TOILET TRAINING
In this module, we’re going to talk about how to get started on toilet training. We will give you some ideas about what you can do if your child has difficulty learning to use the toilet during the day or wets the bed at night. Begin with the Module Overview, found below. Then, work your way through each of these sections in the order listed. When you reach the end of each section, you will find a link to the next.
Troubleshooting And Schedule Training
General Tips on Bowel Training
Module Overview
In this module, we are going to talk about “toilet training.” This refers to teaching children to use the toilet for both urine and bowel movements (BM’s). People use different words for these functions. We’ll talk about training children to “urinate”, “pee” or “go #1” into the toilet (urine training). Then we’ll talk about training children to “move their bowels”, “have a BM”, “poop” or “go #2” into the toilet (bowel training). You should use whatever words you are comfortable with.
Read this module all the way through. Then decide where to begin with your child. Your child may already use the toilet for urine, but still have bowel accidents. Or maybe your child is afraid to sit on the toilet. After reading this whole module, you can decide which parts apply to your child right now.
First, we’ll talk about signs that your child may be ready to start toilet training (Readiness). Then we’ll talk about getting your child started, in Daytime Urine Training Part 1. After that, we’ll do some Troubleshooting if your child is afraid to sit on the toilet. We will also describe a different method. You can use this if the first method doesn’t work for you. This different method is called Schedule Training. Then we’ll talk about teaching your child to initiate use of the toilet on her own, in Daytime Urine Training Part 2. This is followed by General Tips on Bowel Training and Beginning Bowel Training. Finally, we’ll give you some general ideas about how to deal with Bed-Wetting.
Readiness: When is Your Child Ready to start Toilet Training?
Many children get interested in how people use the toilet when the the children are around age two. Many typical children can be toilet trained during the day for urination before their third birthday. Most children can be fully toilet trained during the day by their fourth birthday. If your child has an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental condition, she may be ready a bit later. But if your child is near the age of four, you should begin toilet training. This is true even if she shows only a few signs that she is ready.
Let’s talk about the skills your child needs to be ready for toilet training. It is best if your child can:
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It is a good sign that your child’s bladder is mature enough for toilet training if she usually urinates a fair amount each time she goes. Very young children tend to urinate only a few drops at a time, but much more often. The diaper will be damp a lot of the time, but not soaked all at once. You can tell how much your child is urinating each time by checking her diaper often. You might find that it is dry for an hour or more at a time. And then another time, it’s heavy and soaked with urine. That’s a better sign that she is ready to start toilet training than if it is damp most of the time. It is best, but not necessary, that she be dry for 1-2 hours at a time.
There are some skills that aren’t really necessary for toilet training to be successful, but that will make it easier.
These are:
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