Potty Training

You may be in charge of everything else in your child's life, but he is in charge of his body including his bowel and bladder movements. He cannot be forced to use a potty chair until he is ready, say at about two to two and a half years of age. Children younger than 2 years have probably no control over bladder or bowel movements. Becoming toilet trained is a big step in your baby's life. It takes time for him to get fully trained, maybe a week, a month or half a year depending on each child's physical and psychological development. Choose a time for potty-training when your child's life is relatively free of new situations. You need to a lot of patience while training him and take care not to reprimand him when he fails to make it to the potty.

How to introduce the potty chair

Show your child a potty chair and tell him what it is for. Show him how to sit on it, with or without his diaper on at first. Be encouraging about sitting on the potty chair, but do not push him. If he protests strongly, don't insist. It may mean that it is not the right time to start training. Encourage your child to tell you when he or she is about to urinate or have a bowel movement. It may be helpful to make trips to the potty a regular part of your child's daily routine, such as the first thing in the morning when your child wakes up, after meals and before going to bed. If your child gets up immediately suggest that he sit a little longer and make it easier by distracting him with a toy or a book. If nothing happens, let him get up and keep on playing. Encourage your child with lots of hugs and praise when he succeeds and tell him what a good boy he is. Punishment and scolding will often make children feel bad and may make toilet training take longer.

Teach your child proper hygiene habits. Clean his bottom well after he finishes going in the potty. Of course you must clean him up until he could do it himself say around four years of age. Make sure both boys and girls learn to wash their hands well after urinating or a bowel movement.