Potty Training- When to take the plunge

Is it time to take the plunge into potty training?

You think “Mason is 2 and you were fully potty trained at by that age”

OR

Your child's school will require him to be fully potty trained in order to move into preschool.

The fact is, no matter where the pressure is coming from, it really boils down to whether your child is ready… question is… how will you know?

Let's start by saying that age is only a number when it comes to this milestone. Although its best to take into consideration that these signs may develop as early as 18 months old and as late as 3½ years. Once you take the dive into the developmental milestone, don’t look back. Before you go all in, look for these signs to know when your child is truly ready for this next step.

First and foremost, the frequency of their wet diapers. Is your child’s diaper dry for an extended period in time? If they are dry for more than 3 hours and they have been thoroughly hydrating, this is a great sign.

Second, can they effectively pull up and down their bottoms without much assistance? This is just as important as the act because this is an independent act.  

Third, are they interested in the bathroom when you or your spouse are using it? Not because they want your attention but they are wanting to know what your doing and why? By showing interest and talking with them about it, it will lessen that chances of them being terrified of the loud sound from the toilet flushing or balancing on the toilet themselves.

Lastly, can they communicate with you that they have soiled their diaper or are about to go in it? Communication isn’t limited to words, which is nice, but more so key visual cues for you to change them.

With all of these in line, you should take the leap into the world of potty training. But what's next?

Underwear, Comando, Pull-ups? Where do you begin?

I firmly believe that Pull-ups are an adults excuse to not have to “deal” with the mess of potty training. Believe it or not, Pull-ups can cause a barrage of mixed signals and wet clothes. Pull-ups absorb less than a regular diaper. They also feel like a diaper, so why not pee in them when you don’t want to walk about from your favorite toy or mickey mouse clubhouse?

Underwear is certainly the way to go. It comes in many forms. Two of which I have seen work effectively. You have your old fashioned toilet training underwear which has a thick middle cushion that helps absorb some urine if they happen to have an accident. The plus side is that your child will still get that sensation of the “accident”. If your child is truly ready to potty train, they will not like this. You can get these below at Walmart.com for less than 7 bucks!

 

Then you have regular underwear with princesses and superhero's. This has an added advantage. You can make it exciting and fun to pick these new accessories out. By allowing your child help make these decisions for themselves to be like a “big kid”, they will then take ownership of their underwear. This makes them more aware of when they need to go. Just like when you get a new pair of shoes and you avoid puddles and dirt. They will avoid soiling their underwear to preserve the “princesses” and “hero's”. These below are an example of the regular undies that you can try at $11 for 7.

 
 
 
 

It takes patience and consistency, otherwise you will be in a mess of things. Take that literally. Have confidence in your toddler and work with them. Never shame them with an accident. It happens. Build them up and encourage them to try to let the rest out on the toilet.

Do not teeter totter when you take the plunge. You have to be all in. Show your confidence and this will make your child just as confident about this process. If you get anything out of this article, know that when you put a diaper on a potty training child, it sends all sorts of signals that it is not as important as you have made it to be if you are okay with changing another dirty diaper. Don't do it no matter how frustrated you are.

Remember to stay calm, positive and encouraging. Never shame or demean your child during this challenging learning opportunity.

Things to incorporate:
Toilet Chairs
Stools
Potty Charts
Treats
Words of Encouragement
One on One time during the toileting process

For more tips on potty training please visit parents.com!

 

Those Kids - Our Role

"Ever since first grade, he'd been coming to school anxious, defensive, and braced for the next confrontation with a classmate or teacher."

"And are we treating chronically misbehaving children as though they don't want to behave, when in many cases they simply can't?"

These two really stuck out to me. I have time and time again thought about how we can teach children how to control their impulses. 

Now, I work with young children and this article discusses elementary age. But it begins with us, in the preschool setting. 

Being an Educational Specialist in a preschool, a lot of my time is spent problem solving and redirecting those kids. It doesn't stop there at our school. I then must be an example for the teachers by keeping my cool and showing teachers how to calm an angry or mischievous preschooler. 

It's so easy for teachers to ask for a break from the child who is sucking all of the attention from the other children. Initially, I am able to step in and focus on this child while the teacher continues with their lesson. By mentoring and guiding the child, I get to show the teachers tools for times like these. There must be a shift at some point for the teachers to learn the cues and triggers that set the child off. They also must check their emotions and be aware of ways that their response may be hurting instead of helping. 

We have their development on our side. They have yet to develop these skills to regulate their feelings. This is where the article below comes into play. We must not allow the child to come into the classroom and feel like it's going to be another day of consequences, another day of threats or another day of an exasperated teacher who just needs a vacation. We are the driving force for these preschoolers social emotional development. It doesn't stop when they leave the classroom either. We must partner with the parents and let them know what's going on in the classroom so we can mold the children as they develop and figure out the ways of the world. 

Below is the link about a whole new look at those kids and being the change in their world to set them up for emotional success. 

http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/what-if-everything-you-knew-about-disciplining-kids-was-wrong/

-thelloydmom