Kid Stuf

There is really nothing more exciting (and stressful) for parents of two-year old tots than toilet-training.  But most parents rush to their pediatrician, constantly worrying about whether they’re doing it right. “Why isn’t my child responding?”, “Am I being too harsh?”, “Am I being too lax?”, “Have I bought the right potty?” and other questions plague pediatricians, but the truth is, toilet-training is much like any skills that has to be learned: It requires personal readiness, and in this case, of the toddler. Readiness is the answer to the many other concerns that parents have about toilet-training. To know whether you child is ready to be toilet-trained, watch out for these signs:

1. You have to change his or her diapers less often. This means that you child’s bladder capacity and control is increasing, and that he or she can stay drier for longer periods.
2. Your child becomes aware that he or she is peeing. He or she will also begin to express discomfort staying wet or soiled. He or she may attempt to remove his or her diaper on his or her own. He or she will most likely adopt nicknames for number one and two and be able to say what he or she is doing at the moment.
3. He or she can pull his or her pants up or down. There are certain pull-up diapers meant for toddlers. These can promote a child’s ability to pull his or her trousers down or up. This is a good sign that your child is ready to be toilet-trained.
4. Your child can sit still for short periods of time. As your child gets older, his or her attention span also increases. If he or she can sit still, especially when peeing or pooping, it’s a good sign the potty will be a friend to him.
5. He or she can follow simply instructions such as “go to the bathroom”, “pull down your pants”, “sit”, “stand”. It is also imperative that he or she must be able to walk or run on his or her own. That’s because the toddler needs to learn how to get to the potty when the urge comes.