How to disenchant a child from using diapers?

How to stop a child from using diapers? This question is faced by every child's guardian who would like to finally enter the next stage of this common, morej independent life. When is the best time to diaper your child and how to support him or her in learning to use the potty or toilet? Many parents and guardians of children would like to know the magical age at which a child can be diapered effectively and quickly.

However, each baby is absolutely unique and develops at its own rhythm, depending on many factors. In this text, you will learn proven ways to say goodbye to diapers in a proper and at the same time safe way for your child.

How to unlearn a child to use a diaper: a holistic approach to a little person

If you want to effectively stop using diapers, you need to look at the child as a whole, considering his or her readiness for this big event in three aspects:

• anatomical and physiological;
• cognitive;
• emotional.

It should be emphasized that each of these aspects is equally important. What are their characteristics?

Anatomical and physiological aspect

Not all functions of our body are with us from the day we are born, and this is the case, among others: That conscious control urethral and anal sphincter muscles. In fact, the child and his neuromuscular system have many complex skills to master:

• suitable capacity urinary bladder and large intestine;
• awareness a full bladder or a feeling of impending need to pass stool;
• aware bowel movement control by tightening the appropriate muscles

This entire, complex sequence of anatomical and physiological relationships usually develops in a child around 24 months of age and is an essential component of effective diaper removal.

Cognitive aspect

Potty or toilet readiness is something your child needs to understand reason, why we use the toilet and what physiologically then what happens to our body. Talking and reading fairy tales about this topic with your toddler will help him better understand what this is about magically sounding control of bowel movements.

It is worth starting diaper removal from the moment when your child can already communicate that he feels discomfort in the diaper. This can be done verbally - by calling "pee" - or non-verbally, such as screaming or grabbing the diaper.

The emotional aspect

The child should be provided with proper development conditions of stability and predictability, so that as you experience repeated toileting rituals, you feel ready to put the diaper away. The time frame in which this can occur is very volatile for various reasons.

It's worth offering to your little one visit to the toilet – always after sleeping, eating, as well as before and after a walk. How to stop a child from using diapers without negative emotional consequences? It is important to observe them carefully, respond to their emotions and not put significant pressure.

A child may feel ready to go out of diapers at both the age of 1,5 and 4 years, and it depends on his or her individual psychological conditions combined with environmental factors.

How to disenchant a child from using diapers in practice?

If you want your little one to say goodbye to diapers without unnecessary stress, there are quite a few things you can do to make it easier for him. Here are some proven ways to teach your child not to use diapers.

Acceptance, dialogue and reading about the potty

A sense of acceptance and security is one of the most important foundations in every child's life supporting development and acquiring new skills - including: using the toilet (potty). Try not to show your child yours nervousness, or even disappointment Difficulty saying goodbye to the diaper.

Explain to your toddler (and yourself!) that failures when learning new activities are completely natural. This will build in him a strong feeling that he is loved and accepted regardless of the situation. Appreciate your child's efforts and every little success - after a successful one filling potty, do a happy dance together, bake your favorite cookies, in one word: celebrate!

By making your first attempts to wean diapers, explain to your toddler what it is all about. Talk about human physiology - where urine and feces come from. How and where do children and adults meet their physiological needs? You may find it helpful reading together one of the numerous books available on the market about using a potty, such as: Kicia Kocia and Nunuś. On the potty by Anita Głowińska. While reading, the child will have a chance to: asking additional questions and getting used to the topic on a neutral, stress-free basis.

Joint choice of a potty or toilet cover and purchase of the first panties

Once your child knows what the potty and toilet are for, let him choose the potty that he likes best. Beforehand, choose the products that you think are the best and present your child with two models to choose from. Try not to make them look too similar playing and light-up toys, because this is how the child will interpret it.

You can also choose the first panties for your child together. Explain that such underwear (instead of a diaper) is worn by mom, dad, grandma, and all older children. Explain that if pee and poop always go into the potty or toilet, the panties will stay dry and comfortable all day long.

Imitation, or how others do it

To stop worrying about how to wean your baby off diapers, take care of good example. Children, especially around 2 years of age they prefer to learn through imitating elders – adults or other children. If this is not too embarrassing for you, allow your child to accompany you on a few trips to the bathroom during which you explain and show him how to use the toilet. Emphasize that it is almost the same on the potty used by children all over the world. After finishing such a lesson, be sure to wash your hands together - it is worth developing good, hygienic habits from the very beginning.

If a child can accompany his older sibling to the toilet, even better. It will be easier for your toddler to identify with them, and this will help him motivation to learn (first, of course, ask the elders for permission).

Child observation

Does your child stop playing, make a focused face, and after a while the familiar smell of a full diaper hits your nose? Or maybe during the day you notice that your child is looking for a secluded place or crouching down and concentrating on defecating? This is a signal that the baby is having a baby consciously registers the functioning of his urinary bladder and intestines.

Difficulty on the potty? Toh normal!

Remember that the sitting position at the beginning is not natural for your toddler to pee or defecate. Young children usually defecate into their diaper standing up during the day.

If your child doesn't go to the potty and does it immediately after getting up, know that he or she didn't do it maliciously. Your baby needs to practice defecation all the time in a position that was new to him. When your little one signals a need, let him sit on the potty for up to 5 minutes and do not rush him. Encourage your little one after each use of the potty to wash your hands.

Easy to remove clothes and underwear

When learning to use the potty or toilet, it is a good idea to give up overalls, or multi-buttoned shorts. As you know, at the beginning reaction speed it will be worth its weight in gold, or rather, its weight in... dry panties. When weaning off diapers, elasticated shorts and skirts are one of the keys to success.

First steps without a diaper

How to stop a child from using diapers when he or she already understands the rules of defecation and has had first successes in using the potty or toilet? Trust him and give him a chance to gain experience. You can let the little one walk around the house or garden without a diaper - in panties only or with an additional, easy-to-remove clothing.

• Set aside a relaxed weekend when there are no visits or renovations planned at home. Let go when your child is sick, nervous, or just going through a developmental leap. Remember to keep your child warm and to keep the potty nearby at all times.
• While playing, ask if he wants to pee or poop.
• Prepare several pairs of panties and clothes just in case. If it happens to your little one setback, talk to him calmly about his feelings and about wet clothes. Explain once again that it is good to go to the potty not at the last minute, but as soon as the urge to urinate/stool appears.

How to stop your child from using diapers without damaging the decor of your home? When diapering, in addition to having a positive attitude, it is a good idea to stock up on basic cleaning products and roll up all the carpets in your home for a while. You can cover the sofa and armchairs with an oilcloth and then a soft blanket.

Baby doesn't want to put the diaper on: what to do?

If you see that, despite patient efforts, your child often wets his or her panties and almost never defecates in the potty, postpone the diapering process for some time. Apparently a child it's not fully ready yet (perhaps cognitively or emotionally) to enter this new stage of life.

Observe the baby, talk, encourage him and after some time try again effective diaper weaning. Intimate infections also occur in children, so in disturbing situations it is worth ruling them out by going to a pediatrician.

Success by day, trouble by night

Does your child, even though he or she does a good job in the potty during the day, still wet himself at night? During sleep, the toddler cannot consciously control his bowel movements, especially during first weeks after weaning the diaper.

It is worth encouraging your child to use the toilet just before going to bed. However, it is good to wear a diaper at night for some time and before a long journey. If it stays dry for several nights in a row, try giving it up completely. Preventively secure baby's bed with a special, waterproof pad that you can put under the sheet. You can buy it at any pharmacy or medical store.

Effective dust removal: no pressure or stress

Don't stress delay in diapering. There comes a moment in the life of every healthy child definitively discontinuing the diaper. So don't let yourself be told that there is something wrong with your child, because A friend's daughter was peeing in the potty when she was 14 months old, and your neighbor stops you on the staircase and says: Such a big boy and still needs a diaper?.

Give yourself and your child Time. Diapering is not a competition, and the baby's comfort and peace should be the most important thing. Excessive pressure or stress can only make this task more difficult and cause the issue of how to wean a child from diapers to become an unnecessary problem.

We keep our fingers crossed for you and your baby - puffing is a process that you will surely deal with at your own pace.