It is a nice moment for both the child and the parents when children become toilet trained. It can be especially difficult if they have just started school and still wet their pants regularly. For some children this can change in a week and potty training becomes almost automatic. For others it takes a little more time and after a good start a wetter period may occur again. The most important thing is that you accept this and start over. Many parents wonder how to potty train their child. Your child will ultimately do this himself. Some children are not yet ready to emotionally part with their diaper. Trust that your child will want to do it themselves one day and have a lot of patience, even though this is sometimes difficult.
Facts about toilet training
- Somewhere around the age of two, children are ready to become toilet trained.
- A child must first be physically able to retain poop and pee.
- Girls are generally toilet trained earlier than boys.
- Children eventually learn to go to the toilet on their own.
- Fifteen percent of five-year-old children are wet at least once a week.
- Toilet training can take five to fourteen months.
- Not being toilet trained during the day is only considered a problem after the age of five!
Causes
Sometimes children are already toilet trained and still have a relapse. What could cause this? There may be tension or stress. This could be due to, for example, a divorce or death. An unpleasant experience can also make a huge impression on a child. A child can no longer open the door and panics or the child has difficulty going to the toilet with strangers. What often happens is that children are too busy playing. A child is so busy playing that he forgets to go pee. The urge may be there, but the child does not give himself time to go to the toilet.
You should also definitely not force yourself, as too much force can lead to a relapse. Of course, it doesn’t always have to be something psychological. The child may also have something physically wrong, such as a bladder infection. If in doubt, you can always consult a doctor for advice.
Tips for guiding
- Ensure regularity and establish a routine. For example, send the child to the toilet before or after eating.
- Do not get angry with the child, but respond with understanding.
- Don’t force it, but stay calm.
- Reward your child when things go well.
- Set a good example.
- Don’t pay too much attention to the problem.
- Start guiding when you are ready too.
- The child may also develop toilet anxiety. Make the toilet familiar, point it out to other children or make the toilet cozy.
- If the child is older than six years old or has had many bladder infections, it is advisable to contact the doctor.
Tools
Potty training calendar
Note the days and times when the child does or does not have wet pants. Maybe you will discover something special in his situation or you can use the results you have achieved again.
Reward systems
For example, use a puddle card with stickers. Every time the child has urinated in the toilet, he/she can place a sticker on the urination card. It gives them an extra stimulus and some children are very sensitive to this.
Bedwetting alarm
If the child goes to urinate during the night, this device will receive a signal and the alarm will sound!
Toilet seat reducer or footstool
Use a toilet seat reducer so that your child does not fall into the toilet. Your child can climb onto the toilet themselves with a footstool or step stool.
Books
There are plenty of informative and crazy books about toilet training. Pooping and peeing thus becomes a normal topic to talk about.