Teaching a child to the potty is often quite a challenge, especially in light of the prolonged use of disposable diapers. In most cases, the child begins to use it consciously after reaching two years. It is quite difficult to unequivocally answer the question of at what age to accustom a child to the potty . Many of the children master this complex science in just three to four days, while others will need several weeks, or even months. However, in order to facilitate this process in the future, you can begin to accustom the baby to hygiene already from three to four months.
To make it easier later to teach the child to the potty, some parents already at this age practice “planting” him over a diaper, laid on the floor. It is better to do this after waking up the baby or some time after he ate. If you see that the child has been dry for an hour and a half already, you can also hold him over a diaper or basin. These simple enough manipulations can make your task much easier in the future.
In fairness, it should be noted that not all mothers manage to “plant” three to four month old babies. Often, kids groan, be naughty and turn around, and often the parents themselves do not have enough patience - they stop teaching the child to “plant”, without really even starting. However, it is still worthwhile to show restraint: subsequently it will be much easier to accustom the child to the potty. In order to track at what time it will be necessary to keep it over the diaper, it is better to manage for several days without “diapers” or “haggis”.
You can start planting the baby on the pot when he reaches the age of seven to eight months, when he will already sit well. The pot should be comfortable (better - with a back, in the form of a stool). Its sides should be wide so as not to cut into the legs. To begin with, psychologists advise putting a child on a potty in clothes, so that he just gets used to this new subject. If the baby categorically protests, it is better to abandon attempts to accustom the child to the pot. Some experts even recommend temporarily removing the pot, but others, on the contrary, advise leaving it in a visible place - so the baby will get used to it faster. After some time, the attempt must be repeated. You can remove the diaper when the baby is no longer afraid. Be sure to ensure that the pot is not cold - for example, warm it under a stream of warm water, otherwise the child will gain a negative attitude towards him.
You need to plant the baby on the pot at the same time. To make him understand why this is necessary, it is recommended, for example, to shake the contents of the diaper into the pot or to make the corresponding sounds. You can also try to "plant" a doll or a bear on a pot, explaining to the child what they are going to do. It is impossible to predict which method will be most effective in your case. One thing is certain: accustoming a child to a pot will be more difficult if done violently. It is better to turn training in this hygienic skill into an easy and simple game that evokes positive emotions. Here you can recall, for example, the witty method recommended by one American parent: she froze colored ice cubes in the refrigerator, put them in a pot, and then offered her son to “aim” at them. But this method is, rather, for those who are interested in how to teach a child to potty in 2 years or so.
In those cases when you managed to “catch the moment” and drop the baby on time, he should be praised and cuddled. The pot should always be within reach, and the child should be encouraged to sit on it on their own. If you do everything sequentially and accurately, usually from a year and a half the kids already ask for a pot or run to it themselves if necessary. Do not be discouraged if a child who has already requested a pot suddenly stops doing this. Most often, the fact is that the habit has not yet settled, so do not blame it - in a few days everything will go smoothly, and by the age of two the baby will already have developed a stable hygienic skill.