little easier.
If things are really going wrong, if they are having accident after accident, are very stressed and it’s a miserable situation then stop. Go back to nappies for a week or two then try again.
Don’t make toilet training a terrible time. It’s hard enough as it is!
In time your child will be in pants and fully toilet trained so try not to stress about it. Stressing will make them worry, you worry and toilet training will go down like a lead balloon!
I hope my top ten tips will help you have a happy toilet tot and remember – there’s always the FREE advice service if you’re having any problems! If you’d like any advice on toilet training please contact me here.
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