Toilet Training Your Children

If you have a stubborn child or stubborn children, toilet training can be a bit more of a challenge than usual. I've watched my little brothers grow up and go through toilet training and Eric (whom is now 5 turning 6) was the stubborn one. But, he is now fully toilet trained (thank goodness) and it all came down to strategy. That's right! To toilet train a child you must have a strategy... a game plan if you like. Here are some good tips I have found very useful (which as a family we discover through toilet training the little ones).

#1: Reward Them - I have found that most kids love stickers. Draw up a chart and put a sticker on the chart every time they use the toilet rather than their nappy. If you like, you can even have an aim with the stickers. For example, if they get up to 20 stickers you might buy them an icecream... something like that.

This method was actually used on me and one of my brothers (Tom whom is now 16) when we were little. Except instead of stickers my mother created, what she called, 'Mummy Money'. LOL! Yep, Mummy money. Instead of being given pocket money etc, we were given Mummy money. My mother designed a chart telling us how much we would need to save up to buy certain things. As I recall, it certainly worked.

#2: If You Have More Than One Child Being Toilet Trained At A Time, Make It A Competition - Okay, I'm sure you're thinking, "No way, that's cruel" but to tell you the truth, it's not and it works! When I say, "Make it a competition" I don't mean tease whichever child doesn't use the toilet as much or anything like that. Instead, what you do is everytime one of them goes to the toilet, you tell the others that they are. For example, Eric was extremely stubborn and refused to use the toilet. When Adam (who is almost 2 years younger than him) decided to have a go and liked feeling like a 'big boy', Eric got a little bit competitive. I guess his pattern of thought was, "Hey! You're too young to be using the toilet! Especially before me!" and in no time at all, they were both using the toilet. I guess you could say they were feeding off each other eagerness in the end. It was brilliant

#3: Make Them Feel Comfortable - Buy them (what I think they call) a toddler potty seat. This goes on top of the actual toilet seat and it is usually a little bit cushioned. This is to make your child feel a little more comfortable and to prevent them from going for a swim in your bathroom toilet.

Another way of making them feel comfortable is to ask them where they would like you to wait. They may want you in there with them or they may want you to wait outside the door. Talk to them so that they know you're there if they need you.

#4: Don't Yell At Them - Don't yell at them if they wet the bed, miss the toilet, get stage fright... they are going to do this, and sometimes it is hard but you have to encourage them even when they make a mistake rather than yell at them.

#5: No More Nappy Ready - Night nappies and 'Pull-Ups' are mighty expensive compared to the normal everyday ones. Don't bother buying them. Use the ones you always have when training them. The real way to getting them to no longer need to wear a nappy to bed... well, at all in fact, is to give them an aim/goal. I'll use my little brother Eric as an example. Most kids can be toilet trained quite quickly but them being able to use the toilet during the day and them being able to sleep through the night without a nappy on are two totally different things. Eric could use the toilet during the day but he couldn't sleep through the night without a nappy on without wetting the bed. His body wasn't use to it. So, this is what we did.

Eric would wear undies during the day and by night he would wear a nappy. We would tell him that if he could go 10 nights without using his nappy (eg. having a completely dry nappy when he awoke the next morning) he could sleep without one on. Now, this doesn't always work the first time round, so don't be surprised if after 10 nights, the nappy comes off and the bed wetting takes place. Like everything, it takes time and a little getting use to. You should find you child/ren are eager to do so though. They just want to be big like you and me.

Anyway, that's all the tips I have for you for now. I am positive that I will think of more and I will be sure to add them as I think of them! But, for now, I hope these tips help you on your mission to toilet train your kids.