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potty training

re : potty training           reply
22/10/2012 12:22 - Ask Mother Hen
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Hi,
My first piece of advice is to wait until you think he´s ready. Boys often are not ready as early as girls, so parents often give them til they´re 3. If they´re showing the signs, they can be trained very quickly, with the real work being done within a week! The signs are that they tell you first that they´ve done a nappy, then sometimes they tell you before they do it. Usually they´re more aware of dirty nappies and want you to change them. They should be able physically to pull up their own pants. Its a good idea to have a potty in the house for a while and let him sit on it often even fully clothed. See if you can cajole him to use it to go to the toilet, keep it fun and upbeat. Also let your son see you and his Dad go to the toilet, and talk through the steps - first we pull down our pants, then we go to the toilet, then we wipe, then we pull up pants again, and then we wash our hands... so that he gets used to the routine and can predict the steps.
If you feel you and your son are ready, talk to him first, say its bye bye nappies and bring him shopping for some big boy pants. Once you´re ready to go, stick with it. You might have to curtail the outings for the first week as there can be a lot of accidents! Have elastic waist trousers for fast access. Give lots of encouragement and praise and be careful not to be negative or cross if he wets himself. Be aware too that doing a poo in the toilet can take longer to achieve for a lot of kids. Night time training is often done separately too. If it seems to be taking a long time, you could introduce a small reward system (eg one smartie for a wee, 2 for a poo). Some children use the toilet straight away, others prefer the potty. If you want to encourage them to use the toilet, buy the smaller seat you can fit on top so they don´t fear falling in, and buy a step so they can climb up and balance more easily.
Everyone gets it eventually so don´t be too concerned! If you decide to try it now and he gets very upset or keeps asking for nappies, maybe hold off and try again in another few months. Its a lot easier to do if they´re onside and want to do it. Seeing a little friend is being trained can be a good motivator too - subliminal peer pressure works from a young age! But be very careful not to compare and just let him go at his own pace. Best of luck!



potty training           reply
20/10/2012 12:47 - Ask Mother Hen (Locality: Limerick)
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any tips on poty training a two and a half year old boy. dreading doing it.




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