Toilet Training
When to start toilet training your child? That is the million dollar question. There is no right answer. You both have to be ready for the challenge. Toilet training takes time, energy and lots of patience. On average, it will take up to 3 months to properly toilet train a child.
Your first indication that it might be time to start with the toilet training is when your child knows that he or she has soiled their diaper and informs you of such. That shows that the child is not comfortable with the situation and is in the mind set to be steered towards informing you when they need to go. This type of behavior usually takes place between 18 and 24 months of age. After that time, it proves to be more difficult because the child doesn’t seem to mind wearing soiled diapers and toilet training does not interest the child. You may need help from outside sources to get this solved.
The most common toilet training method is to allow your child to come with you when you go to the washroom. You can show your child what is in the toilet bowl and how to flush the toilet. That will make the child more comfortable with the whole toilet situation and that it is not scary. They usually find toilet flushing exciting and you can use this as a way to convince them that they want to do their business in the toilet so they can flush it after they are done. Now that they are intrigued with the toilet, a potty chair can be put into the mix.
Toilet training usually starts as a game. If the child is allowed to sit on the potty chair with his or her clothing on, the child will get comfortable with the idea of sitting on it. After a little while, the pants can be removed and the toilet training can begin. Stay with the child and talk about the fact that this potty chair belongs to him or her and that they will be putting their business in the toilet after they are done and flushing. Do whatever it takes to keep the child on the potty, like reading or playing a game the child likes.
Once the child feels comfortable with the potty chair, you can then introduce the training seat that gets fixed to your regular toilet seat. Be sure to stay with the child at all times to make the child feel comfortable and reassured. Make sure to give your child a reward every time he or she does their business on the toilet. Toilet training takes time, but the results are worth the wait. Both you and your child will feel good about it.