Family and Parenting

Following are just some of the tips taken from Michelle Mendoza's article on toilet training. For the full articles please click on the links at the bottom. This will take you to the article where you can also subscribe to receive future ones or you can also view them at http://www.facebook.com/parent2parents

Many parents wonder when the right time is to potty train their child. Before 1980, when disposable diapers were not as affordable, parent's potty trained when they were ready, not necessarily when the child was ready often resulting in frustrated parents and potty training that lasted months instead of weeks or days. In the 1950's, 95% of children were potty trained before they were 18 months, in the 1980's, 50% were potty trained by 18 months and today, less than 10% are potty trained by their 18th month. Now, the average age of potty training is 2 ½ within the range of 18 to 60 months with the majority of parents waiting until the child is ready.

So, when is a child ready to be potty trained?
1. The child can remove his clothes. Specifically, pulling up and down elastic waist pants.
2. The child follows a family member to the bathroom, is curious about what goes on in there and wants to imitate it.
3. The child tells a parent when he is peeing or pooping or when he has to.
4. The child no longer poops at night or during naps and stays dry for long periods of time.
5. The child knows the body parts required for potty training.
6. The child can comprehend the language and instructions for potty training.

When getting ready to start potty training, parents can model going to the bathroom. Show girls how to wipe from front to back. If the regular toilet will be used, practice flushing and let the child know he will not fall in and he is too big to go down the drain. Practice sitting on the toilet by using a small, stable step stool. If parents are using a potty chair, let the child pick it out or decorate one previously used by an older sibling. Also, let them pick out the new underwear. Wearing princess panties or superhero underwear make it more exciting! Parents may want to avoid using pull-ups during the day during potty training; they are too much like diapers.

Letting a child go naked from the waist down for an entire week-end can assist in potty training. If parents are close by, they can easily run the child to the bathroom or potty chair when they see a signal of a child needing to use the potty. This may be a facial expression or a pause in play and standing still.

Part 1
Part 2