   
 |
|
 Ask Dr. Jana
Toilet Training a Two-Year-Old While Caring for a Newborn | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
I have a two-year-old and a three-week-old. My two-year-old is getting ready for potty training. But with my newborn here, I now feel like I can't find enough time to keep up with the training. I know potty training is something you need to stay on top of. What can I do to keep up with it, take care of a newborn, and accomplish the everyday household work?— Paula in Pa | | | ANSWER |
March 12, 2001 | | | Dear Paula,
The first thing I suggest you do is to ask yourself whether both you and your two-year-old are ready to toilet train. Having a newborn at home is exhausting, and toilet training isn't always as easy as rolling off a log. Unless your two-year-old is very enthusiastic at the prospect of toilet training right now, you should not worry about waiting until your baby is a bit older.
That said, if your toddler is really interested in toilet training, there are some things you can do to make the process easier for both of you:
First of all, let your toddler take the lead. By no means do you need to force the issue, and toilet training does not need to be an all-or-nothing accomplishment. Respond to his interest, but don't demand that the skill be mastered completely.
I suggest using a toddler potty seat that sits on the floor instead of a seat ring that fits on the toilet. This way you won't have to worry about your child falling in while you're juggling both kids. The portable potty seats also offer the advantage of being movable -- if you're feeding the baby, you can bring the potty seat into whichever room you're in and oversee your toddler's activities.
You also may want to make it easier for your toddler to be relatively independent by dressing him in convenient clothes for toilet training. This means elastic-waist pants should replace (at least for the time being) the one-piece outfits and overalls, which are tricky to take off.
And finally, try using pull-ups in the beginning. While big kid underwear is often very appealing, at two years of age many kids think of this variation on diapers as underwear (whereas I find older toddlers simply think of them as diapers). That way, you can start the process of toilet training without adding to your already expanding laundry pile.
Best wishes. While having two this close together may seem like a handful right now, there are many benefits that you will soon come to appreciate, which I know first-hand, having been there myself!
— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
|
| | 
|