Potty training can be a difficult developmental milestone for children. Parents sometimes find it hard to have patience while a child is trying to accomplish this milestone. Handicare believes in working very closely with you to make sure that we are consistent in our expectations. We have noticed that children seem to potty train faster when their peers are training at the same time; however no two children progress at the same rate. Most all children go through the following three phases when working on becoming potty trained.
Physical Readiness. The child must have a dry diaper for at least two hours, and must also show interest in sitting on the toilet.
Recognition and Understanding. The child must recognize the task at hand and the sensations that are associated with it. The child can successfully urinate or have a bowel movement in the toilet and may also begin to tell an adult before or after s/he has gone to the bathroom.
Motivation. This is usually the longest and the hardest sign for everyone to wait for. It involves waiting for the child to remain dry, giving adequate warning to get to the toilet, and wanting to wear �big boy or big girl� underwear. This frequently involves many accidents, but it is essential to achieve potty training. A child is never told that they must continue wearing wet or soiled clothing. If they soil their pants, then a staff will change them and respond with something like �Oh well, next time we can try to get this in the toilet.� When a child is willing to sit on a toilet, even if nothing happens, the child is still given praise for trying.
Potty training must be a positive experience for the child despite the frustrations. Parents and staff need to reinforce how proud everyone is that the child will use the toilet and that they will be able to wear �big kid� underwear.
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