Toilet Trainning

[Elfy]

Hi

 

I am the Nursery Teacher in a Nursery Class attached to a primary school. I have three children starting in the nursery after christmas who are not toilet trainned and are still wearing nappies. I am quite happy to accept these children, but don't feel I really know how to support them best. I don't have children of my own so have not toilet trainned a child before and don't have facilities for changing children in the nursery. I am looking for so advice about how to deal with changing children in a school nursery and also any advice to give to parents.

Should I encourage parents to send children in pants? I often find parents think accidents will be too much of an inconvenience at nursery, whereas I wonder whether modern nappies are so well designed being wet isn't uncomfortable and so there is little motivation to train.

 

your wonderful advice gratefully recieved!!

 

Elfy

x

[Guest]

hi i don't have any knowledge of nursery class settings but i do know that at my Pre School if the child isn't ready to be wearing pants then you will be spending alot of valuable time changing wet and soiled clothing in a stressed child insted of pull ups that are less messy!!! i do believe personally that some children/ parents are influenced by the fact that they have little urgency as nappies and pull ups are so disposable and so seem to be getting older. the children can be encouraged at their setting and will be in an enviroment that the other children will be using the toilet and most children pick up the idea fairly quickly! i don't know if that helps and others will have different views, but if the child is not ready and is put in pants there is a huge chance that they will be wet before the day is out!!!!!!, not to mention the transition into a new setting being a little daunting!!!

[Cait]

I wonder whether modern nappies are so well designed being wet isn't uncomfortable and so there is little motivation to train.

 

I aid exactly the same thing to a parent this morning! The terries my children used (yeah, that dates me) were uncomfortable when they were wet or soiled, so there was a huge motivation to be out of them - not just for the children, but for me too!

[Guest]

OH so agree Cait my oldest was in terries and was dry by a 18 months, but my youngest I couldn't get dry until he was 2. Which for some of the children at pre-school is quite early!!!!!

 

Terries let the child feel that they were wet, there is a window of opportunity that allows children to realise they are wet and what they are doing. It seems to me that if you miss that window they get into a habit of wetting.

Pullups just keep a child dry and warm, not wet and uncomfortable.

It was unheard of when my oldest started pre-school for a child to be 3 and still in nappies, but now its nearly common practice. either that or mothers are just to lazy or don't know how to potty train.

 

I used to put my son on a potty every time I changed his nappy as soon as he could sit up on his own. He didn't always go but they gradually get used to going.

 

And on that note of sounding so like my mother!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to bed.

Steph

[Alison]

I totally agree that modern nappies are too comfy to motivate children to use the toilet and I would also agree there is possibly a bit of lazyness in potty training from the mothers, I know I wasnt the quickest mother to get my child out of nappies even using terry nappies my eldest wasnt interested in going to the toilet until she was 3 but then one day she just started to go to the toilet and never had an accident after that so I advocate to parents not to rush into potty training, children need to have developed the senses to know when then need to go, until they recognise that then potty training its very much hit and miss.

 

In my setting we encourage parents to put their children in pullups rather than nappies so we can take the child to the toilet regularly with their peers, at 3 years it often doesnt take long before the child realises that nappies are baby things most 3 year olds have developed their senses enough to recognise the toileting sensation and once they are ready it doesnt take long to teach them (that is a generalisation there are always the awkward ones!) in a 2 1/2 hour session if the child starts with a clean pull up and you can take them to the toilet regularly the child should be ok til the end of session and the parent/carer can change the child when they get home.

 

I dont personally like pull ups but it does save the hassle and embarrassment of a child who isnt quite ready keep having accidents and if the child is ready then you hopefully can catch the child and they stay dry with out the hassle of opening a nappy (which never goes back on right ), if after a few session the child is staying dry we then suggest the parent "go for it" and try progressing to proper pants and bring plenty of spares

 

good luck

[Guest]

Got to agree with everything said about cloth nappies - in my other job I am a cloth nappy advsior!! my son was potty trained at 19 months!!

 

We dont have any children still in nappies but will have in january. We will change them once durring the morning session (unless dirty obviously) I will ask the parents what their routine/ideas are regarding potty training and will try to follow this at pre-school.

[korkycat]

This has been said before but it's worth repeating - if parent thinks child is'ready' put pants inside pullups so that child can feel being wet. If they are ready it they will let you know. korkycat

[Marion]

I have a five year old who isn't potty/toilet trained mum asked if I wanted her in nappies or pull ups I said pants please and a skirt no tights so we have a chance of getting her to the loo. After a term we only have the very occasional "accident" and she's in tights ready for the cold weather. Disposables and pull ups are an easy (expensive) option for some parents.