Toilet training your child
At The Apple Tree International Kindergarten and Nursery in Bangkok’s Phrom Pong area of Sukhumvit Road, we recommend that you start toilet training your child at around two years of age. Some children are ready for toilet training by as young as eighteen months of age, and some take a little longer.
If your child is walking and can sit quietly for short periods, they may be ready for toilet training. But there are some other subtle, tell-tale things to look for in your child that will tell you when is a good time to start their training.
Some hints to recognise the proper time at which to begin toilet training are:
- Shows interest in other people using the bathroom
- Informs you with words or additional signs that they need to go
- Starts to hate wearing a nappy
- Can pull their clothes on and off
- Can follow easy instructions
The first thing to decide is whether you want them to learn on a potty or a toilet. Both methods have their benefits. The potty is portable and can be seen by your child as ‘theirs’ and more familiar in unfamiliar surroundings. This can be useful if your family takes a trip and has to spend the night in a hotel.
The other side of the coin is, if you use this method only, you have to take the potty everywhere the child goes. The downside of using the toilet-only approach is the need to put on a child-friendly seat for them to sit on before using the toilet, and a step up to the toilet seat.
Getting your child to use both the toilet and the potty is the best method to take, but starting them off on the toilet may be an ordeal. Some parents bring their child into the bathroom with them and perch on the toilet seat while you’re shaving, brushing your teeth or washing your face, to get them used to sitting on the toilet.
Sending Signals
Parents need some words to teach their child to define the difference between urination and a bowel movement. These could be as simple as ‘pee’ and poo,’ or ‘number 1’ and ‘number 2’. But they need to be easily understood by someone outside of the family as well like a teacher or baby sitter. This is to avoid any dire misunderstandings and frustrations by your child.
Some non-verbal cues you can look for in your child include passing wind, a change in posture, fidgeting, and going suddenly quiet.
Learn Your Child’s Daily Body Rhythms
Observe your child’s habits. If they generally have a bowel movement shortly after eating, plan for this by setting your child on the potty or toilet shortly after they’ve finished a meal.
Even if they can’t go at the usual time, praise them for trying and let them know you’re ready when they are. Ask them at the usual time if they need to use the toilet. This type of gentle persuasion will get them thinking about it before an accident happens.
Teach Them Proper Hygiene
The bum gun and toilet tissue are hygienic items that you should teach your child to use as early as possible. The bum gun will be harder for them to use, and you should teach this method after they’ve mastered the use of toilet tissue.
Always teach them to wipe themselves from front to back, especially with girls. Always conclude the toilet chores with a thorough washing of the hands.
Schedule a tour and consultation of The Apple Tree International Kindergarten and Nursery if you’re looking for preschools in the Sukhumvit Road area. Our educators can pass along other tips on toilet training that will ensure your child is ready to enter a preschool.