How to toilet train your toddler

Toilet training a child can be a relatively difficult task that requires a lot of patience. In order to make it easier it is important to make sure that the toddler is ready for it. Once you’ve established the child’s readiness and purchased all the tools you need, the training can begin. Below are a few strategies to make the training easier.

Teach the child the connection between the urge to go and going.

• Your toddler needs to learn to connect the urge he has with what he has to do. Teach the baby simple terms to use when they want to go, such as “go potty”, “poo- poo” or “pee”. You should also teach them proper names for their body parts.
• When you notice signs that the toddler wants to go, questions such as “go potty?” will help the child to connect the urge with the words. Use these words while leading him to the potty. Gradually, he will learn to voice the urge to go and ask for help. Eventually, he won’t need you to remind him to go potty when he needs to.
• Dress the child in clothes that allow a quick change. Use short or pants with elastic bands that make it easy to pull them down fast.
• Help baby to know that when you place him on the potty-chair, it’s time for him to go. Learn his signs of wanting to go and put him on the potty just before he goes in his diapers. As time goes by, he will link sitting on the potty with pooping and urinating. To help you determine the child’s potty times, observe him for some days and note down the times when he has bowel movements. Daily at those times (or every 2 hours if there is no pattern), sit the child on the potty, give him a book that interests him and let him sit there till he goes. You could also do this about half an hour after they’ve eaten. If he goes in his diapers, change him where his potty-chair is and empty his waste into his toilet.
• Let the child run around outside with the bottom bare and when he defecates, clean up and show him where his waste goes. When next you notice that he wants to go, place him on the potty. After trying this bare-bottom drill for a about a week, move the drill indoors.

Use training pants

If during the day the toddler remains dry for several weeks, replace the diapers with training pants. Occasionally, the toddler may seem to be taking a backward step in the training. If he soils or wets his pants, you may need to remind him using the bare-bottom strategy.

Teach the child wipe themselves and flush

Teach your girl child to wipe themselves front to back. Children will rarely clean themselves well, so you’ll need to help them with this for a while. You should also teach them how to flush once they are done, though some children may fear it. Teach them how to dress and wash their hands as well and if they don’t do it right, patiently overlook the failure. They will eventually get it.