On the pot: when to train your baby

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

The process of potty training is an important stage in the development of a baby. And how it will be for a child: interesting and fast, or, on the contrary, long and painful - depends entirely on the parents.

Many mothers believe that the sooner they start putting the baby on pot, the sooner he learns to use it. In fact, this is far from the case. Toilet skills, like any other, are formed at a certain age. Agree, it is difficult to teach a child to move freely around the room in a year, to read at 2 years old and speak a foreign language at 4 years old. In order for the training to bear fruit, it is necessary to check whether your child is physiologically and psychologically ready for this. Pediatricians say that correctly assessing a child's readiness for learning is the first step to success.

The first pancake is lumpy

Surely, on the advice of a friend, mother or older sister, you have repeatedly tried to put your child on pot at the age of one year, and it was then that they first encountered difficulties. The most likely explanation for the failure is the child's lack of readiness to learn, not the level of mental development or character, as many mothers mistakenly believe. If the child is physically not ready to learn, any attempts to put him on pot will be met with frustration and rejection, which is fraught with a deterioration in relationships and the emergence of psychological barriers to success. How to understand that the time has come?

Business time

Russian and foreign pediatricians recommend starting training to the pot at the age of about 18 months, since it is at this time that the child is physiologically and psychologically developed so much that he can consciously control the muscles of the bladder and intestines.

Moreover, attentive parents are likely to notice other signs that indicate that the optimal time to start the learning process has come. This is evidenced, for example, by the child's ability to stay dry for at least two hours, the appearance of phrasal speech, attempts to imitate adults when one of them uses the toilet, the ability to take off their clothes, and also demonstrate that the diaper is wet or dirty and that it's time to change it.

The expert group at the Union of Pediatricians of Russia believes that teaching a child the skills of neatness is faster and easier if the child is physiologically ready for this, which happens around the age of about 18 months

Why exactly after a year and a half?

By planting a child who is not yet aware of his physiological needs on a potty, you can teach him to write on command. In this case, the child reacts to some key word. This is more training than training. And later, when the "crisis of the first year" begins, the baby may refuse to obey.

There is no point in potty training a child who does not yet feel how his intestines work. Or when he is physically unable to control urination. All these skills come only after the first year of life, often closer to two years. Only then does the bladder wall become strong enough. The child begins to realize when he is ready to go "big", and can restrain himself. At this moment it is already possible potty training.

Another important point: it is necessary that the baby can sit without getting tired on the pot for about 10 minutes in a row. Before a year, children are usually not capable of such a "feat".

Pros of timely potty training:

• The child is able to understand the meaning of the process and achieve success in less time.
• Less stress and demands on the child
• More intensive learning process for the child
• The child enjoys learning and sets the pace for later learning.

Studies show that mothers who begin potty training before the age of 1 spend more than a year doing it! Therefore, before starting the process of developing toilet skills in your child, check if he is ready for innovations. After all, there is nothing worse for a kid than being forced to do what he is not yet able to do

The child is ready for potty training if …

• He goes to the toilet at about the same time.
• Stays dry during walking and after sleeping for 2 hours in a row.
• Understands what is happening, grunts and crouches during the "process".
• He can take off his pants and sit on the pot.
• Feels discomfort in wet underwear, wants to be clean and tidy.
• Seeks parental approval, praise, and simple requests.
• Shows an interest in the potty, wanting to walk without a diaper "like a big one."

New game

Try to make learning a fun game. Place your child in a nice, comfortable potty. Spread the toys around. Explain why you need a potty, and play with your baby, reminding you sometimes what to do on the potty.

The example of older children works well at this age. If the child sees other children sit on the potty themselves, he may also want to be “as big”. And then you can easily potty training.

Plant your baby in a pot for a few minutes shortly after feeding, before and after sleeping, before and after a walk. Try not to force him to sit on the pot, because "it is necessary", but to guess his desire to send natural needs. And the most important thing - do not scold the kid, calmly and positively relate to failures and praise even the smallest success.