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| |    Toilet Training: How To Teach Your Child by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. As a parent, you should consider toilet training to be a learning experience that should never be forced. Parents are often in a hurry for their children to be toilet trained. Let your child help you determine when he is ready. Remember that while toilet training may be a matter of convenience and hygiene to you, it is a momentous occasion in your child's life and represents a new level of control and independence. While many children are not interested or ready to toilet train before 3 years of age, your teaching can begin long before then. I have yet to meet a parent who waited until the day before kindergarten to teach their child the alphabet. It is far more likely that you have sung the alphabet to your child countless times and long before she could repeat it. You should approach toilet training the same way. There are many things you can teach your child about toilet training before she is actually ready to accomplish the task. Use words to describe bodily functions and body parts As your child shows an awareness when she urinates or has a bowel movement, teach her the words that go along with what she is feeling. Decide what words you want to use and use them. Remember that if you choose "pee" and "poop", these will be the words that she will most likely use as well. Teach and use them matter-of-factly, just as you would teach her the word "sky" or "car" as you take her for a walk outdoors. By teaching her these words early, you will help your child be able to better express herself as she begins to show signs of toilet training readiness. Let your child watch you going to the bathroom In most households with toddlers, privacy when going to the bathroom is a thing of the past. One of the best ways for young children to learn is by imitation. You are an important role model in your child's life, and allowing your child to see you use the toilet will help her understand what it is for. When your child takes an interest When your child begins to be interested and cooperative, take him to the seat two or three times a day, especially if he gives the slightest signal of readiness to urinate or have a BM. If he allows himself to be "caught," for example, after a meal, or when he has been dry for a couple of hours, praise him for being so grown-up - "just like Daddy" or Mommy, brother, sister, or admired friend. But don't overdo it. At this age a child doesn't like to be too compliant. If your child shows an interest but resists taking off her diapers or simply sits on the seat but nothing happens, praise her anyway. While the ultimate goal is to have her urine and BMs end up in the toilet, these are definitely steps in the right direction.
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