From what age to teach children to the potty. At what age and how to teach a child to potty?

Each mother carefully monitors the development of her child, worrying whether he is eating properly, whether he began to crawl, sit and walk on time. She painstakingly introduces complementary foods, weans from the breast and thinks about how to quickly and painlessly do this. Particular attention is paid to the hygiene of the baby. Despite the fact that at present the use of reusable diapers makes it much easier to keep the skin clean and dry, sooner or later the time will come when the parent will think: at what age should the child be accustomed to the potty? Finding the exact answer is unlikely to succeed. But to understand all the nuances and secrets of success or failure in such a crucial matter this article will help.

Saving, neat or just nothing to do?

First you need to figure out where and why all this hype arises around a seemingly simple and ordinary case related to a simple childish device - a pot. After all, there is no child who could not learn to use this simple subject.

Here are the main reasons pushing young mothers to educate tidiness children.

1. They want to prove something to someone. They begin to do this, for example, from such considerations that for all acquaintances the children themselves have long been asking for "pee", and their baby is "no worse than the rest." It happens, on the contrary, mothers want to stand out among their friends. After all, all the kids still go in diapers, and their baby is “special”!
2. Someone wants to save on washing clothes and buying expensive diapers or just tired of messing with diapers.
3. The third reason. Mom read somewhere that after reaching a certain age the child is already going to the pot, and was frightened. Is her child behind in development?

Important point

Some mothers are completely uninterested at what age they need to teach a child to a potty. They are calm and confident that everything will happen by itself and in due time. This is at best. Worse, when, on the contrary, the parents are doubted that the child will not cope, and they are afraid to even attempt to teach the potty. Indeed, in the event that the result is negative, this will entail a lot of anxiety and anxiety that their baby does not comply with any developmental standards.

If you are wondering at what age and how to accustom a child to a pot, you need to know two important points. You must understand that this is a special skill that is of great importance for the body, and take into account the individual willingness of the baby to learn to recognize and control his desires and actions associated with these processes. Willingness comes with a certain maturity of the psyche.

The opinion of experts

No pediatrician will argue when to properly accustom a child to the potty. It is believed that it is most advisable to begin this process when the baby is 18 months old. This conclusion is based on the physiological characteristics of the body, since up to this age, urination and stool are reflex in nature. The baby does not feel the filling of the excretory organs and cannot control the actions to empty them. This means that it is quite natural and normal that he can "cope with his affairs" at any time, and it does not matter what he was busy with before. So, the expression "childhood surprises." It becomes clear why the baby's parents waste time and effort in order to develop a persistent skill. This happens if they do not know at what age to teach children a pot.

Speaking from the point of view of science, then all the processes are controlled by the brain, into which certain signals enter. To recognize the transmission of such impulses of the nervous system, the baby will become closer to two years. For example, children begin to feel the filling of the rectum a little earlier than the feeling of the need to empty the bladder.

How to determine the readiness of the child?

Many mothers prefer to listen to the advice of a pediatrician, who is constantly observed. An experienced doctor will be able to tell from a scientific point of view at what age it is better to start accustoming a child to the potty. He is able to assess the state of the nervous system, the level of psychological development of the baby, as well as the organs that are involved in the processes of urination and defecation. The doctor will ask about the skills and achievements of the baby and help to make a conclusion about whether it is time to get acquainted with the pot.

Usually this period is timed to the moment when the baby can confidently sit and walk, show with gestures or sounds that he wants to use the toilet. When he understands and knows how to follow simple instructions, he expresses dissatisfaction with wet clothes, strives to take off or put on his panties, imitate adults.

Other signs of baby readiness

1. May remain dry for 2 hours or more throughout the day.
2. Bowel movements become predictable and regular.
3. When it is easy to determine that the child is performing a bowel movement or urination (posture, facial expressions, stops playing).

Of course, not all of these signs should be. Attentive and caring mothers are usually able to identify them themselves and decide at what age to teach children to potty.

From theory to practice

For the baby in this case, it is important that the training takes place in a natural and calm environment. It is unacceptable to force the baby to do something if he does not show desire, protests, and scold him. The same applies to potty training. You should not start if: the child is sick or has just recovered; the family has recently replenished; there was a move to another apartment or some kind of crisis. In such cases, it does not matter at what age to accustom children to the pot. It is better to postpone training so as not to expose the baby to additional stress.

Few people pay attention to the fact that you should not combine several classes. That is, sitting on the potty, the child should not be distracted, for example, by toys, television or food.

1. Put the child on the potty at least twice a day. But without excessive zeal (for 5-10 minutes). Otherwise, he will get tired of it quickly.
2. The first time you can plant right in the diaper, panties, pantyhose or sliders (so as not to cause unpleasant sensations, for example, from contact with the cold).
3. If within 5-10 minutes there is no result, pick up the baby, let him play until the next time.
4. After a few days, you can try to plant on a pot without a diaper.
5. Offer a pot to your child if you notice that he is tense, presses. Some kids hide in the corners, under the table, when they want to use the toilet. But be careful, do not scare the baby, otherwise he will restrain his urination.
6. Stop using diapers during the day. After all, the child practically does not know what it is to be wet, and he does not understand the need to go to the potty. A baby accustomed to diapers is more difficult to accustom. In this sense, it is easier when the baby is accustomed to dry clothes from the first days. Then, if he describes himself, he does not like the sensation of wet panties. And mother, perhaps, will have fewer troubles in solving the problem of how to teach a child to a pot and from what age.
7. Be sure to invite the baby to go to the toilet before going to bed. It is also effective to plant a child on a potty after eating and sleeping. Do not let him drink a lot of liquid at night.

The expression of joy of parents, when the crumbs will be able to do their job on the pot, positively affects the learning outcomes. The baby will not mistakenly feel that her mother’s attitude to him does not depend on his successes.

Learning tips

Tell your child what the pot is for. A clear example is clear to the kid. Some mothers use a doll or soft toy to show him how to use a potty. Other parents take the baby to the toilet with them, so that he can imagine how adults relieve their needs. A small child does not yet perceive gender differences in terms of how this is done. Still others demonstrate how a used diaper goes into a pot.

Gender

Sometimes mothers of girls worry that the baby still does not go to the potty. Although it is believed that they are developing faster, in fact there are no differences in this matter. How to teach a boy and a girl to the pot? When to start? Here in each case there should be an individual approach. In some sources, there is information that it is a little more difficult for boys to control the corresponding muscles during urination due to physiological characteristics.

Instead of a conclusion

To wear diapers or not to carry to a child, and from what age to teach children to a potty is an individual matter. In any case, the baby's natural reflexes are also developed, and the formation of a sensation and understanding of the need for emptying the excretory organs still occurs when it is provided for by nature.

Hence the conclusion - the more the baby will be developed by the time the mother makes a decision to start training, the less attempts, efforts and time it will take to achieve the final result - using the pot for its intended purpose.

However, do not be upset if you can’t cope with the problem for a long time. This is just a matter of patience and time. Now we know at what age and how to accustom the child to the potty.