Potty-training was not my favorite phase in motherhood. In fact, it felt like weeks of constantly checking in with your little several times a day to ensure they don’t go in their pants. The minute you turn your back, there is an accident!! What gives? Surely there is an easier way to potty-train your toddler.
The folks at Little Human Scholars put their heads together and came up with a list of potty-training dos and don’ts for parents who are at their wits end! The teachers and caretakers at Little Human Scholars help potty-train children while their mommies and daddies are off to work, and take care of any little accidents which happen during the day. Here are some of their secrets!
Potty-Training Dos and Don’ts from the Teachers at LHS
Get your Little on a schedule
Some children may go right after meals, and other children might go before bedtime or playtime. Understanding and knowing your child’s routine will support you in knowing when to take them to the toilet. For example, every morning your child might wake up at 8am, have breakfast at 8:30am, followed by playtime, etc. Having a schedule in place will support you in knowing when in the day they go number one or number two. Keep in mind, going right before bed and right when your child wakes up will also minimise accidents!
Communication is key
Getting your child to tell you when they need to potty depends on the child. After all, some children are more talkative than others and it is crucial for you to understand how your kiddo communicates. If a parent sets up a channel of communication where the child not only feels safe to communicate but is rewarded for doing so then this will make your job as a parent easier and puddle-free.
Read the cues!
Every child communicates differently; some children are very good with verbal communication while others may start to do a little “I gotta go” dance, or make an intensely focused face….like they are trying to solve a complex math problem. Understand the cues your child gives and waste no time to get them to the bathroom!
Go as often as possible… every 15 minutes if needed!
Keep in mind that every child is different and will require different potty-training strategies to ease them into this new practice. While some children may take to the new experience like a duck in water, other children may need to be reminded often. After all, there is so much to see, and do and touch as a child, that it can be easy to forget that they have started a new routine! Reminding your child often, every 15 minutes if needed, does support some children in remembering and anchoring the whole potty-training process. This may require one parent taking some time off work if a maid or nanny is not available.
Let them run around without their knickers!
Some children, including boys, tend to go on their own when they run around the house naked. There is one parent at our school, Little Human Scholars preschool and playschool, who has been doing this for a week or two, and her son has been going on his own without even asking his mommy or daddy for help!
Celebrate the wins.
When your child does manage to go on the big boy or big girl potty, celebrate with them! Compliment them on the work they have done and do a happy dance with them! This positive anchoring will support them in looking forward to the potty as opposed to being scared or intimidated by it.
Accidents may happen, encourage them through it!
When your child has an accident, don’t make a big deal out of it and don’t discourage them by punishing or yelling at them. Again, this is a new routine that may take a bit of practice. They didn’t learn how to walk the first time they tried; it took a bit of time and patience before the right neural connections were made within their brain. The same goes for potty-training.
Limit bedtime drinks
An old rule but a good rule, limit bedtime drinks…unless you really like waking up in the middle of the night to change sheets and clean mattresses! Some parents prefer not to give drinks up to two hours before bed. While this may work in some temperate zones such as the United States and some parts of Europe, this can be difficult in places near the equator such as Malaysia. If bedtime drinks absolutely cannot be limited, try keeping a diaper on during the night just until they can confidently wake up without a wet diaper!
Make it into a game!
Kids love games, at least most of them do. One cool idea I found while scouring the internet was to create a little table where they can put stickers every time they successfully use the potty! At the end of the row you can reward them with a fun activity or outing, such as going to the petting zoo or visiting a water park.
About Little Human Scholars School and Full Day Daycare Centre in PJ
Little Human Scholars is an all-in-one childcare solution. It is a preschool, playschool, kindergarten, nursery and full day daycare centre (with extended hours) located in the heart of PJ.
In fact, the location is one of the things which makes Little Human Scholars so sought after – it is conveniently nestled near Jalan Gasing, University hospital, PJ Old town, PJ New town, Jaya One, Jaya33, and the PJ IT Mall.
The best part is LHS has premiere services many other schools in PJ don’t offer such as full-day daycare with extended hours, CCTV access for parents, and a nifty little phone app called Toddlytic which provides parents with automatic updates on their child’s development, behaviour and health checks.
With full-time guards always present at each of their locations, access to CCTV (which is in every room except the office, bathroom and kitchen areas), and very strict pick-up and drop-off rules, Little Human Scholars treats every child who walks into its hallways as one of their own children!
This place has it all: location, safety, health, IGSCE curriculum and play-based learning. What more could you ask for? Did I mention they also have transportation services and offer meal plans for students? It doesn’t get any better than that.
If you are interested in a tour of one of our centres (that’s right, there’s more than one), all you need to do is fill out the form here or call +6017-7303-025 and an LHS administrative staff will get back with you shortly!
Cheers,
Jana Moreno