Questions And Answers

Q: We're about to begin PT our son, ought to we get training pants straight away?



A: Better not straight away because of frequent accidents in early days, unless the pants themselves are incentive for your son. Also laundry will increase if using cloth pants. Stick with diapers until some success achieved then switch over a period of good results in a relaxed way. It is usually simpler to develop on success.



Potty training isn't a procedure that works overnight. Having your child use training pants immediately at the start might have some negative effects on the child. Accidents will happen quite often during the earlier stages of training and children may feel some humiliation when accidents often occur in their training pants. Diapers contain the mess and the feeling of being dirty and wet is a lot less. Training pants have a thin layer that is created to hold some or most of the liquid in when an accident happens but is not as efficient as diaper absorption.



Frequent subjection to the feeling of being uncomfortable in the early stages may lead to unwillingness to cooperate during the potty training process. Sticking to diapers until some success has been achieved will save the child the initial discomfort and would be much more convenient for parents in regards to cleaning up.



Q: We have just began potty training and our son refuses to go back to diapers and insists on pants all the time although he is having lots of accidents and is walking around wet and worse!



A: Do not force the diapers and support him throughout it even if it will mean putting up with accidents. It's good that your son is expressing his preferences with regard to his own potty training. Reduce accidents by encouraging normal potty use. Dress him in quickly removed clothing (and quickly washed) and watch his body language for signs of imminent soiling. Avoid locations where toileting is not feasible and suggest disposable training pants on some occasions. At all times carry a change of clothes and do not get upset when accidents happen. If he does not make progress in time agree a compromise of disposable training pants until the situation improves.



Regardless of the accidents, it's a step in the correct direction. Even if he walks around dirty and wet for a while he will ultimately discover to that it is simpler and more comfortable to use the potty. Following a routine will help the child discover faster. Although it is additional effort to need to clean up and avoid going locations which are inconvenient throughout this period it's worth it. His unwillingness to return to diapers shows his awareness to potty training and his readiness and willingness to go via the process.



Q: My son refuses to let us clean him right after he uses the potty. He doesn't do a proper job himself, what can we do?



A: Don't force the problem as it might make him withhold the potty visit entirely. Initially, attempt to teach him how to clean himself correctly using a dolly or cuddly toy and let him practice on it. Correct method may take a time to be learned but in the meantime ask him to let you check him periodically right after he has cleaned himself and praise him even if its not perfect. Then do an additional clean up at bath time or prior to bed.



It is also a good idea to help make clean up much more entertaining and fun. Sing songs or make up a song specifically for this occasion. Make cleaning time play time to reduce resistance. Cleaning your son instantly is really a practice of great hygiene. Leaving your him dirty following accidents may result in bacterial infections and cross contamination to others in the household.



Q: Our son is terrified of the flushing toilet. The fear is ruining our PT time!



A: This is really a common concern that may sabotage potty training success. Forcing the child to confront a fear like this head on isn't a great idea and might turn fear into phobia. For now leave the flushing until your son has left the room. Then over time let him get used to the noise from a distance, then from the doorway and so on until he can stand beside the toilet. When he is prepared he can pull lever himself. Also the sight of things disappearing down the drain may be upsetting in itself. Again be supportive and allow the child time to get used to the idea. It might be simpler to explain what exactly is happening to the waste and let the child bid it farewell! You may even let the child practice flushing without the actual waste but just with tissue paper. Make certain the child is conscious this game cannot be played with car-keys or dollar bills!



Children are very resilient. They can adapt rapidly to their environment and stressful situations, much much better than adults. Making them conscious that there is absolutely nothing to fear whenever you flush the toilet is the initial step in winning this battle. Creating flushing the toilet into a game would help him overcome this fear. This will take a bit of time and additional effort than normal however it will pass.



Q: Our son started urinating sitting down and now won"t think about standing up. What do we do?



A: If he is able to go sitting and the rest of the training is going well then don't rush him into changing. Abilities take time to develop and changing once more will cause confusion. Urinating standing up is tricky and requires more coordination. If feasible demonstration should come from dad or another responsible male. Standing peeing into a small potty is difficult and it'll be less messy if a proper toilet is utilized while standing on a stool/step. Help him practice hitting targets, produced from tissue paper.



You may also attempt to create it a enjoyable game and simpler for him by employing special training stickers or target toys. These are fantastic tools in encouraging boys to make use of the potty as well as practice their aim. The stickers are generally placed inside the potty or toilet and the boy tries to hit them with the “pee-pee". This activity won't only make him much better in aiming the urine stream but might also be a encouragement for faster potty training. These may be bought in any children"s specialty stores or online.



Q. Our son likes to take the potty everywhere - all round the house and in the family car to go to family - when could we get him to maintain it in bathroom?



A. There is no wrong place for potty for now, when he is choosing it 100% then confine it to the bathroom and then gradually move him on to the primary toilet (that cant be moved!). The key to a effective potty training would be to make it relaxed and fun for the child. Restricting him in one particular place is a sure way in making the activity less desirable for him. Allow him to have his way for a time, until he is used to it and comfortable in using his potty. Don't force the issue at the very beginning otherwise you might encounter resistance.



Q . Our son loves to use his potty but has grown to be too attached to his stool and would like to play with it, please help!



A. Some toddlers consider bowel movements as achievements to be celebrated and enjoyed - explain to him calmly that for hygienic reasons this is not a good idea - do not scold or punish. These will only make him shy away from potty training.



Instead, you can get picture books and toys that you might use to explain that his stools include things like germs and bacteria that can trigger illness. Try to do this an entertaining way rather than being scary!



As soon as your son understands that touching his stool isn't a good idea, you may also interject lessons about why washing after going to the potty is also essential.



For the next couple of sessions distract him with another enjoyable creative activity as he completes his business and dispose of the contents or get him to assist before he gets the chance to touch, with time he will become much less interested. Boys are as amazed by their stools throughout the early stages of potty training as they are by numerous news things in their lives. They are full of curiosity about various textures, smells and feelings. You are able to satisfy this urge by letting them use modeling clay or Play-doh instead.



Also consider moving him to the primary toilet and letting him flush the waste away. Seeing his stools vanish into the swirling water may provide wonder and additional entertainment for him, making him much more attracted to the thought of flushing down his stools rather than playing with them.



Q. When can we move our son from potty to toilet?



A. Your son may feel more secure on a lower potty than a high toilet so let him take the lead assuming the potty is usually working well. Introduce him to the toilet on bathroom visits with you and try to develop his interest in the "grown-up" potty.



Permit him to initiate the move. Particularly if he has a male role model, he will eventually make the first step in utilizing the "big potty" to attempt and imitate how a grown up uses the toilet.



He should also be physically able to reach and use the toilet comfortably. Purchasing an add-on child's seat and/or a small step or ladder may be a good transition and assist him to transition faster.



Q. Our son hardly ever had diaper rash when he wore diapers all day, now he only wears them at night and has developed a diaper rash?



A. Some infants develop a resistance to the acidic urine when they are exposed to it 24/7 in diapers but when they are exposed to the air throughout the day they can lose this resistance and they develop a rash at nighttime only. Also because a potty trained toddler tends to hold in his urine longer it becomes more concentrated. Once he starts to remain drier during the night diaper rash will probably be a thing of the past, in the meantime treat like regular diaper rash and use a barrier cream. This may stop new rashes from happening. Frequent diaper changing will also assist as it keeps the child's bottom as dry as possible. Also, letting his bottom get an airing out throughout the day time will help tremendously in drying the rashes.



Q We would like to put our child into pre-school but he is still in diapers - the new term is a couple of months away should we step up the potty training?



There are schools that accept children which are not yet potty trained and will even assist in the process. But the majority would not accept a child that is not yet trained. It's advisable to take a look at the schools approach and their regulations before enrolling your child.



For schools which are not willing to take an untrained child you have two choices - either postpone the schooling until he is trained even if that would mean missing a term or much more, or begin the process well in time to accomplish success prior to term starts.



Though the initial choice is ideal for potty training situation, it might trigger delays in the child's schooling and have other knock-on effects. However, in the event you go for the second choice, it is essential to be sure the child is truly ready to undertake the potty training. You'll be putting yourself up against a deadline, that might not suit you or your child.



Q. Our 3 year old child has been staying clean and dry throughout the day for nearly 6 months but still wakes up wet each and every morning - are we missing anything?



A. Staying dry at daytime is much simpler to achieve for children than at night. Quite a few have a bladder that has not yet totally developed sufficiently to control wetting the bed during deep sleep. It is actually fairly regular for a potty trained boy to occasionally wet his beds until the age of five, some do even up to the age of 10.



The essential factor is to speak to the child about it in a nice way, and to give encouragement in the process. There are also some approaches that you can take to make it easier to change this habit or to make it simpler for you and your child.



Use bed protectors.

Use extra absorbent underwear or nighttime training pants for the child at night.

Decrease the intake of liquids just before sleeping.



If night bed wetting becomes much more frequent, you might have to resort to alarms that automatically sound when the child starts to wet the bed. This will awaken the child (and the parent!) from sleep. He can then be encouraged to finish his business in the toilet. Over time these incidents ought to become less frequent, if they do not it might be an thought to seek medical advice in case there is an underlying condition.





About The Author:

Michelle Murphy is a reluctant expert in potty training, thanks to her 5 and 3 year old boys who have completely opposite ideas on how to use the potty. The Internet has been a best friend to Michelle during these milestones with her sons. Her goal is to share useful tips with other mothers through Potty Training Boys. Learn from her experiences and be prepared in your own potty training journey.