Eventually, the time comes when our little ones free themselves from their last burden – diapers. This is certainly a great relief for parents, and the cost of buying diapers is also a significant factor. However, if you, as a mom or dad, come around the corner with a potty one day and hold it under your curious child's nose, you are guaranteed to be met with a questioning look. Expectantly, parents point alternately to the empty bucket, look at the little child with puppy-dog eyes, and say something about "poo-poo" and "pee-pee" – your child's expression will certainly hardly change – because in their head, one and the same question is constantly repeating: "What on earth do Mom and Dad mean?"
That this refers to the diaper business is, of course, out of the question for the little ones among us. Nevertheless, there are some tricks and tips on how to get your little ones "potty trained." On average, it is said that girls say goodbye to diapers around 2.5 years old and boys at 3 years old. However, the function of the sphincter muscles also has something to do with the child's own maturation process – forcing it definitely does not work; rather, pure patience and a little courage are the path to success.
How do children become potty trained and no longer need diapers?
Honestly – your child hasn't the faintest clue what you want with the potty. Up until now, everything was so well regulated: the small and the big business went so nicely into the diaper, Mom and Dad cleaned me up – done! It is also important to know that your child, up to the age of 1.5 years, cannot even influence when the excretory organs work, let alone notice that something is happening down there. Until this has logically reached your offspring, it can indeed take a while. Only when the child notices that an "urge" is making itself felt will they also try to control their sphincter muscles. However, this does not mean that a child, despite becoming aware of these activities, is also clear about what a potty is used for.
Now it's your turn: don't be a killjoy and don't get impatient. Try to convey to the child again and again, easily and playfully, what the potty is for. No master has ever fallen from the sky – the transition from diaper to potty can easily take between several weeks and months. Do not fixate on the idea that the child must be 'clean' by a certain age. Every child is different; have patience, it will work when they are ready.
Choose a nice Potty for your offspring. There is so much choice nowadays, with a backrest, steering wheel, or even a toilet seat lid. Everything is possible. A note for parents here: it should be easy to clean, not take up too much space (it should be placeable either in the bathroom or in the toilet), and be comfortable for the child.
The transition from diaper to potty is not always easy
Being "potty trained" overnight – that is not easy for your child. Despite initial successes, it can always happen that a mishap occurs. For the system to work, a regulated behavior is necessary, which your child, however, learns with a certain developmental maturity. This does not mean that your child might not want to say goodbye to the diaper – they simply cannot yet. Both the body and the mind must work together and cannot be influenced. Forced attempts will certainly have the opposite effect. Furthermore, the child will counter this pressure with defiant reactions, which only mean more resentment and frustration.
How can I make using the potty "appealing" to my child?
No one knows your child as well as you do. You surely know roughly at what times of day your child does one business or the other. At an age when your child feels what the processes in the diaper mean, you can gently begin with "potty training." If, for example, a big business is coming on (and you will surely recognize this by the serious facial expression), put them on the potty – this way they can more easily recognize what the potty is for.
Tip: In the summer, if available, start in the garden. Then it's not as exhausting if something goes wrong!
However, do not assume that the business will now go into the potty: children find it harder to relax easily than we adults do. Whether it works now or not – in any case, be lenient with your offspring. They simply don't know any better and do not want to annoy you on purpose.
Idea: with ours, the potty wasn't that popular. For ours, a toilet seat for children with steps on the toilet was better. That was associated with 'climbing' and was 'exciting'.
Another good tip: explain from the beginning what is in the diaper. Feel free to call the big business "poo-poo" or "stinky" and connect it to the potty – this way, it will gradually click in your darling's head. However, do not be disappointed or scold them if a session was not a success. Children can interpret the expression on their parents' faces very well and may feel rejected, and as a result, may not want to learn anything more.
Do not simply scratch, squeeze, or pick at pimples and blackheads. It is best to have inflamed areas examined and treated in a beauty salon. If this effort is too great, one should praise your child in the right amount when a success has occurred. Give the child a sense of security and praise them when they have done something well. Do not make a big deal out of wet pants, but point out that this business should actually go into the potty.
Eventually – and that is certain – the meaning of the "potty" will dawn on your child – for some it just takes longer, for others it goes faster. Just don't stress yourself out (and don't let yourself be unsettled by the talk of others!), every child is different, and so one may be potty trained earlier, another later.
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Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
