New York Resident

Leaving diapers behind is a pivotal feat for a child
by Victoria Pericon

A major milestone of childhood is potty training. As with most things involving children, you must be willing to let each child proceed at his own pace. What your friend’s two year-old is doing should not be a gauge for what your child should be doing.

Laurie LeComer, author of “A Parents Guide to Developmental Delays: Recognizing and Coping With Milestones in Speech, Movement, Learning and Other Areas” (Perigee Trade; January 2006), says that children are ready for toilet training at different times because children have different degrees of sensory processing and sensory integration. “This means that some children will readily notice sensations of ‘needing to go’ or of being soiled while other children will not.”

The methods of potty training vary, but most people agree that starting your child before she is ready is a mistake. Doing so can be counterproductive and could possibly harm your child; he will become upset because he is not able to do what you are asking of him and you will become overly anxious.

First, be calm. Potty training is not a discipline matter. Keep in mind the fact that you’re not a failure as a parent because your child is having a difficult time toilet training. Remember there will be accidents and set-backs, which should be taken in stride. And observe your child, because she will alert you when she is ready to begin this important step in her maturation process.

Children below the age of eighteen months are generally considered too young to successfully complete toilet training. However, there are certain signals that will tell if your toddler is ready. A diaper that remains dry for a couple of hours shows that your child is capable of holding urine in his bladder. Another indication is when your toddler hates being wet or soiled and is constantly removing her diaper. There are some children who actually inform their parents that they want to use the toilet, an unmistakable signal of readiness.

Christina Bosemark, founder of Multilingual Children’s Association (www.multilingual.org) and mother of a successfully toilet trained daughter, sensed that her child was simply too young and did not push the issue when she showed an interest in potty training at twenty months. Four months later, she was ready. “The potty training was very easy at that point, says Bosemark, “She’d somehow had enough time to process the whole bathroom business after the first round.”

When you see signs that your child is ready to start toilet training, you can facilitate the process by keeping her in underpants or training pants during the day and dressing her in clothes that she can easily remove. Also decide whether your child will be trained on a potty or a toilet. You can always purchase a potty seat to place over the toilet.

Parents on the go can continue potty training their children by using a portable fold away potty from Potette. The Potette portable potty is suitable for children who are 18 months or older.

This article was written by Victoria Pericon.
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