How to say goodbye to diapers, or about it: when to empty your baby

The invention of disposable diapers has made life easier for many parents. However, is it sure that their use also serves our children? The manufacturers ensure that the absorbent diapers will help absorb the poop or pee for 12 hours. If the manufacturers' promises become real, what will motivate our baby to signal a wet diaper? 

Many babies, accustomed to the attractive form of self-service, have a significantly delayed time to separate from the diaper. Parents - already a few years old - wonder how quickly they can empty their baby, due to the fact that the child is enrolled in a kindergarten, where the toddler will have to be without a diaper.

The process of teaching a child to self-service requires that parents be mindful of learning their child's body language. P.it should be organized in such a way that the child is able to focus on the important experiences flowing from his organism. In this article we will discuss aspects related to "cleanliness training" in children. We will consider the right moment to empty your baby and find out when it is possible to start potty bedding.

At what age should I empty my baby?

The question of when to empty a child is asked by parents of children of different ages.

According to the idea of ​​Natural Baby Hygiene (NHN), a child from the first days of life shows the need to urinate and defecate through specific signals. Such a signal may be a grimace on the child's face, grunting, body movements, tense or vocalizing. Of course, as the child grows older, the way people signal their physiological needs changes. Parents who want to follow the idea of ​​Natural Baby Hygiene should observe the child's unconscious body language, respond to the child's toilet signals, and gently offer the toddler a potty.

Consider the situation of parents who ask themselves the question of when to empty their babies as soon as possible. The youngest age of a child, which can induce us to start emptying out, is about six months. This is the age at which a properly developing infant begins to sit up on its own, therefore it is physiologically possible for it to defecate in a sitting position.

It is a good idea to buy a toilet cover, so that by holding your baby in your arms over the toilet, placing your baby on the overlay, give him time to get used to this position and see if he can pee properly without a diaper.

Some parents might ask the question: and when would the potty be used then?

Learning from the potty

We can already see that the process of sending signals about the child's physiological needs takes place from the first days of its birth. In fact, it is up to the parents to decide for themselves when to empty their baby. Therefore, when asked when the potty becomes useful for a toddler - you can answer that when the child has the ability to sit independently.

However, the most popular period chosen for potty training is around 2 years of age. At 24 months, the baby already has fully formed sphincters and a large-capacity bladder. However, due to the previous history of using diapers, he is not always able to use these skills immediately.

The convenience of absorbent disposable diapers could cut off the child from significant physiological sensations, delaying the process of learning about their own body. Therefore, the process of focusing on physiological signals must be initiated by the caregivers. Many children at the age of two can already communicate verbally that they feel discomfort in the diaper.

Buying a potty and saying goodbye to a diaper

In most cases, learning how to deal with the physiological needs of a child in a child's potty begins only when the parents decide to say goodbye to nappies once and for all and buy the child's first potty. This is when caregivers try to communicate with the baby about how and when to express their physiological needs, and that the diaper is no longer the appropriate place to defecate.

Where to start emptying my baby?

Once the toddler's parents have made the decision that their baby will not use diapers, they also want to learn how to painlessly and how to quickly empty your baby? The duration of the self-service toilet training depends on the individual characteristics of the child, but to facilitate this process, it is worth following a few rules.

• The first step is to let your toddler spend time without underwear or
  in ordinary panties and observing signals that a physiological need appeared in the toddler.
• Prepare the house so that if it gets wet, nothing is damaged and that the child does not become a problem if it gets wet.
• If your child urinates or poops without having time to tell us, watch your child and remember any changes in his behavior during his body activities.

However, how can we see for ourselves that a child is willing to take care of himself? A toddler can hide in an intimate place, e.g. behind a sofa or a curtain. Also, stick your bottom back, step from foot to foot (in English referred to as "poo dance"). The child may also stand still, look down temporarily, groan. When the parent notices any of the signals, he should give the child a potty and positively persuade him to continue his physiological activity, naming what is happening with the child, for example, "Oh, I can see that you are just peeing. Please, why don't you try using the potty? ”

Dust removal: watch out for mistakes 

The next step is to consider if we are making mistakes in the "potty training" process. Agreements with your child will not provide a punishment, an atmosphere of pressure, or the use of rewards for successfully peeing or pooping into the potty. You cannot complain about the child to other household members or emphasize the situation in which the child did not manage to empty into the potty.

In the later stages of de-inflation, you can tell your child where his potty is in the environment. Make sure your child is able to walk up to and use the potty. Some children like to put dolls or teddy bears on the potty and should be allowed to do so. Children learn by observing and playing everyday situations. In addition, it is worth dressing the child in clothes that will be easy and quick to take off by himself. In addition to designating a permanent place for the potty, it is a good idea to schedule regular toilet or potty visits to accommodate your child's needs. It is worth offering the child a potty at a time that takes into account his daily schedule, naps, meals and play.

Dust removal: the right moment

Finally, remember that some new or special events in a child's life (e.g. moving house, vacation, painful teething, change of guardian, separation from one parent, birth of a younger sibling, etc.) may weaken his / her motivation when using the potty, but also affect on his emotional state. Therefore, let's choose a time for learning that takes place in an atmosphere of friendship and peace, which will be important for supporting the child's development.

Źródła:

Choby, BA, George, S. (2008) "Toilet Training", American Academy of Family Physicians. 

Cherek, K. (2008), Farewell to diapers, or how to easily and pleasantly teach a child to use the toilet. Ed. Infano, Gdańsk, ISBN: 978-83-927142-0-0)