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Potty Training 101 |
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From Start to Finish
Potty training includes these steps:
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Telling your
child what you expect of him/her |
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Your child
telling you before he/she has to go pee or poop |
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Undressing |
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Going |
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Wiping |
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Dressing |
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Flushing |
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Hand washing |
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Signs of Readiness
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Your child can
follow simple instructions. |
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Your child can
walk to and from the bathroom and help undress. |
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Your child seems
uncomfortable with soiled diapers and wants to be changed. |
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Facial
expressions, posture or words reveal when your child is about to urinate
or have a bowel movement. |
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Your child asks
to use the toilet or potty chair. |
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Your child asks
to wear grown up underwear. |
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Your child stays
dry at least 2 hours at a time during the day, or is dry after naps. |
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Bowel movements
become regular and predictable. |
When Not to Potty Train
Do not try and
potty train during stressful times in the family such as:
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Your family has
just moved or will move in the near future.
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You are
expecting a baby or you have recently had a new baby.
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There is a major
illness, recent death, or some other family crisis.
Each Child is Different When it
Comes to Toilet Training
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What works for
one may not work for another. |
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Keep different
techniques available to keep your little one interested. |
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Today there are
a large amount of different products to help with potty training: potty
chairs, dolls, videos, books, etc. |
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The important
thing is to begin potty training with the right training aids and
knowledge, that the experience is positive from the start. Don’t wait
until you and your child are frustrated to read the bedtime potty book or
play with the fun musical potty. Make it positive from the start. |
Once You Are Ready to Start
Take your child
to the bathroom with you and talk about what you are doing.
Use consistent
words associated with potty training. Whether you say "poop" and "pee" or
"defecate" and "urinate," choose words that are not offensive or
embarrassing or that describe toileting functions in a negative way.
Encouraging Steps
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Provide your
child with a potty chair that is low to the ground so that the feet touch
the floor. |
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Place your child
on the potty seat at the same time each day so this becomes a regular part
of his/her daily routine. |
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Ask your child
regularly to go to the bathroom, and encourage him/her to tell you when
he/she needs to go. |
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When your child
goes to the potty, be sure to reward; should your child fail to go in the
potty, don’t scold or punish him/her. |
Potty Training Wrap-up
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This is not an
easy step. Be prepared for frustrating days. |
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Keep up your
spirits and know that your child will not go to college in diapers!! |
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Don’t let anyone
push you into potty training just because their child was trained early
doesn’t mean yours will. |
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Keep an open
mind on different techniques. The potty chair doesn’t have to be in the
bathroom |
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Always let your
child know that you love him/her and will be right there with him/her. |
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Expect many
false starts and many accidents. when there is success REWARD!! |
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Don’t expect dry
nights for several weeks or months. They will need nighttime protection,
but it is best not to use diapers! |
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DON’T BEGIN
TRAINING UNTIL YOUR CHILD IS CLEARLY READY—readiness does not just happen.
It involves concepts and skills you can begin teaching your child at
around 12-18 months. |
For more information on potty training, contact your child’s health care
provider. |
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