As your little one heads towards two years old the thought of having to toilet train them may seem daunting. Many parents will put off the task until their toddler is nearer to three simply because they are unsure how to go about it, or feel too tired to have to tackle such a messy task.
Toddlers are actually very clever little things. They are constantly learning, exploring and navigating their way through the world and, when they are ready to learn a new skill, they generally pick it up very quickly and with little fuss. The key, however, is knowing when they are ready, and tackling the task with some clever tricks of your own.
Toilet training – Is my child ready?
- There are a few things that your child needs to be able to do before he will even consider toilet training. Skills such as being able to walk and sit, understand and follow simple instructions, have some independence in dressing and other simple tasks.
- You child may start to tell you when she needs to empty her bowels or bladder.
- Your child may dislike the wetness of nappies and want them removed when she has soiled them.
- He may show an increased interest in your toilet habits. Perhaps he watches you with a little more intrigue, wants to flush the toilet for you, or even makes his own moves to sit on the toilet. Remember that toddlers learn by watching and mimicking so letting them watch you isn’t as strange as it may seem.
- Another sign that your toddler is ready for toilet training is their ability to empty their bladder in one go . You will notice this purely by the volume of wetness in the nappy she is wearing and the time between nappy changes. In other words, toddlers that are not emptying in one go will have slightly wet nappies most of the day. However, those that are able to empty in one go will have some time between wet nappies and the nappies will be very wet when they are ready for a change.
If your toddler shows signs of being ready then don’t hesitate to begin toilet training.
