Toilet Learning: Following the Child to Success

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Toilet Learning Following the Child to Success

• Melanie Hortch
• and
• Tammy Young

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Toilet learning

• Natural process
• Physical and emotional process for all involved
• Child is becoming interested and independent
• Wanting to control their environment, their
  choices, and their bodies
• Must have the confidence and self-respect in
  their life
• MH

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What Toileting is Not

• Facilitated through the parent's efforts
• Not "toilet training
• Rewards and punishment are both unnecessary and
  inappropriate!
• TY

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When does it start?

• Preparation begins at infancy
• Provide a language base with the infant
• Learn the sense that they are wet and discover
  the cause and effect of their urination
• Assist in washing hands
• MH

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Stand up Diapering

• 6 to 12 months old
• Follow the child
• Strive to stand
• Independence in diapering
• More language
• Washing hands
• MH

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Twelve Months Old

• Become quite interested in the bathroom
• Sensation of water exploration
• Toilet
• Sink
• Basin
• Water table
• Sensorial table
• TY

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Introduce Toileting Routine

• Pulling down their own pants
• Sitting on the toilet correctly
• Wiping their bottoms
• Pulling their pants up
• Flushing
• Washing their hands
• MH

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13 15 Months Old

• Show interest in wearing underpants
• Fascinated with the process of dressing and
  undressing
• Wanting to sit on the toilet or potty chair in
  imitation of their parents and siblings
• Freedom for exploration is necessary
• They may not yet have learned to control their
  bladder or bowel
• TY

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Signs of Readiness

• Know they have the ability to release their
  bodily functions on the toilet
• Stay dry for longer periods of time
• Ability to stop the flow of urine and hold their
  bowels
• Ability to communicate that they need to relieve
  themselves on the toilet
• Desire to succeed at toilet learning!
• MH

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Routine to Success

• self-motivated process
• Routines establish patterns of success just as
  many other practical life skills in the
  Montessori classroom.
• TY

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The FLUSH

• Allow children to experiment with flushing
• Explain body functions
• Respond to questions with clear honest answers
• "Everybody poops
• MH

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Gaining Coordination

• From the head down
• Then arms and the trunk of their body
• Eventually their legs and feet
• Nervous system becomes integrated
• TY

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Eighteen Months Old

• Children have both the physical ability and the
  interest to control bladder and bowel
• Vital to have the opportunity to be in underpants
• Gain a greater awareness of bodily functions
• Ability to control his body
• Increases interest in using the toilet
• MH

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What to wear?

• Underpants
• New underpants
• Different underpants
• Dry underpants
• TY

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What clothing is supportive?

• Pants
• Need to be elastic waist or easy pull to up
• No overalls
• No buttons, zippers, belts
• No one piece outfits
• Shirts
• Need to be pull over shirts
• No buttons, zippers
• Shoes and socks

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Reasons against Pull-ups

• Need to feel the difference from a diaper
• Need to feel the wetness
• Need to experience success
• Difficult to pull down and up
• Provide them your confidence
• Resist the social trend of reaching a plateau
  of pull-ups and go straight to underwear
• TY

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Sensitive Period!

• Watch
• Observe
• Utilize social setting
• Dont miss it!

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sensitive period ends

• 24 months old
• Then toileting becomes more difficult
• Becomes more of an issue between child and parent
• Ideally eliminate diapers
• TY

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Toilet options

• Toilet
• Potty chairs
• Toilet ring
• Stool must be able to touch floor with feet
• MH

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Child Friendly Spaces

• Be encouraging by preparing the environment to
  support the child when he is ready
• Old towels for cleaning up accidents
• Wipes for the child to use
• Underpants stored on a low shelf
• Hamper for wet or soiled underpants
• Towels for car seats
• Always the necessary supply of extra clothing,
  including socks and shoes

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Importance of Parent / Teacher Communication

• Vital to have teamwork
• Consistency throughout the day
• Child needs to know what is expected
• Are there any changes going on at home or at
  school
• Most children who are put into underpants at this
  age, can be using the toilet consistently within
  a few weeks or months
• TY

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Inconsistency

• If a child is put back into diapers after telling
  him/her that you believe in their ability to use
  the toilet, it sends mixed messages.
• This will delay the success of the process.
• MH

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How to initiate the process through encouragement

• Be supportive of their interest in the process
• Provide them access to explore
• Supportive independent clothing
• Patience and encouraging words
• Supportive of the process not just the success
• TY

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Accidents are expected

• Trial and error
• Patience and understanding
• Encourage the child to clean up their accidents
• I see that there is urine in your underwear.
  Lets go get some dry underwear. Next time when
  you need to release yourself, let me know and I
  will come with you to the toilet so your
  underwear can stay dry.
• MH

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Helpful hints

• They do not want to stop working to use the
  toilet
• Save their work or bring it to the restroom
• Do you need/want to use the restroom?
• It is time to go to the restroom.
• TY

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Mastery

• Some children are quick
• Some children take several months
• Some are able to control the urine but not their
  bowel movements or the other way around
• Refinement and independence increase

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Toilet Learning Timeline

• Birth to 6 mo
• Diapering, introduction to wetness
• 6 months to 12 months
• Stand-up diapering, language
• 12 months to 18 months
• Toileting routine and exposure
• 18 months to 30 months
• Toileting independence and confidence
• 30 months to 36 months
• Refinement and Mastery!

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Staying dry at night

• Master day time first
• Watch the night time diaper to be dry for at
  least two weeks
• Have a liner on the bed - let the child know it
  is there to help them be successful
• Limit bedtime liquids
• If they wake up wet, again, non-threatening let
  them know you see they are wet and need to change
  into dry clothes.

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• Patience
• time!

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• http//www.littleredrobin.com/pages/toileting_the_
  montesorri_way.asp