Toilet Procedures for Preschoolers

Training your child to use the toilet regularly is one of the most challenging tasks you have to take on as the parent of a preschooler. Most preschools won't accept children until they can use the bathroom on their own, so it is a crucial step in getting your little one ready for her educational future. When it comes to preparing your child for potty training, there are four primary issues to cover: readiness, timing, hygiene and accidents.

  1. Training Readiness

    • Most children are ready to start potty training between the ages of 2 and 3 years old. Looking for signs that your child is ready to be potty trained is essential to your efforts being successful. A child who is ready can stay dry in a diaper (or a pull-up) for two-hour increments during the daytime and remain dry after waking up from a nap. Children who are ready to be trained also have regular bowl movements and express unhappiness when they are in a dirty diaper. They should also have an awareness of most of their body parts.

    Timing

    • Giving a child who is potty training plenty of opportunity to use the bathroom is important to the success of their training. Children should be given the opportunity to use the bathroom at least every two hours. They should also be taken to use the bathroom after they eat, even if it's just a snack or drink. This remains true after they are trained and in preschool. When you are first training a child, he may try to use the bathroom as frequently as every 15 minutes. The amount of time between bathroom visits increases as children learn their own habits and needs.

    Hygiene

    • To prevent the spread of illness, it's essential that children learn proper bathroom hygiene. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that children wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds. To ensure that your little one washes her hands for the correct amount of time, have her sing the ̶0;Happy Birthday̶1; song twice before she stops washing her hands. Make sure there is always soap available for washing and towels for drying within the reach of the sink, or children may drip water on the floor, which can create a slipping hazard.

    Accidents

    • Children who have recently learned, or are still learning, how to use the bathroom will inevitably have accidents. It's important never to scold a child who has a bathroom accident. When it happens, reassure her that it is normal and and use plenty of positive reinforcement when she uses the bathroom accident-free. Keep a change of clothes with you and make sure to send a change of clothes to preschool with your child.

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