When Toilet Training Starts in Children
The time intervals that we can monitor the development of our babies from birth have been determined. These periods are valid for both their physical development and their spiritual development. Whether the child is healthy or not is determined by whether he/she shows the expected physical and mental development in the specified processes. However, it should be remembered that every child is unique and not meeting the stated standards does not always mean that they are unhealthy.
The development of the child’s bladder is 15-18. It starts in months and continues until 3 years old. During this period, while children pee less at night, this time increases to about once every three hours during the day. The age range determined to give toilet training to the child is 2-2.5. Sometimes it can even take up to 4 years old. First of all, it is important that the muscle development in that area is completed, that the child can stand and sit even for a short time, and that he can speak with only a few words to express himself. The duration of the training is determined as 3-6 months. However, it should be reminded once again that these periods may vary from child to child.
We are sure that the child has completed his physical development enough to start toilet training. And then? What are the tips we should consider before we start toilet training? How should we start education?
Your child will show you when to start training with his movements. One of the most important indicators is discomfort after pooping or peeing, showing it after doing it, increasing interest in going to the toilet and keeping the diaper dry for more than 3 hours are the most important indicators of the child’s readiness for education. At this stage, it is the best method to buy books about toilet habits that appeal to the visual perception of the child, and to determine common terms about toilet while reading them.
From now on, it is very important to take your child to the toilet to make him know the toilet, to determine the concepts of pee and poop, to sit on the toilet with him, to show the toilet paper and its use, and to indicate the necessity of washing hands after each toilet is very important for the development of his hygiene habits.
In this process, it can be ensured that children take their siblings or peers, and even boys take their fathers and girls take their mothers as models. At this stage, the idea of a toilet is formed in the child’s mind. The next thing to do is to provide him with a toilet environment in which he will feel comfortable.
At this point, some parents choose to sit directly on the toilet, while others prefer to use a potty. The easy method is to use the potty. You can include it in all processes by choosing a potty with him at the beginning of toilet training. Once the potty is taken, put it in a place where it can be easily accessed at the beginning and where it can feel safe. Let him get used to the presence of the potty for a few days, sit on it, get up. Initially sitting and getting up with your clothes on, over the next few days, remove the diaper so that your skin comes into contact with the potty.
The next step is to continue and direct the training with the determined short sentences. You can tell him that he needs to pee or poop there by sitting on the potty at short intervals. Never force him to sit, but by prolonging the time you take his diaper off, you can often sit him on the potty.
One of the important stages of toilet training is knowing the biological rhythm of the child and arranging the times when you will sit on the potty accordingly. You can continue the training by sitting the child on the potty 20-25 minutes after the meals, this is a period when he/she starts to digest and may need to empty his/her bowels. Don’t expect him to never miss a pee or poo again just because he’s been on the potty once. Never get angry with him in such situations. Support and praise him every time he urinates on the potty. You can also make small rewards, but do not overdo it.
Teach them to clean with paper and water after the toilet, and to wash their hands with soap. Colorful, shaped soaps or fun foam soaps produced for children will help you. The hygiene habits you will give will be the determinant of the behavior that your child will continue throughout his life.