How to support your toddler to take care of their own hygiene
Our Principal, Claire says;
As with every learning opportunity that takes place at Skye College, we follow the child. No child is forced to learn something they are not ready to embrace.
How to know your child is ready to begin using a potty/ toilet:
- She is beginning to try to remove her pants and nappy without your help.
- She is aware of her need to urinate or have a bowel movement (even if wearing a nappy) and she’ll tell you.
- She is watched you or other family members use the toilet.
- She sits on and tries to use the potty, e.g. before her bath in the evening.
At this stage go out a buy a potty. There are many choices of potties on the market. Many times, one has been given to you as a gift or you can go out with your child to choose their own potty. Most importantly go underwear shopping. Make a big deal of letting them choose their own special underwear. This will encourage them to take ownership and want to take care of their underwear. Allow your child time to explore the potty. They need to learn to sit on and get up from the potty independently.
Praise and encouragement are the most important part of any learning. At Skye College we believe in positive praise. When a child has used the toilet effectively (or gives a good effort), we clap hands, we give verbal praise to the child, and, in the case of a child who may have been struggling: a sticker. We do not generally use sticker charts as this can be very damaging to their self-esteem. They may see other children getting lots of stickers and they don’t which instills the idea of “I can’t do it”. This will not support positive development.
Signs of potty-learning readiness
Your child should display several of the below signs to indicate they are ready for the potty-learning journey:
- Communication: Your child must be able to tell you that he/she needs the toilet / has a soiled nappy.
- Less wet nappies: An average of 2-3 soiled nappies per day (indicates bladder control).
- Interest: Your child must show an active interest in using the toilet, i.e. he/she will follow you at home to the bathroom and be inquisitive about it, and is are excited about sitting on the potty.
- Self-Awareness: When your child is starting to develop a self-awareness of what is happening in and around their bodies, they will, for example, realise they have a runny nose and will actively seek ways to deal with it (fetch a tissue or ask for their nose to be wiped). Your child must show signs of frustration and discomfort with wet nappies.
Tip 1 – Get yourself ready.
You, the parent, have to be ready for this transition as well. Change your mindset around the frustration and know that even the accidents (as bothersome as they may be) are an important part of the learning process. Your toddler will mirror your feelings around this journey. It is important that we as parents do not stress them out during this time or we may prolong the process.
Tip 2- Allow your toddler to choose their own potty and underwear.
Whether online or in a store, give your child two potty options to choose from. This empowers them with choice and creates excitement around using something they chose!
Potties should be made visible and easily accessible, usually in the bathroom or toilet area. Allow your child time to practice sitting on and getting off the potty – even if they don’t make use of it at first.
It is important for your child to choose and go shopping for their own underwear. This further creates a sense of ownership and excitement about the process.
Tip 3 – Buy the books and learn the songs.
Introduce the idea of your toddler using the potty with books and/or songs. This can help you to relate not only on their level, but make the process less daunting.
Below are some tools online you might find to be useful:
Click on the above images to go to their links
Tip 4 – Switch from nappies to underwear.
The nappy is a safety blanket and while wearing it, your child may fall back to eliminating into the nappy. If your child has been practicing on the potty, displays signs of readiness and is comfortable wearing underwear, make the daytime switch from nappies to underwear.
Soiled underwear is uncomfortable and sometimes cold which ignites a consciousness around the consequences of not using the potty. Don’t forget to allow your child to pick their own new underwear. This creates more excitement as they won’t want to wet their new underwear.
Tip 5 – Invite your toddler to your own toilet sessions.
Most of what our kids learn is through modelling the behaviour ourselves. Start talking about what you are doing in the bathroom when you use the toilet. Young boys benefit from watching their dad or older male sibling urinate. Note that boys often learn to urinate sitting down first, before standing up.
Tip 6 – Don’t be in a hurry.
Being rushed may create a negative experience for your toddler. It often takes some time before toddlers are comfortable enough to urinate or defecate while sitting on the potty. When they are practicing and getting used to the seated position, keep them entertained with a toy, book or video while on the potty.
Tip 7 – Be empowering with your language and tone.
If your toddler has an accident, try saying “Your pants are wet. Looks like you had an accident. Let’s change and clean up.” Don’t panic, don’t show your frustration. Create a space that is safe for your toddler to make mistakes and learn from them .
Tip 8 – Celebrate the small wins!
“Well done! You noticed when you needed the potty, thank you so much for noticing that.”
Celebrate with your potty song and dance or parade and make a big deal of every little success – even just the identification of the need to go!
Tip 9 – Set your toddler up for success.
- Put on easy to pull down clothes. Try and avoid dungarees, jumpsuits, button or zip down pants during this time.
- If your toddler is also engaging in potty learning at school, equip the teachers with easy to pull down clothes, updates on progress at home, and a couple of spare clothing sets.
- When starting out, discuss with your child all the steps involved in potty-learning: undressing, going, wiping, dressing, flushing and hand-washing. Show them each step and help them to practice the whole routine.
We created potty training cue cards to stick up in the bathroom so that your little one can remember their potty routine!
Tip 10 – Avoid bathroom battles.
If you are met with resistance from your toddler, it’s okay. You can try again tomorrow, next week or next month. There’s no set schedule and no pressure on your child to learn as soon as possible. Let your child show you when they are ready. Our experience has taught us that when a child is not ready, the process takes much longer than it should.
Remember, potty learning is a partnership where WE are the junior partner. Our toddler is doing most of the work, we are just setting the stage. So, take it easy and remind yourself: “This too shall pass!”
Still feels daunting – speak to your class teacher – we’re here to help!
