So your toddler is ready to start potty training? At Creative Kids Child Care we fully encourage and fully support the transition from nappies to potty to toilet. Our child care minders are experts in all things poo and wee, and encourage all little ones to take their first onto the step to the toilet.
Generally you can start to potty train your toddler anywhere from 18 months to 3 years. How quickly your child gets it, is down to the child. They may be toilet trained and out of nappies by two, or just starting to understand the whole toilet situation at three. There is no set time.
The trick is not to force your child to use the potty. If they are not ready, you won’t be able to make them use it, not for all the bribing in the world. In time they will want to use one, and at child care or preschool they will see other kids going to the potty or toilet and think to themselves, that’s what I should be doing.
Here are a few tips to recognize when your child is ready:
- They know when they have a wet or dry nappy
- They will tell you when they are doing it
- They show you the need to pee by fidgeting or going somewhere to hide
Getting ready for potty training
- Start talking about the process when you’re changing your child’s nappy, get them use to the idea. When they follow you to the toilet (let’s be honest they all do) chat to them about what you’re doing and they too will soon be using the big toilet.
- Leave the potty where your child can see it, they might even sit on it, and play on it.
- If you have older siblings get them to sit on it and pretend they are using it.
- Get your child’s toys and pretend they need to use the potty too.
How to start potty training?
- You have to be prepared to stay home and give it your full attention for a week. Nappy off, bare bottom out, let go
- Encourage your child to sit on the potty after meals
- Monitor the last time you child did a wee and keep asking does he want to sit on the potty
- Getting your child to sit on the potty while the both of you play a game
- As soon as you see your child knows when they are going to wee, ask them to sit on the potty.
If you child slips, misses or doesn’t make it anywhere near the potty, just mop it up and wait for the next chance. If you don’t make a fuss when they have an accident, they won’t feel worried or anxious. Remember it is going to be hit and miss (literally) for a while, but all kids get it. And your child will be over the moon when they succeed. It only has to happen one time and when they see it, they’ll get it.
If your child is in child care or preschool whilst potty training your child care minders will do everything they can to support you in your efforts to potty train your child, and will follow your lead to achieve toilet training success.
At Creative Kids Child Care we look after babies through to pre-school, and can sympathize with parents the difficulty in potty training a child when they work five days a week. Our child care center will do all we can to work with the parents and prepare your child for potty training.
If you have any concerns about your child, don’t hesitate to contact our Child Care Centre Director for more information.