Toilet training is a very important stage in your child’s entry into society and culture. It is an important aspect of child care and child development. You could start toilet training your child anytime between 18 months to 3 years. It is around this period that children begin to develop muscle control. But there might be some delay in children in the case of disabilities and also under certain medical conditions.

Make sure that your child is ready for toilet training before you begin. It takes around three months of time to get your child toilet trained. Following are some of the signs which suggest that your child is ready for toilet training :

• If your child is able to sit down for some time and play.
• If your child begins to show anxiety and eagerness to walk and run.
• If your child is able to follow certain simple directions.
• If the child understands that he/she has to keep things like toys back to the place where it belongs to after playing.
• If your child shows signs when the diaper is wet or soiled.
• If your child has a name for urine and bowel movement.

Toilet Training

• Whenever your child wets or dirties the diaper, use the name your child uses for urine or bowel movement to tell your child what he/she has done.
• Let your child watch the other family members using the toilet.
• Drop the discards from the diaper into the toilet and let your child flush it. Also let your child watches the bowel movement disappearing as he/she flushes.
• Try to notice and remember when are the times that your child usually needs to empty his/her bowels. Try to read the expression in your child’s face or other signs which indicates that your child needs to go to toilet.
• In the beginning, let your child sit on their little potties fully clothed so that they will know how to use it. After few days, make them sit with their pants off several times a day to make them comfortable sitting on the potties.
• Let your child run around bare bottomed so that they can use the potty whenever they want to.
• If your child urinates or empties his/her bowel in the potty, shower them with praise.
• If your child makes mistakes, do not scold or punish him or her.

Toilet training requires a lot of patience from your and your child’s part. If you find difficulty at any point of time, get the advice of your child’s pediatrician