Potty Training

As children approach 2 years of age, parents frequently start thinking about toilet training. What is the "right" age? Depending on whom you ask, the "right" age may range from as young as 6 months to 3 years. While age can be used as a determining factor, there are several others to address. The most important factors are not necessarily age, but rather physiologic, physical and psychological readiness.

Before a child can be "toilet trained", she must have attained a certain amount of physiologically readiness, namely "bladder readiness". In infancy, babies frequently are unable to hold large amounts of urine in their bladder and void small amounts. As a child grows older, her bladder becomes more mature, and is able over time to hold larger amounts of urine between voids. This comes hand in hand then with the additional ability to be able to increase the interval between voids. When you notice that your child is dry at longer intervals (i.e. dry after a nap or for at least 2 hours) and is voiding large amounts at a time, then that is a sign that your child may be physiologically ready for toilet training.

Another component, which overlaps with psychological readiness, is the ability of your child to recognize that she is voiding (i.e. if your child does not recognize when she is voiding, toilet training is virtually impossible). Some children start showing some signs of "bladder readiness" around 2 years of age. Most will attain it by three years of age.

Another component of readiness is physical readiness. This includes the ability to walk well (to and from the bathroom), to be able to pull pants up and down, and the ability to get on and off the toilet/potty chair fairly independently. While this may seem like a "given", think about grandmas who claim their children were toilet trained at 6 months or a year of age. Some kids are not even walking at a year, how could they be toilet trained?

The last component is probably the most important: psychological readiness. Or what I like to call willingness! If a child is not bothered by a wet or dirty diaper, if she is uninterested or unwilling to sit on the potty, believe me, you are not going to get very far. As the saying goes, you can place a toddler on a potty, but you can't make her pee. Toddlers quickly learn that they can control their bodily functions.

Once your child is showing all these components of toilet training readiness, most experts recommend waiting at least three months before you start toilet training to ensure that all is set. This is a good time to "set the stage" for toilet training as well (letting her observe others using the toilet, introducing books or videos on the subject, starting to talk about them using the potty soon).

Last but not least, look at yourself and your family situation. In order for toilet training to be as painless and smooth as possible, make sure that you AND your child are ready. Some kids toilet train quite easily, while for others it becomes what seems like a long drawn out battle. If you are incredibly busy at work, moving to a new house or a new baby is due soon, it's ok to wait a few months to let things settle down. This is probably one of the biggest steps for your child and it's worth it to wait.

Just remember, all good things come with time. Or as my then 3 and a half year old son said "You have to be patient, and then the pee will come".

Next week will follow up with Potty Training 2

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I hope this year has started off well for all the families.. This article is about Playing with your Child. I hope you find it interesting and I would love to hear what other activities you and your children do.

Playtime Adults and children alike love to play. For children, play is more than fun- it is essential for learning. Through play, children learn about their world, how to get along with people, test their muscles and strength, gain language, problem solving skills and self-esteem. Sometimes children will play by themselves, or near other children. Sometimes, they prefer to play with others. You can lay the foundation for learning early in your child's life, by giving them opportunities and time for play. Here are some fun activities to try with your child. For babies: Talk and sing to your baby, so he knows your voice well. Rock your baby gently and cuddle him, as you sing "Rock-A-Bye Baby" to soothe him and just for the pleasure of being with your baby. Hang toys where your baby can bat at them. Put your baby on a blanket on the floor to exercise her muscles. Place your baby in a chair or carseat or prop her up with pillows. Play with a flowing scarf or large bouncing ball. Move it slowly up, then down, then to the side, and watch your baby as she follows the movement with her eyes. Play games with your voice. Talk in a high pitched or low pitched voice. Make noises with your tongue. Whisper. Take turns with your baby. Repeat any sounds he makes. Put your baby close to you, so he can seen your face as you make the different sounds. Let your baby look into a mirror. Place an unbreakable mirror on the side of your baby's crib or changing table so he can watch. Look in the mirror with your baby, too. Smile and wave at your baby. As your baby gets a little older: Babies love banging objects to make noise. Give your baby blocks to bang, rattles to shake or wooden spoons to bang on containers. Show her how to bang the objects together. Put some music on the radio or stereo and "dance" with your baby- place him in a standing position and let him bounce and dance. If your baby can stand with a little support, hold his hands and dance together. Make a simple puzzle for your child by putting blocks or ping-pong balls inside a muffin pan or egg carton. Play hide-and-seek with objects. Let your baby see you "hide" an object under a blanket, scarf or diaper. If your baby doesn't uncover the object, cover only part of it. Help her to find the object. Play "peek-a-boo", "pat-a-cake" or "this little piggy went to market". Try playing the games different ways. Hide behind furniture and "peek-a-boo" or clap pan lids or blocks in rhythm with "pat-a-cake". Make an obstacle course with boxes and furniture, so that your baby can climb in, on, over, under and through. Play the name game. Name body parts, common objects and people. This helps your baby to know that everything has a name, and to begin to learn what those names are. For your toddler: Water play is lots of fun. Put "squeeze toys", such as sponges, squeeze bottles, and "dump-and-pour toys", such as cups and bowls, in water in the bathtub for your child to play with. Toddlers love to try blowing bubbles. Or you can blow the bubbles and your child can have fun chasing them and popping them. Play "pretend" using a doll or stuffed animal. Encourage your child to have the doll do what he does- eat, sleep, walk, dance and jump. You can have the doll join in with any activities or games you and your child play. Make a picture book by cutting out pictures from magazines or by using photos of family members and pets. Read the book together and let your child point to the picture as you say what it is, or ask your child to identify the picture you are pointing to. Toddlers love playing with balls. Use a beach ball to roll, throw or kick. "Dress up" clothes provide practice opportunities for children to learn to put on & take off shirts, pants, shoes & socks. They can fasten big buttons and zippers. For children 2-3 years old: Going to the library to find books for special reading time or bedtime. Libraries often have story time sessions, that are appropriate for children this age. The playground offers lots of opportunities for play- on swings, rocking toys and small slides. A trip to the playground or park is a good way to have your child begin practicing interacting with other children. Put an old blanket over a table to make a tent or house. Then have a picnic or snack in the "tent'. Your toddler may even want to have a pillow & flashlight for a nap in the "tent". Get out the paper and crayons. Draw large shapes and let your child color them in. Take turns. Have your child help around the house. She can help you set the table or wash the dishes or fold the laundry. Get a large piece of butcher paper. Have your child lie on the paper and draw an outline around your child's body. Then talk about parts of the body and print the words on the paper. Your child can then color the poster and hang it in his room.