Toilet Training is a Complex Skill
Steps to Bathroom Independence
Potty Training
@ Your Child ’ s Pace
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If you ’ ve practiced attachment parenting , you know how successful and worthwhile it is to watch your child ’ s cues for readiness in every area of development . Toilet training is no different .
“ From baby ’ s viewpoint , toileting is his initiation into ‘ bigness ’ – a rite of passage from toddlerhood into preschooler-hood . This explains why the desire to stay little makes some procrastinators resist ,” according to Dr . Sears ’ guide , The Baby Book .
Toilet Training is a Complex Skill
Before you rush baby to the potty , consider what ’ s involved in learning toileting skills .
First , baby must be aware of the pressure sensations of his bowel and bladder . Then he must make the connection between these sensations and what ’ s happening inside his body . Next he learns to respond to these urges by running to the potty , where he must know how to remove his clothes , situate himself comfortably on this new kind of seat and how to hold his urges until all systems are go .
With all these steps , it ’ s no wonder many babies are still in diapers well into the third year .
Bowel training usually precedes bladder training , mainly because the doughnut muscles surrounding the bowel are not as impatient as those around the bladder . When a baby senses the urge to defecate , he has more time to respond before soiling his diapers . When the bladder is full , the urge to go is sudden , strong , and hard to control .
The usual sequence of gaining bowel and bladder control is : ( 1 ) nighttime bowel control ; ( 2 ) daytime bowel control ; ( 3 ) daytime bladder control ; ( 4 ) nighttime bladder control .
Steps to Bathroom Independence
Know When | The first step as a parent is learning when to begin potty training . Ask your child , “ Do you want to learn to go potty like a big boy ?” Gauge his response . Be understanding and supportive . Your child will let you know when it ’ s time . ( You can try around 18-24 months , but every child is different .) Making positive associations with the toilet early on will certainly help .
Show Off | Show your child how you sit on the toilet to go “ potty ” and let her sit on the potty seat when she needs to go . Kids are natural mimics , and this helps pique her natural curiosity .
Be Patient | Plan on this taking time – and commit this time to you and your child . When you are potty training don ’ t take your phone or create other distractions into the bathroom . Keep objects away from the toilet that could