So... how did you go with your grand plans to toilet train during the summer months? Did your little one just wake up one morning and 'know'? Did it take many long weeks of soiled lounges and carpets and wet sheets? Did you use a sticker chart, ping pong ball, chocolate??
We've now toilet trained two children, with a third in the process. I know this doesn't qualify me to preach to you about toilet training, but I've been learning on this potty journey and I'd like to share with you some insights.
With our daughter, we listened to all the popular parenting experts who told us to wait till our child was ready. So we did. But at 2 years of age, our little boy arrived and I got sick of changing nappies on a rather large and extremely capable 2 year old. So despite her not being ready, we started training and she was dry during the day within 2 months.
With our boy, it was an entirely different story. I had heard from many parents that boys are a lot harder to train and so I decided to do it when I was ready. With another baby due just weeks after his 2nd birthday, I wanted our boy trained before bubs arrival. We had already been putting him on the potty at 6 months to do his daily number 2. Then at 18 months, we put the nappies away and spent the next 4 months washing a zillion pairs of mini undies and putting our 3 dozen terry squares to good use as mops! Our second child was day trained during the day a few weeks before his 2nd birthday.
Our third baby is now six months old and I have been practicing elimination communication with him since 2 weeks. Nothing dramatic or crazy... just a potty next to the change table (in front of a mirror), which I placed him over for 10 seconds at every nappy change. At first, he just stared at himself in the mirror, but within weeks he would wee or poo in the potty literally every time we placed him over the potty. By reading a lot of EC material, I began to discover my baby's 'tells' and quickly learned when he would do a poo. Today, I don't change soiled nappies. Of course, he's nowhere near 'toilet trained', but we are getting there! And it's great fun.
Toilet training is one of the most satisfying and rewarding parenting roles. After all, we are teaching them a skill for life!
OUR TIP for FAST and SUCCESSFUL TOILET TRAINING: Once you have decided to toilet train, ditch the nappies and don't look back. Switching back and forth between undies to nappies will only confuse your child more. If it helps, give your nappies one last good wash, ensure they are completely dry and pack them away, leaving only 3 or 4 out for nights and naps.
What's your best tip for fast, effective, stress-free toilet training? And what do you wish you knew then (before potty training) that you know now?
© Oz Baby Trends 2011
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