IS YOUR CHILD REALLY READY TO USE THE TOILET

IS YOUR CHILD REALLY READY TO USE THE TOILET?

Basic Verbal Skills: the child is able to speak in
three or four word sentences.

STAGE 1: the child tells you he has wet his diaper.
He recognizes when he is wet.

STAGE 2: the child tells you he is wetting. He
recognizes the sensation of wetting his diaper.

Physical and Psychological signs of Toilet Learning
readiness:

* Stays dry for a long time
* Has bowel movements at regular times
* Can undress himself and pull up his own pants.
* Emotionally ready.
* Awareness and knowledge of the world beyond himself
* Can follow three of four step instructions.

Before we begin:

Toilet learning should be a positive experience for
everyone involved. It should take a short period of
time if a child is ready. Problems arise when adults
don't pay attention to the child's lack of readiness.
They pressure the child through weeks of failure
rather than realize the timing is wrong. Toilet
learning is as individual as learning to walk. There
is no right age by which all children should be toilet
learned.

Once we all see and agree on the stages and signs in
your child, we can try toilet learning your child for
10 working days. If your child shows no interest, too
many fears or too many accidents, your child will go
back to regular diapers until we feel he is ready to
start again. Ask yourself during the process: Who is
doing all the work? You or the your child? When
children are really ready, you show them how they will
undress themselves to use the toilet or change
themselves after an accident and will remember and
follow the steps to toileting (pee, wipe, flush and
wash)

SPECIAL NOTE TO PARENTS: Start this process on a
weekend. It is very important that parents be the one
to start this process and not the provider. After a
weekend of testing this out, if you still feel your
child is ready then let the provider know on Monday,
to continue the process or to wait and start another
time.

Here are some requirements for toilet learning that
will not only help me & you, but will help limit some
frustrations for your child.

1. Child will wear lose fitting clothes (for them to
pull up & down), pull on pants and shorts, sweat
pants, etc.

2. No overalls, zippered pants, or belts, no T-shirts
that snap between legs

3. No dresses. Children cannot see to pull down
their underwear.

4. A bag with three pairs of extra clothes, and three
diaper covers, (plastic pants) including socks must be
brought to childcare everyday.

5. For inside of the house the child will need to
wear a diaper cover, to avoid accidents on the carpet
and furniture and for health and hygiene reasons.

6. Bring an extra pair of shoes, if possible.

7. Caregiver will not be able to wash out soiled
clothes due to health regulations.

8. Child must wear thick cotton underwear. No
pull-up diapers please, they are too much like
diapers.

9. Child will wear a diaper during naptime and
bedtime until the child is completely trained and no
longer wets during naps or bedtime.

10. Child goes potty every 30-45 minutes the first
week and as necessary the second week (a child's
bladder can fill up every 20-30 min.)

11. Child will go with a friend to the bathroom for
positive reinforcements

12. Please avoid using diapers for any situation
(like going to store etc., once you start stick to it)

13. You as the parent know your child better than
anyone, so potty training will start at your house the
weekend before the child starts at day care. Most
preferably following the steps mentioned above. Then,
let me know if your little one is ready or not.

14. Continue positive reinforcement at home.

If these requirements are not followed, I will
discontinue the process due to lack of cooperation.

Additional Reading:

Toilet learning by Alison Mack
123 the Toddler years by Irne Vander Zandle
Once upon a potty - Joshua by Alona Frankel
Once Upon a potty-Prudence by Alona Frankel
Once Upon a potty-Videos by Alona Frankel
Going to the potty by Fred Rogers
To listen to a child by T. Berry Brazelton
Infants and Toddlers by La Visa Cam Wilson
I have to go! by Robert Munsh.