<p>
<span class="sub-title">
Leaving diapers behind is a pivotal
feat for a child</span><br />
by Victoria Pericon
</p>
<p>
A major milestone of childhood is potty
training.  As with most things involving children, you must be
willing to let each child proceed at his own pace.  What your
friend&rsquo;s two year-old is doing should not be a gauge for what your
child should be doing.
</p>
<p>
Laurie LeComer, author of &ldquo;A Parents
Guide to Developmental Delays: Recognizing and Coping With Milestones
in Speech, Movement, Learning and Other Areas&rdquo; (Perigee Trade;
January 2006), says that children are ready for toilet training at
different times because children have different degrees of sensory
processing and sensory integration.  &ldquo;This means that some children
will readily notice sensations of &lsquo;needing to go&rsquo; or of being
soiled while other children will not.&rdquo;
</p>
<p>
The methods of potty training vary, but
most people agree that starting your child before she is ready is a
mistake.  Doing so can be counterproductive and could possibly harm
your child; he will become upset because he is not able to do what
you are asking of him and you will become overly anxious.
</p>
<p>
First, be calm.  Potty training is not
a discipline matter.  Keep in mind the fact that you&rsquo;re not a
failure as a parent because your child is having a difficult time
toilet training.  Remember there will be accidents and set-backs,
which should be taken in stride.  And observe your child, because she
will alert you when she is ready to begin this important step in her
maturation process.
</p>
<p>
Children below the age of eighteen
months are generally considered too young to successfully complete
toilet training.  However, there are certain signals that will tell
if your toddler is ready.  A diaper that remains dry for a couple of
hours shows that your child is capable of holding urine in his
bladder.  Another indication is when your toddler hates being wet or
soiled and is constantly removing her diaper.   There are some
children who actually inform their parents that they want to use the
toilet, an unmistakable signal of readiness.
</p>
<p>
Christina Bosemark, founder of
Multilingual Children&rsquo;s Association (<a href="http://www.multilingual.org/">www.multilingual.org</a>)
and mother of a successfully toilet trained daughter, sensed that her
child was simply too young and did not push the issue when she showed
an interest in potty training at twenty months.  Four months later,
she was ready. &ldquo;The potty training was very easy at that point,
says Bosemark, &ldquo;She&rsquo;d somehow had enough time to process the
whole bathroom business after the first round.&rdquo;
</p>
<p>
When you see signs that your child is
ready to start toilet training, you can facilitate the process by
keeping her in underpants or training pants during the day and
dressing her in clothes that she can easily remove. Also decide
whether your child will be trained on a potty or a toilet.  You can
always purchase a potty seat to place over the toilet.
</p>
<p>
Parents on the go can continue potty
training their children by using a portable fold away potty from
Potette. The Potette portable potty is suitable for children who are
18 months or older.
</p>
<p>
<strong>
This article was written by Victoria Pericon.<br />
If you wish to use this article in any manner, you must <a href="index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=51&amp;Itemid=165">request permission</a>.</strong> <br />
</p>
