Toilet training a toddler can be a trying experience. Pulling the pants up and down, the accidents and the time spent in the bathroom learning how to get on and off the toilet…it can try a person’s patience. Yet, patience is the key. Nobody can dictate another person’s elimination. It’s the one thing your little one is completely in control of and understanding that developmentally they will be ready when their own developmental time clock says they are ready is imperative to understand. When a toddler is ready for toilet training the process will go much smoother then a parent who is technically the one trained to go to the restroom every hour!
One thin
g that has helped our toilet training process go smoothly is organic Baby Legs. No need for pulling pants up or down! With organic Baby Legs a child can stay completely dressed, legs warm and toilet time is faster and easier. The first few days for switching to underwear and a child learning to spot the sensation and then make it to the restroom in time is when the organic Baby Legs are especially useful. Time is of the essence and when there are no accidents everyone is very happy
Toilet Training Tips:
1. Developmental Readiness. Every child is at a different developmental timetable so there is no comparison or rush. Some signs include but are not limited to a sense of curiosity about the toilet, pulling off the diaper or asking to use the restroom.
2. No pressure. Can you use the toilet under pressure? A child has to feel comfortable using their toilet seat or big person toilet. Make the environment welcoming with books and allow them to take their time. Yes, this might mean a lot of time in the bathroom!
3. Incentives. Not every parent is comfortable with rewards or incentives but children love feeling a sense of accomplishment and sometimes pee in a toilet isn’t really going to excite them the same as it does you. For my children a large piece of paper with stickers each time they tried was all it took. The paper hung there for years and they were very proud of it.
4. Patience. Be prepared for accidents. Accept they will happen and move on. Clean the carpet when the process is over. The more relaxed you are about the process the easier it will go for you and your child.
5. Do not compare. No child is the same. Don’t expect your child to do what another child does on the toilet. Don’t listen to others when they say their child was 18 months and toilet trained. Great but that doesn’t mean your child will be and actually who was trained mom or child?
