Toilet training is a big step for any child – boy or girl; it can sometimes be a difficult (and messy!) process because if your child is not ready it can take quite a long time although we believe that Max will help shorten the process.
In addition to Max, there appear to be a few well-accepted guidelines you can follow to make your life a little bit easier:
When should we start?
The truth is that the age range for toilet training is large. The usual age to begin is between 2 and 3 years old, although in certain circumstances can be as early as 18 months and traditionally can take, on average, 8 to 10 months. Many children will fall outside of these parameters and be completely healthy and normal.
More important than a child’s age is their readiness for toilet training. There are some well-documented and ‘tell tale’ signs that you can look for that will alert you to your child’s readiness. Some very good advice on this can be found on the Baby Centre website who provide a readiness checklist at www.babycentre.co.uk/toddler/pottytraining/whenchildready Where to start?
The idea of using a toilet will be alien to young infants and will seem quite daunting. Even before your child is ready, introducing a Max Ball to your toilet can help to stimulate interest and should help your child see the process as fun. We believe that the key is to let your child lead the way. Some children will need time to get familiar with the idea before using the toilet. Let them sit on the toilet or (if appropriate) allow him to watch another child use it.
If your child is accustomed to seeing parents or older siblings use the toilet they may prefer to use the 'big' toilet with a child's seat instead of a potty. Allow them to sit on the toilet when they ask or even offer them to try it. If they like it, buy them a step-stool to make life easier involving them in the buying process.
Help your child by putting on clothes that can be removed easily as it might encourage them to go on their own more if they don’t have to battle with their clothes every time.
If appropriate, make sure that your child’s nursery or child minder know what you are doing to avoid them getting treated differently by different big people. It may also be a good idea to give your child’s nursery a Max Ball offering consistency in their experience.
What about rewards?
The jury appears to be out on the merits or otherwise of using some form of rewards system with even the experts unable to agree, but if it works for your child it might be worth considering it particularly if they are having trouble staying interested in the process, although using Max should mean the child will be interested enough without the need for additional rewards.
Whether you use a ‘formal’ reward or not, do make sure that you give your child plenty of praise when they use the toilet and all conventional wisdom says ‘do not’ tell your child off if they fail to use the toilet or have an accident – you risk the toilet becoming an object of fear! |
