Are you looking to potty-train your baby or preschooler? In this post, I'll be sharing some practical tips to help you to be done with diapers once and for all.
Toilet training doesn't have to be hard. It starts with parents recognizing the child's EC signs and readiness. EC is short for Elimination Communication. It's a process of helping your baby understand as well as you (as parents) learning your baby's signs to pee and poop.
EC is nothing but being free from depending on those harmful, disposable, chemical-filled diapers all the time. We cannot deny the negative effects disposable diapers have on the environment and body today.
Switching to reusable cloth diapers and trainers are a viable solution for reducing the environmental and diaper rash problems. Until your child feels comfortable physically and emotionally to use the adult potty, I would suggest going for cloth diapers and trainers.
How to Make Toilet Training Stress-free For You and Your Child?
Create a calm and easier process
If your child is too young to sit on the potty seat, your process would be to pick up your baby's EC clue say - for example, 'farting'. Next open the diaper and carry your infant to the commode or potty stool and encourage him to poop or pee there. So, the process here is teaching you child to eliminate outside the diaper. If your child can sit on the potty seat then show him, where, when, how, and what he should do. Parents, keep calm, at all times your child will learn this important development skill with time, effort, patience, routine, and repetition.
Establish a routine and stick to it!
Children thrive well on repetition and routine. They feel independent, stress-free, and safe when a particular activity is repeated at the same time every day. Therefore, establish a routine. You can start the day by offering the child some lukewarm water, followed by a fruit like banana to kick-start his bowel movements.
He will feel light once the toxins are out of his body and will be charged for the day's activities. Multiple poops are possible if the child has an upset tummy. But on normal days, it's usually one or two poops. Similarly, half an hour before going to bed you could make the child sit on the potty seat to clear his stomach. This will ensure, he sleeps well and not toss and turn in bed all night.
Parents pay close attention
Every child is different. Our child, for instance, would standstill when he had to poop, he would be very quiet and focus solely on the activity. He disliked the wet feeling and would not move until we changed him. Toddler cues are easier to read than an infant. But infants also signal by crying, grunting, turning slightly red, and farting. Gentle tummy rub exercises can also help promote bowel movements.
For a Diaper-less Toilet Training
You'll need:
a portable potty or
a kid-friendly toilet ring along with a step stool
a spray bottle with antiseptic liquid
some reusable cloth diapers or
multiple potty training pants
waterproof protector sheet
Give your baby diaper-free time on a waterproof protector sheet, so that you can begin to learn his natural potty times. A spray bottle with antiseptic liquid diluted in water can come in very handy for the times your baby crawls out of the waterproof sheet and wee-wee's on the floor.
Initially, the laundry load may increase depending on the number of potty training pants that get soiled. Do not lose hope, your child will eventually learn provided you encourage him with positive words.
I had consulted our pediatrician and discussed when to start potty training my child. She said it's a process, where I need to see my child's emotional and physical readiness. She suggested starting the process after the child turned nine months old. So, I got my child a portable potty nothing fancy. I didn't want a scooter or car-shaped ones, as I wanted a smooth transition later on to the adult commode.
Initial Reactions To The Portable Potty
My child cried his heart out, he was terrified by this new unknown thing.
I tried to reason with him, showed him how to sit, nothing would suffice. So, I understood he was not ready and gave him space.
I tried after a month. By now he is used to seeing the potty in the bathroom. I tried again, he cried out hysterically doesn't want anything to do with it. I'm frustrated but I know it's a process, I take a deep breath and leave it.
He turns 11 months old. I try it again. What I did differently this time is, I got two of his favorite rattles and shook it rigorously, distracting him and placing them both in his hands as well as seating him on the potty. It worked!
PC: Pinterest and Instagram
What a relief! He finally sat. I appreciated him for using the potty. For this important accomplishment, I did not bribe him with candy or stickers. Just plain positive words - Good job! Good boy! and a tray filled with his favorite toys seemed to work well in our case.
I took the portable potty outside the bathroom, reminding him to use it whenever he wants to go wee-wee or poo-poo.
I repeated the same process every two-three hours or after every feed, or before and after coming back from outside, and after his naps. Accidents and setbacks did happen. I will not deny them.
How Did I Respond To Accidents And Setbacks?
I remained calm, consistent, and did not give up. I reassured him, at all times, that it was normal and safe when he uses the bathroom facilities. I showed him, how the water flushes (magically) taking everything away.
When he accidentally peed his pants. I would politely tell him, how I'll clean up the mess for now but next time he has to head to the bathroom or the portable potty sooner. In our case, routine and repetition, helped him figure it out within a few day's time.
He also started to develop bladder control at night. As his diapers were dry when I used to change him in the morning. That's how I figured out he was ready to be weaned of nighttime diapers. I started putting him in potty training pants the whole day and night.
The first year my baby was using only disposable diapers (24/7). Followed by two major diaper rash incidents that needed immediate medical assistance that took forever to heal. Seeing him in pain was devastating for a first-time mother like me. I used to change him frequently. I even tried those high-end expensive diapers with wetness indicator (yellow line that turned blue when wet) but moisture would still build up especially during monsoon season.
I wish, I had tried to listen to my baby's EC cues earlier or as soon as he started sitting on his own. Nevertheless, second year on wards, my child started using the potty more frequently and I stopped bulk purchasing diapers. Eventually, by the age of 2 years and 3 months is when my child was fully potty trained and diaper-free even at night.
Dear Parents,
Thank you for your kind words, Irene and Monica. :)
Thanks a lot dear Sharon! Will follow your tips....
Very helpful content...thankyou Sharon!