The first concern of the parents of a slightly older child who has taken his first steps and stopped “pooping butterflies” is the issue of teaching him to relieve his natural needs on the potty. After all, puddles on a new orthopedic mattress or in a corner behind a closet are a rather dubious joy for parents. And the requirement to adapt to some cold plastic thing with your soft bottom is definitely stressful for the baby.
But with the right approach, this can be done quite quickly, and most importantly, painlessly for all participants in the process.
Optimal age to acquire a skill
There is a lot of parental debate surrounding the idea of when to potty train a child. It happens that young mothers strive to drop off their baby at 9-10 months, so that they can show off to their friends later.
It is important to remember that if a baby is under 1 year old and periodically relieves himself in the potty, then we are talking only about reflex urination. The nervous system has not yet matured and has not learned to control the processes of bowel movements. The baby does not understand his desires, and therefore does not know how to restrain his urges.
The ability to control the desire to urinate occurs no earlier than 1.5 years . For some babies it happens later. Therefore, the question “How to quickly potty train a one-year-old child?” it is necessary to formulate it a little differently, without mentioning age. You can learn about the causes of enuresis in children from this article.
What to do if your child stops asking to use the potty
On women's forums, along with questions about “how to potty train a child,” there are also topics about how the baby had learned such wisdom, and then stopped using the potty again. Before taking any measures, it is worth understanding the reasons for such a “demarche”. And there may be enough of them:
- a child has a 3-year-old crisis: at this age, many children stop fulfilling their parents’ requests and “go against”;
- the baby got sick, the temperature rose, discomfort appeared;
- the child is simply afraid of the potty - because of the color, large size, or some other reason;
- the child lives in stress, for example, parents constantly argue;
- some event shook the child’s psyche - it could be moving, “going out” to kindergarten.
If a child stops asking to use the potty at 2-3 years old, first of all try to establish the reason. Often, after eliminating it, the situation stabilizes: for example, buying a new potty can change a child’s attitude towards “potty science.”
Did not help? Then it’s worth going through the teaching method described above with your baby again.
When there is no need to rush
You should not start potty training your child if:
- he has recently been ill and is in a painful state;
- there was a move, a change of scenery;
- the baby has a new brother or sister;
- There is a relationship crisis in the family, one of the family members is sick or has left.
Readiness is determined by the maturation of the nervous system.
To understand how to properly potty train a child, you need to learn important knowledge: the skill is formed according to the “urge-void-defecation” reflex .
Often young mothers, guided by the advice of older women, start planting quite early, and the process is stimulated by the characteristic sounds “a-a-a”, “pi-pi-pi” or by turning on the water tap.
This method is considered harmful, since the baby will acquire a distorted “vessel-void-defecation” reflex, and it will be very difficult to retrain it. Self-control skills according to age:
- 2-2.5 years – control of bowel movements;
- 2.5-3 years – ability to control urination during wakefulness;
- 3-4 years – ability to control urges at night.
We tell you how to teach your baby to sleep in his own crib here.
We don't make mistakes
But under no circumstances:
- do not insist if the baby, for any reason, does not want to sit on the potty;
- do not hold your baby on the potty by force;
- Don’t scold your little one if he accidentally “pees in his pants.”
According to the results of numerous experiments, a disposable diaper in no way interferes with teaching a child to relieve his natural needs in a potty
But as for disposable diapers, it turns out that there is no difference whether you refuse them while potty training your baby or not. According to the results of many experiments conducted by scientists and psychologists, diapers in no way interfere with learning toilet skills and do not affect the duration of the process.
Patience, consistency and your boundless parental love. These are the three pillars that are the basis for raising a child in a family. So, be patient and go through all the stages of potty training with your baby, one by one and slowly. And love will always help you cope with the difficulties that arise...
Signs of readiness and 5 rules for successful training
To quickly potty train a child, it is important for him to have the following skills:
- walk independently, sit down, get rid of clothes;
- understand speech, some words;
- imitate the adults around him;
- show your desires with gestures or words;
- show effort to earn praise;
- carry out tasks given by parents.
Such skills are acquired by a baby at about 18 months, so starting before this age does not make sense.
How to tell if your child is ready to go potty
- age older than 1.5 years;
- when the baby feels the desire to go “big” - he becomes silent, concentrates, and eventually speaks of a complete fact;
- wakes up dry after sleeping during the day, and then continues to remain dry for some time (indicates the ability to control urination);
- knows what her mother’s request to “put on or take off her panties” means and willingly fulfills such a request;
- can show body parts correctly;
- concentrates attention on a toy or cartoon for quite a long time, while remaining calm;
- easily performs simple tasks (bring or carry something, go somewhere, etc.).
If the above is still not typical for your child, despite the fact that he is already 2 years old, potty training will not work quickly.
In order to help your child, try to periodically do without diapers . The baby needs to get to know his body, understand, and become familiar with the functionality of the genital organs. In this way, the connection between the urge and subsequent bowel movements is more likely to be captured. Accordingly, the baby needs to see acts of defecation and urination.
5 rules for effective training
- No violence. You can’t hold the baby against his will; if he wants to get up and leave, let him do it.
- Good attitude and encouragement. It is forbidden to scold a child for wet or soiled panties . Be generous with praise when a positive result is achieved.
- Pauses. If your child develops negative associations associated with conflicts and violence, stop. Let him recover from the incident and forget the negative. Do not return to the issue of planting for some time.
- Parental attentiveness. Look closely at the baby more often, and you will not miss the moment when he becomes concentrated and groans. At such moments it is worth offering a potty. It is also worth demonstrating clearly why this item was created.
- Availability and efficiency. It’s good if the vessel is constantly within the baby’s access area. Also, the task is made many times easier by the minimum amount of clothing on the little one, so that he does not have to undress for a long time and tediously. Plant after every meal and sleep.
Potty training a girl and a boy: are there any differences?
Psychologists and early childhood development specialists do not point to gender differences in potty training. But parents note that girls master the skill a little faster than boys.
On the one hand, this is associated with the fact that girls spend more time next to their mother and try to imitate her in everything. However, girls are often embarrassed to defecate in the presence of people, so they endure it for a long time and do not have time to sit on the potty.
When potty training boys, it is worth paying attention to the method of emptying. First, the baby must master the skills of using a potty in a sitting position, since children usually recover from major and minor needs almost simultaneously.
After the boy has learned to use the potty for its intended purpose, he can be shown how to urinate while standing. Before doing this, you must first purchase a deep pot with a bolster that prevents liquid from splashing.
Stages of training
In the question of how to potty train a child at 1 year and 3 months or at any other age, it is recommended to adhere to the following principles - consistency and smoothness of learning.
1 First, purchase a pot. Its place is in the nursery; it is not recommended to rearrange it. It is better to choose an item that is bright, attractive in color, and convenient in design. Place it a couple of times every day for 2-3 minutes; clothes and diapers should not be removed yet (so that there is no negative association due to the unpleasant sensations of a cool surface).
2 After a week, start planting without a diaper, also twice a day. You shouldn’t energetically catch your baby when he wants to go to the toilet. Such an act can easily scare and cause the opposite effect. An excellent tip is to constantly demonstrate the purpose of the product using the example of an older comrade, or by placing a used diaper in the vessel, clearly explaining your action.
3 After another 2 weeks, it is already possible to catch moments of urge, promptly slipping the pot each time. Make your child sit down after a walk, waking up, or eating.
4 And the final stage is learning to use the object independently. It is important to remember the previously stated rules for successful training: the availability of a potty at any moment will ensure the stability of the acquired skill, encouragement and praise will encourage the baby, and the absence of violence and kind words will not provoke fears and rejection.
No matter what time a child’s potty training begins, the experience of many parents shows that it takes from 6 months to 1 year to acquire and establish the skill . Therefore, it is recommended to be patient and remember the final idea, then everything will happen as perfectly as possible.
Along with the question “How to potty train a child at 1 year old?” Parents are interested in the need to suddenly give up diapers at the start of school. Experts say that there is no such need, since numerous studies have proven that this fact has no influence on the speed of achieving results.
Choosing a pot
Many parents are ready to spend money on the most expensive potty, with music and game panels. But experts say that these are the most unsuitable models for potty training. The child begins to treat him as an interesting toy, forgetting that he is not sitting on the potty for playing. The simpler the model, the better. And do not allow your child to use it as a toy, do not encourage playing with the potty. What else to look for when choosing a pot:
- Sustainability.
It should be comfortable. It is advisable to purchase a potty chair in which the child can sit without fear of falling and knocking it over. There are models with rubber soles that prevent it from slipping. When standing on the potty, especially at night, when the child has poor control of his movements, he may fall off it. And this negative experience will perpetuate the aversion to the potty. - Size.
You should not focus only on the age of the child when buying a potty, because children the same age can be different in weight and height. You need to choose your size so that your baby can sit on it comfortably. - Material.
Most often they sell plastic or metal pots. The latter are more durable, but it is better to avoid them. If you place your child on a cold surface of an enamel pot, especially after sleep, he may experience negative sensations. Instead of getting used to the potty, he will avoid it in every possible way. - Easy.
You can purchase a high chair with a removable bowl. This is convenient because you don’t need to carry the entire pot, you just need to remove the receiver, pour out the urine and rinse it under the tap. Over time, the child will be able to help his mother clean up after herself. If the potty is too heavy, it may upset him.
Recommendations from pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky
Popular, and most importantly, authoritative doctor E.O. Komarovsky identifies 3 factors in effectively potty training a child.
- Maturation of organs related to the process of bowel movements (abdominal muscles, rectal sphincter, bladder sphincter, bladder, urethra, rectum).
- Full development of the nervous system, primarily the cerebral cortex.
- Pedagogical activity of teaching adults.
Simply put, the secret to quick results lies in the parents’ adequate approach to the task : you should not try to train your child too early, you need to wait until the body is ready. The sooner the learning process begins, the more effort will be expended.
The golden rule is patience. If it doesn’t work out, let the situation go for 2-3 months, and then start again.
Where to begin?
For the procedure to be successful, the child must have an understanding of why, why, and at this moment he is put on the potty. Mothers probably already know that when a child goes to the toilet “in a big way”, he freezes, pushes, and gyrfalcons. Here you need to seize the moment and have time to sit the baby on the potty, but be careful, if he is already in the “process”, do not stress, so as not to interrupt.
There are cases when a child gets scared when he sees a new object in the house and starts crying. Because of this, training can last up to several months. Parents should be understanding and patient. And if the result is positive, be sure to encourage and praise the child.
Dr. Komarovsky: “The road to the potty is full of tears, children’s screams, labor and disappointments, but only when you set off too early.”
Which potty should parents choose?
Any mother wants the most beautiful and special things for her baby. This may also apply to the potty.
Stores offer a huge selection of different items. They can differ not only in color, but also in shape, material, etc.
Many pediatricians do not advise buying expensive potties that have various bells and whistles. It is advisable for parents to opt for a classic and comfortable copy. A child who is being introduced to a new object may be afraid of a bright color or a loud sound. And in other situations, the baby perceives the potty as a toy and treats it accordingly.
Therefore, the correct copy should be ordinary, without frills. The necessary characteristics of the pot include:
- Sustainability. Kids are very active, so to avoid falling, choose pots with a wide base or footrests.
- Material. It is best if the pot is made of plastic and has a quality certificate. Its surface should not have roughness, seams or other defects.
- Form. It depends on the gender of the child. Girls buy a round shape, and boys buy an oval shape with a protrusion in front.
Before potty training a 2-year-old child, parents need to choose a suitable and convenient one.
