Tr a i n i n g

Pla yg rou p Pa rk

G ui d e to Po t t y

Potty Tra in!!!

Welcome to potty training!

As milestones go, potty training is one the biggies. Its the time your little one takes a first step on the path to becoming a big kid, and being more independent. Not knowing when to begin, how to go about it and what your little one will make of it, can leave parents feeling a little apprehensive. But, if you arm yourself with good information and the right tools, it neednt be a difficult process and you and your little potty star will sail through with flying colours! PULL-UPS has joined forces with child psychologist Emma Kenny and potty training expert Heather Welford to bring you this guide to potty training, full of useful advice on getting started and help on what to do if you meet the occasional bump.

Read on for the five stages of potty training!

The key thing is not to dread potty training. It is something every parent and child has to experience and, although it can be daunting, you can use these tips to help make it fun for your toddler, and easier for you, with a little help from PULL-UPS! Heather Welford Potty training is a huge stepping stone for any child, allowing a sense of control over their environment and encouraging them to feel like a big kid for the first time. Inspiring personal confidence, with help from mum and dad, it is pretty much the starting point for fostering independence within their worlds. As parents, there are so many things you can do from this point and onwards to help, and youll find a few of those in the PULL-UPS guide. Emma Kenny

Contents Ready, Steady GO! .....4 Starting out......................6 Doing it ............................8 Home Stretch ..................9 Finishing up................... 10 Night time ......................11

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1. Ready, Steady GO!

Its helpful to pick a good time for training and if you and your child can tick three or more signs of readiness, then youre good to go!
Most toddlers are aged around two when theyre ready, its quite normal for them to be closer to two and a half or even older. Emma says Consistency with your child is paramount in all parental behaviours. Your child looks to you to make sense of their environment. If you are somewhat chaotic about potty training, you wont get consistent behaviour in return. Its essential to think about the environment that youre providing and this is even more of a priority at important stages of your childs development. Potty training, most parents would agree, is one of the most defining moments within child development, so its best to approach it in a calm, patient and consistent manner.

8 Signs of Readiness Your child stays dry for two hours or more at a time, or is dry after a daytime nap. Your child tells you in words or by behaviour that wearing a wet nappy is uncomfortable, and needs changing. Your child asks to use the potty or the toilet.

most all Although al dry lers become todd day first, be during the m the start consistent fro PS pants g PULL-U by usin d Pull-Ups in the day, an overnight -time pants Night

Nappies or PULL-UPS?
Emma says,
Using a training pant like PULL-UPS, instead of nappies, is a key part to successful potty training. It helps your child to get into that big kid frame of mind. The beauty of training pants is simple; firstly your child can actually pull them up for themselves, this makes them feel grown up and also begins the process of them feeling independent and being able to let you know when they may need to change. Secondly, your child will be able to see that they are no longer in nappies. This is really important because it informs everyone around them that they are at a new stage in their childhood and this will be reflected by those with whom they interact, reinforcing a sense of positivity and achievement in their behaviour.

You usually know when your child is likely to have a poo. Your child asks to wear potty training pants or normal underwear. Your child can understand and follow simple instructions (like bring me the potty, please). Your child can show in behaviour, or can use words, to let you know they need a wee or a poo. Your child can put on some of their clothes on their own.

Heather says:
Some mums like to use cotton pants during training, but this can mean lots of washing and changing, and can put your little one off. Starting with training pants will make things a lot easier, not just for your little one, but for you too!
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2. Starting out
Mastering the potty is just one of the steps your child will take on the way to becoming a big kid.
Create a positive link for your child by getting them involved from the start. You could buy the potty together - letting them choose the one they like will give them ownership of it. Personalise it, or decorate it with stickers! Prepare your child psychologically by talking to them about being a big boy or big girl, and how this means using the potty or toilet now, just like the other big kids, and like mummy and daddy. Start using toileting words around your toddler, such as poo, wee, poop or pee and talk about where the poo and wee comes from. Once you think youre getting close to the toilet training stage, you can start to tell them about what you are doing, so your toddler can start learning more about what is going on. Swapping from nappies to training pants like PULL-UPS pants also helps with the big kid approach, and clearly creates a step away from being a baby. PULL-UPS pants come in two versions, Disney Cars for boys and Princess graphics for girls. They are also easy to pull up and down, just like normal pants, helping your little one to practice for the real thing. The fading graphics are a really helpful tool in helping your child learn as they fade when wet. Show them what happens when they wee while wearing the pants, and theyll help create an association with when they should be using their potty. Help your child sit on the potty or the toilet at bathtime, and at intervals in the day dont expect any actual requests to use it just yet. If you catch something, be pleased and proud! Stay positive and patient its early days and your child may need time to really understand whats wanted, and to recognise the sensations that mean I need a wee/pooand then to remember what to do next! Keep it light-hearted and relaxed all the way through.

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Potty or toilet?
Up to you! When it comes to using the toilet, many toddlers prefer to start small. Potties are great for most children, but a potty seat for the big toilet can work with a little assistance and a step stool. Potties are portable, and theyre comfortable, especially for younger or smaller children. But taller, older children can use the toilet from the word go with help. Even if youre using the potty at first, its a good idea to encourage at least occasional use of the toilet, so you dont have to take a potty with you on trips away from home. Show your child how wees and poos go from the potty, into the toilet, and how to flush and wash hands afterwards.

Gently remind your chil d about their potty, even suggesting that you need the toilet too. This will make them think about their physical feelings, whilst making it a parent child positive interaction .

Emma says:

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3. Doing it
Keep up your childs motivation by praising them every time the potty or the toilet is used, even with no success give praise for being told Ive done a wee or Poo, mummy! Thats progress, too.
Dont keep asking do you need a wee? or shall I get the potty? Toddlers dont always know for sure if they need a wee or not, and in any case, their favourite word can be no! just for the sake of it at this stage! Instead, simply say, its time for the potty and go ahead with helping your child to sit on it. If you know your child has had an accident, try to avoid saying, Have you done a poo/wee? you know the answer already! Just say, oh, youve done a poo/wee come along and well get you sorted out. Next time, you can do it in the potty.

4. Home Stretch
After a while, your child will become more-or-less reliable, though its still common to have the occasional accident at this stage thats normal, and not worth making a fuss about. Rewards Emma Says:
Once you have potty training underway, you can move on from simple praise when your toddler uses the potty and think about other ways of marking his/her progress. Star charts can be a great way of showing your child visually how well they are doing. Cuddles and hugs really do make kids feel successful and lets face it, parents can all ensure that these are available by the bucketful!

Be consistent
Use PULL-UPS as pants not as a nappy, both during the day and at night use PULL-UPS Night-time pants . Use the potty or toilet, even when away from home, pulling the pants up and down. Try to avoid leaving your child without a reminder or a visit to the toilet, just because you know clothing will stay dry. Build up a routine, so your child can use the potty just before leaving the house, just before a nap, just before leaving nursery or playgroup and give lots of praise for co-operation.

Advanced training

nows the time!

Teach boys to wee at the toilet standing up a box to stand on should help. Teach girls to make sure dresses and skirts are held up, and not hanging into the toilet or potty. Teach both boys and girls about careful wiping and hand-washing both will need your supervision for a little while yet, however. Try to encourage independence with deciding when to use the potty or toilet so lighten up on the reminders! Normal underwear is fine for your child continue with PULL-UPS Night-time pants at night.
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make Celebrate! Clap hands, ver contact and smile whene eye cessfully recognises your child suc that they need the toilet ment works wonders! encourage

Emma says:

5. Finishing up
Even the usually clean and dry child can seem to take a step backwards every now and again. Expect this if big changes happen, like starting at nursery, moving house, a new baby or if there is stress of some sort at home.
Children commonly revert to more babyish behaviour at these times. Its not being naughty or awkward, and may be beyond your childs control. Stay calm and sympathetic if it goes on for more than a few days, or if its upsetting you or your child, then a temporary return to PULL-UPS pants can help.

6. Night time
So you and your potty star have mastered day time dryness! What about during the night? It can take longer for the bladder to hold on overnight, and to send signals strong enough for your child to wake up when he or she needs the toilet.
When you start training, use PULL-UPS during the day and PULL-UPS Night-time pants overnight to be consistent. Once your little one has got the hang of daytime dryness, keep using PULL-UPS Night-time pants overnight so your little one stays in the big kid frame of mind. It will also encourage them to achieve this final stage of potty training. Because theyre easy to pull up and down, they will also help you create a routine of having a wee before bed. Dont restrict drinks in the evening. This doesnt speed up night time dryness, which is largely a matter of psychological maturity. Lifting your child when you go to bed to use the toilet is unhelpful as well. All youre doing is teaching your child to wee in his sleep the opposite of what you want!

Take spare clothing with you on trips away from home to minimise hassle. A rolled-up pair of jogging bottoms and PULL-UPS or cotton underwear in your bag is likely to be useful for a few months yet, for any child, even if accidents are very rare.

When your childs PULL-UPS pants appear dry in the morning on a few occasions, try without. If you end up with a wet bed, go back to PULLUPS Night-time pants and try again. Wetting at night can be common up to age six or more.
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Becoming a big kid.

Mastering potty training is one of the key steps on the way to becoming a big kid. Youll see your child start to recognise a level of control, not only over their own environment, but physically too. Imagine starting to recognise they youre in charge of your body exciting! There are a few simple steps you can take to help your child at this stage:

PULL-UPS training pants can help make the training process easier and more fun.
Just like normal underwear they can be pulled up and down and PULLUPS are the only training pants with boy and girl versions the Disney Cars and Princess graphics mean they look just like big kid underwear. The graphics are a great learning tool, fading when wet and helping your little one learn when they should be using the potty. PULL-UPS are absorbent enough to protect against little accidents, and the Easy-Open sides make them quick and simple to remove or check for accidents. And for a good nights sleep, theres now PULL-UPS Night-time.

Emmas Top Tips

As its a critical point in your childs development, how you react as a parent is important so keep up a positive attitude. A happy environment filled with love and support can work wonders. It can be a frustrating time, for both you and your little one, but using training pants such as PULL-UPS will make the experience less messy and easier for everyone involved Tantrums are part of being a child, so expect a few! As your little one becomes more independent, theyll try to control their environment, and lets face it, tantrums get everyones attention! Check your temper; so often we wake up on the wrong side of the bed, so when you find yourself feeling tearful because you have burnt the toast, take a big deep breath! Go easy on yourself, some children find the transition more tricky than others, this does not mean that you are a bad mum or dad, its simply that you have a child who is an individual and they will be ready when they are ready.

Emma Says:
Make sure you explain to your child why youre using training pants, and how they help, by pointing out the graphics and how they work. This will make sure they feel positive when wearing them. Switching to a nappy at night will confuse your little one, especially if youre trying to encourage them to be a big kid, so make sure they wear them at night and during the day. Its a fantastic feeling to watch your child progress by noting their dry nights. More importantly, by wearing PULL-UPS Night-time pants at night, your child wont feel embarrassed or upset by waking up in a wet bed if they do have an accident. Being consistent ensures that your child knows exactly why things are changing and encourages a sense of safety and well-being.
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For more information and advice on potty training visit www.pottytraining. co.uk, where you can download Disney wall charts, door hangers and finishing-up certificates for free!
Theres something for every little potty star with Snow White, Cinderella, or Cars to choose from. If your little one loved Toy Story, there is now a selection of Toy Story 3 tools to choose from including a colouring stencil and reward cards.

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