Source: New Zealand Plunket Society – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: Top tips for moving on from nappies
Last night we had our first Facebook chat of the year, answering your questions about moving on from nappies. Following on from this we thought it would be good to share with you our top toilet training tips!
1. Watch for signs that your child is ready and let them lead the pace.
Most children start to show they are ready around 2 -3 years of age, and it is good to know what to look for in terms of readiness signs.
Signs of readiness:
- They stay dry for up to two hours and/ or through naps.
- They might start pulling down their pants when they want to pee.
- They recognize the urge to go. For example kids may hold their crotch and look as if they want to go.
- They know what wee and poo are – they might be saying to you “wee” or pointing to the toilet.
- They may want to watch adults go to the toilet and may show a desire to copy your behaviour.
Huggies have a quick quiz you can take to check if your child is ready to start toilet training here.
2. Preparation can be a good idea.
When your child is around 15 – 18 months old, it is a good idea to start talking about using the toilet. Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling:
- Let your little one watch you or your partner use the toilet so they begin to understand what to do.
- Talk about how mum and dad’s wees go in the toilet and when their wees are ready they will go in there too.
- Read stories about moving on to nappies and toilet training. You can find some really cool books about this at local libraries.
3. Make it fun.
Try and make toilet training as fun as you can and praise your child for trying and when they success. Here are some ideas for how you could make toilet time a fun time:
- Reward your child with hugs, claps, stories or a star chart when they go in the toilet.
- You could get them involved in choosing the potty, stool or their pull up pants.
- Let your child pick some flowers or leaves and place them in the toilet or potty and encourage them to see if they can pee on them.
4. Be patient.
It is important to try and be as patient as you can. Know that accidents will happen, so just go with it. Be prepared for when they don’t make it in time, and don’t scold or punish them.
5. Be consistent
Try taking them to the potty/toilet at regular times. Give them enough time to try to go, but try not to leave them there for too long.
If you have any more questions about moving on to nappies, know that you can always call PlunketLine on 0800 933 922 – it is free and available 24/7.
Useful links
The following links also have some great information on toilet training that you may find useful:
- Toilet training your child – explains signs of readiness, how to get started and what to do if begin to wet their pants after moving on from nappies.
- Toilet accidents – has a range of information from signs of readiness to how to get started and how to manage some of the challenges along the journey. This link also has a couple of video clips included.
- Huggies toileting e book – a short e book produced by Huggies about how and when to get started. It also has some great FAQs.
- Huggies signs of readiness quiz – eight simple questions that will assess whether your child is ready to move out of nappies or not
- Huggies how to toilet train – Huggies website with detailed advice and tips to recognise readiness and move your toddler to nappies.
Posted by Mamae Munn on
25 January 2018
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