ChristianWorks for Children

Potty Training

P	PREPARE for accidents during learning and after. Moving to a new location, starting a new school, getting a new teacher, a new baby in the house,vacations or holidays may cause a child to “forget” what they have learned. Learning to control urination and bowel movements may not occur at the same time. Be patient as your child learns the signals and skills for each.
O	ONLY offer encouragement. Never shame, scold, punish, yell, spank, hit, or threaten a child who has an accident. Pressure and punishment may cause the training to take longer and lower the child’s self-esteem.
T	TIMING is very important to the child’s success. Look for readiness signals: Your child – should urinate less often (stays dry for at least 2 hours during the day), have regular, more predictable bowel movements, can walk and sit up on his own, can take off and put on clothing, shows interest in the toilet, is uncomfortable wearing wet or soiled diapers, understands what is expected.
T	TAKE time off if the child has many accidents or wants to go back to diapers. Calmly switch back and wait until the child is ready to try again.
Y	YOU have to decide which potty training method works for you and your child. Child-sized potty chair or adult toilet with step Diapers or cloth underwear Encouragement Letting the child spend the day in just diapers or in loose-fitting elastic waist pants that are easy for the child to remove.

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