Potty @ MindSay

If you're planning to jump into toilet training, make sure you have the necessary tools to get the process going. Of course, nothing more than a clean toilet is required, but moms and dads have found the following items useful as they take the big step.

1. New underpants - throw out the pull-ups. Training kids need to "feel the wet." You may want to put liners around them, though most kids won't stand for the bulk. Be ready for a few mistakes. It goes with the territory.

2. Potty Chair - low to the ground, and easily accessible, this is a key item so kids don't have to climb up on the big toilet with it's potential for falling in. Make sure to buy one that's easy to clean and can help avoid spills, for obvious reasons.

3. Step stool- makes it easy for kids to learn to wash hands, and eventually to get up on the big toilet.

4. Flushable wipes - especially for #2, many parents find this a good way to make sure wiping gets done properly. That said, moistened tissue works pretty well.

5. Cheerios - What? Cheerios? Yes, to practice aim and to make going to the bathroom that much more fun. Some kids need a lot of motivation because they'd just as soon stay in diapers.

6. Easy to use soap - Now is the time to develop good hand-washing habits, which will cut down on the number of colds and other viruses this season.

7. A special potty friend - clip a stuffed animal to the wall, or try the Potty Monkey to help make going to the bathroom fun. Treat the experience as positive and happy, rather than dirty and unpleasant.

8. Stickers around the toilet or to track progress. Again, some kids need other kinds of motivation.

9. Treats to celebrate success. We used small doses of jelly beans. One for each time they made it to the bathroom. This was a healthy motivator for them, and surprisingly, once trained, they quit asking for them.

Good luck with this very important parenting ritual. Count yourself lucky if you can be part of it since it's a very key part of growing up.

Trumpets - sound the call!

As of 1:10pm today, Giovanni has been wearing UNDERWEAR!

I might be jumping the gun here.....

I hope this doesn't blow up in my face.

:)

 

My son who is 19 months old came to me with his pants around his ankles.  Then tuged on me till I went into the bathroom.  We went into the bathroom and he pointed at the toliet.  I took his diaper off and he went into the toliet!  So flippen proud!  Maybe kids do this at his age but my other kids didn't so I was very proud! 

my name is miah and i live with my humans, 2 females called thepoetspen  and lightray , oh there's a male there too called gene. anyway i read thepoetspens blog and i would like to say something about it. i had to wait till she went to bed so i could use her computer. she gets so riled up when i try to use it when she's around.

as for housebreaking, just what am i supposed to think when every time i pee on the floor they rub my nose in it and put me outside? isn't that what they want me to do? after all, i am only 3 months old and i learn to do what they show me.

and about that bath. i was dirty and i wanted to be clean. i can't get up there and turn the water on so i told them to do it. thepoetspen didn't tell you how dense they are, either. it took them such a long time to figure out what i wanted when i was telling them as plain as i could. they're learning though. tonight i whined at the sink and they took me right to the tub and gave me a bath.

i guess they're learning, but humans are so hard to train.


miah

Child development is unique for each child. Some children are ready to be potty trained at a young age. Children as young as eighteen months can show the signs of maturity and physical capabilities that are necessary to be potty trained. Other children may take longer and not be ready until three or four years of age. It’s very important to stress that the age a child potty trains does not reflect their intelligence or future maturity. Just because a child can physically get on and off a potty or even take off her diaper and clothes, does not mean she is ready to begin potty training. Likewise, just because a child talks about going in the potty does not necessarily indicate she is ready. A child will need to have both the physical and emotional capabilities of being potty trained before they are considered ready.

 

Unfortunately, many “experts” claim there is a particular age to begin the potty training process. Some experts feel children less than two years of age should not be potty trained. They fear that parents will try to train their child before they are ready. Yes, if a child is being forced to do something before they are ready then there can be adverse consequences. A child can become defiant or even rebellious if they are forced to do something before they are ready. This can result in long-term problems with parent-child relationships and problems with potty habits after training. However, contrary to what some experts or organizations say, some children are ready to train early. If potty trained correctly, there may be no consequences to training early. There may even be positive personal rewards for the child and family. Anyone who quotes an age when a child is too young for potty training is probably making generalizations that do not apply to all children. Some children less than two years of age can be safely trained if they show signs they are ready and if the parents’ expectations are realistic. If a young child experiences a pleasant potty training experience then he is less likely to experience other potty problems in the future.

 

Children should exhibit some basic physical capabilities in order to begin the potty training process.

 

• The child should be able to help with the task of taking off their pants or undergarments.

 

• Your child should be able to assist with taking off the diaper or pull-up when the urge to go hits them.

 

• Depending on the type of potty used, children should be able to get on the potty in a comfortable position. If a small portable floor potty is used, then young children will be more able to straddle and keep their feet on or near the floor.

 

• Using a traditional commode will probably require significant assistance from a parent. Toilet inserts and stepping stools are very helpful when attempting to begin potty training on a regular commode. For more information about potty training tips for dad, please visit Greatdad.com

For more information about potty training tips for dad, please visit Greatdad.com