How is Toilet Training Given to Babies?
When Are Babies Ready for Toilet Training?
The method, how and in what way the infants will be toilet trained should be evaluated in terms of both the success of the education and the psychological development of the baby. Education usually takes place in the form of taking the baby to the toilet when he needs to go to the toilet, directing him to meet his needs and waiting patiently. But before starting the training, you should make sure that the baby has reached the appropriate maturity for this training.
As a result of the education given by the parents correctly, knowing the key details about toilet training, the baby can stop using diapers at an appropriate age and start using the toilet.
When to start toilet training is one of the most frequently asked questions by parents. First of all, the issue that should be known is that not every baby is at the same age at which they are ready for toilet training. Babies show that they are ready for toilet training with various signs. These symptoms usually begin after the age of 2, and in some children, they may decrease up to 18 months. Therefore, the answer to the question of when to start toilet training can be stated as when your baby shows that he is ready for it.
Here are some signs you can see in your baby that it’s time to toilet train:
-Able to walk and sit up for short periods of time.
-It may indicate that he has become more independent, with symptoms such as frequently confronting his parents.
-He can watch and wonder about the people around him going to the toilet.
-The diaper can stay dry for up to two hours.
-He starts to dislike using the diaper and wants to take it off when it is wet or old.
-When they pee or poop, they can tell their parents with some sounds, gestures or facial expressions.
-Regular, soft and shaped stools.
-Can understand and follow simple instructions such as hand me the ball.
-He can pull his pants up and down.
-Can understand and use potty-related words
-Shows interest in using the potty, can understand the relationship between the desire to urinate or poop and the potty.
The appearance of such signs indicates that the baby is ready to be toilet trained. Although it is not necessary to see all these symptoms at the same time, toilet training can be started in babies who tend to show such symptoms in general.
How Is Toilet Training Given?
One of the issues that all parents wonder when their babies are growing up is the answer to the question of how to give toilet training. Parents who ask the question of how toilet training should be given may be recommended to buy a potty for their baby first. Potty is not an absolute necessity for toilet training. Toilet training can also be given using the toilet bowl. However, babies may be afraid if their feet do not touch the ground while sitting on the toilet, and their dependence on you also increases. Since this situation may negatively affect toilet training, parents who prefer to use toilet bowls should provide extra apparatus that makes the seat of the toilet smaller according to the baby’s body in order to adapt to the baby’s body. He should also create a height on which he can step on his feet. From these perspectives, the potty is both more comfortable and more interesting for your child. Toilet training cannot be given to a child in a few days.
Parents should be aware of this situation and show the necessary patience. For the same reason, periods when the child will have a sibling, move from crib to bed, travel, move to a new house or have an illness are not suitable for starting toilet training. How many days does toilet training take is one of the most frequently asked questions by parents. The training to be given generally requires a period of 3-6 months. This process may be shorter or longer for some children. When the baby starts training before he is ready for toilet training, this process is much longer and more difficult. Training can be started after the potty or toilet bowl is prepared for toilet training. It is recommended that boys be trained to use the potty while sitting down before starting to urinate standing up.
Since children do not have sufficient muscle maturity during the training period, they may not feel their toilets coming. For this reason, it is important for parents to ask them if their toilet is coming at hourly intervals and to take their child to the potty. When the child’s toilet comes, it should be suggested to him that he has to go to the toilet. The use of diapers should be stopped at the beginning of education.
Toilet training at night can be challenging for parents. During the initial phase, diapers can only be worn at night. After the baby gets used to the toilet, diapers should not be tied at night. Your baby without diapers will feel the need to notify you when the toilet comes. Therefore, families do not need to make an extra effort in this regard.
If the child is constantly dictated to him that he needs to go to the toilet, this may have a negative effect on the child and the education period will be prolonged. After each successful toilet, this behavior of the baby should be positively reinforced verbally. In this way, the child understands that he or she is doing the right thing and tends to continue this behavior. Occasionally, but not always, the child can be rewarded after he/she urinates correctly. This practice should only be done intermittently, since giving the reward after each correct behavior will reduce the value of the behavior.
Unsuccessful toilet attempts should be welcomed as normal, and the child should be told that he can do it correctly the next time. In order to increase the effect of the training, if the child has a relative or peer who is taking toilet training, or if he has a sibling who has recently been toilet trained, his/her behavior can be shown as an example so that the child acquires the right behavior. Because the most effective learning method for children in this age range is imitation.
What Should Be Considered While Giving Toilet Training?
In order for toilet training in children to be effective and successful, parents must be stable, patient and consistent throughout the training. If there is more than one bathroom in the house, a potty can be provided for each of them, and if traveling during the training period, there should be a potty to put in the car. During the trip, the child’s toilet needs should be met by rinsing every 1-2 hours.
Toilet training should be started on days when the baby and parent are at home all day. The toilet should be made part of the child’s daily routine. For example, the child can go to the potty every morning when he wakes up, and he can go to the toilet before or after eating. If you observe signs of needing to go to the toilet, such as constantly fidgeting, swaying, or moving away from you, you can direct the child to go to the toilet. You can also guide your child who has not urinated or pooped for 2-3 minutes after sitting on the toilet to get up from the toilet. Children who are forced to sit on the toilet for a long time may perceive this situation as a punishment and may start to show opposite behaviors.
As the toilet training progresses, the use of diapers at night should be stopped as the child begins to adapt to toilet training. The child who uses diapers at night may want to use diapers during the day for comfort, and this may delay the education. In the process where toilet training continues successfully, and even after the child is fully accustomed to using the toilet, incontinence may occur in situations such as laughing, coughing, sneezing or while sleeping at night. Although it is different in every child, the development of the muscles used in toileting and holding continues until approximately primary school age. Therefore, incontinence that can be seen in a child should be considered as normal, and wrong behaviors such as getting angry or punishing the child should not be made. The problem of incontinence will end over time with the maturation of the child’s muscles.
It should not be forgotten that, as in every education in children, patience and consistency are required in toilet training. For this reason, parents who want to start toilet training should first make sure that their children have reached sufficient maturity, and then start the education process by paying attention to the above-mentioned issues.
The doctor can also be consulted about your questions such as how to give toilet training in children, what should be considered when toilet training is given to babies. Pediatricians should be consulted about what to do if any negative situation develops during the process, persists for a long time, or a health problem occurs.