Potty Training Method Two (2)Last week we started discussing potty training. We will discuss seven popular potty training methods with nannies. On Friday, we described the Child-Orientated Potty Training Method. Saturday we listed some children's books to read to children as they prepare to use they potty. Today, we will describe potty training as discussed by Dr. Jim Sears.
Dr. Jim Sears shared his potty training tips for working moms on television series, The Doctors. The first thing caregivers need to do is to watch for signs of readiness. Dr. Sears mentions that the child must be physiologically ready to potty train and have the motor skills, cognitive skills, and social skills to potty train.
Physiological Readiness for Potty Training Include:
1. Child's awareness of the need to go demonstrated by squatting, grunting, or hiding when the child feels need to eliminate.
2. The child has no bowel movements through the night.
3. The diaper is dry for longer periods of time including after long naps and/or in the morning.
4. The child can urinate a lot at one time rather than a little bit through out the day.
5. There is some regularity of bowel movements.
Motor Skills Needed for Potty Training Include:
1. Being able to dress and undress herself.
2. Being able to pull his underpants up and down.
3. Being able to pull her pants up and down.
The Cognitive Skills Needed for Potty Training Include:
1. Child is able to understand your explanations and follow commands.
2. Child is able to plan, has a good memory, and able to problem solve.
Emotional and Social Awareness for Potty Training:
1. Child saying comments like “I can do it!”
2. Child desires parents and caregiver approval.
3. Child imitates others.
Dr. Sears also recommends using potty chairs, potty training pants, and potty training dolls.
He explains most of the potty training problems such as potty training resistance, potty training regression, potty fear, and pooping in pants are caused by caregivers that put too much pressure on the child.
Too much pressure on a child can cause bowel movement resistance, which then leads to constipation, which then leads to painful bowel movements.
Dr. Sears says never punish a child that has a potty accident. Since potty training is a developmental milestone like walking. Caregivers would never punish a child for falling when learning to walk, similarly you should never punish a child for having toilet training accidents. He does mention that there is a difference between punishment and consequences for behavior.
In the one-day method of potty training based on Azrin and Foxx's potty training which we will discuss later this week, consequences are used for undesired behaviors and Dr. Sears explains this is not punishment -- it is simply a consequence for certain behaviors.
Stop by tomorrow to learn about Dr. Spock's method for potty training.
Do you have potty training tips for nannies?
8 comments:
Pull ups don't work in my opinion. they feel and act just like diapers but hold less. The concept of the child pulling them up and down is good but essentially the are just a diaper.
Since the kids I have trained don't use pull-ups the correct way (substitute diaper) I put a pair of real underwear under the pull ups. I read this tip somewhere (it's not my own but I don't know where I saw it). If they wear their underwear underneath the pull up they will feel wet signaling them time to go potty or learn they had an accident.
I still use the pull up so the mess on the sheets or carpets are much less. But the child can still pull down both the pull up and underwear and successfully make it to the potty wearing both underwear and pull ups.
sarah taylor
professional nanny
18 years experience
silver spring maryland
For Sarah,
Brilliant!
He explains most of the potty training problems such as potty training resistance, potty training regression, potty fear, and pooping in pants are caused by caregivers that put too much pressure on the child.
I want this included in every bag of diapers! I want this in each package of little kid underwear!
I have heard so many stories of crying kids, punishing kids for accidents and mistakes.
Don't these adults get it? If you yell once the child will be scared to try it again!!! Start to soon they won't be successful and feel like failures!
Dr Phil made a point that it has to be fun or what is the incentive?
Kellyanne in Richmond VA
Using a star chart is best incentive for potty training. Rewards of candy or sweets are not good. Why would you reward kids with something unhealthy like candy? A star chart provides the child with a progressive record of how much they have achieved and a sense of pride. They want your approval and enthusiasm for their hard work, not junk food or candy.
Professional Nanny
Lisa M.
Richmond, Virginia
Ask the parents if you can have their child pick out some potty toys. Then put these in a basket in the bathroom. The child can only use them when sitting on the potty. If they are able to use the potty correctly then they can bring it out of the bathroom and play with it for a few minutes as a reward too!
Bring a potty with you anywhere in the house you go. Or put them anywhere in the house where the child plays most often. The kitchen is a good place actually since it's the busiest room in the house. It helps them have more opportunities to be successful and potty training.
Career Nanny
Melissa K.
Brownsville, VT
I haven't seen travel potties mentioned yet. I understand putting children back in diapers for bedtime, but not while traveling or out on errands. We nannies learn where all the bathrooms are at the mall and in stores and in parks but what about times there just aren't any? I think "nature breaks" where we allow kids to potty outside in nature is a huge mistake. Try not to allow that ever. It's disgusting and very unhealthy.
Purchase travel potties!
Grandmother of 6,
Mother of 2,
Nanny of 3,
Woodside, California
CLOSE LIDS BEFORE FLUSHING! It's disgusting to spread the germs! Unsafe for toddlers! Terrible view!
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