Montessori Radmoor

Hello all! You may have noticed at drop off or perhaps you are fully involved in it, but toilet training is in full effect right now. It seems to happen every year at this time that many of the children are showing signs of readiness to learn how to use the toilet. Some of these signs are interest or curiosity about what goes on in the bathroom, keeping their diapers dry for longer periods, and their ability to dress and undress. You may not realize how important dressing and undressing are in the process. Especially shoes! Simple shoes that a toddler can get on and off are great for toilet training. Shoes that have a simple Velcro strap or that simply slide on for example. Take a look at your child’s indoor shoes. What do you think? Are they easy to put off/on?

The time a toddler spends here at school is a great time to practice all of these skills. The toddlers also have the opportunity to see the other children use the toilet; they have access to our low benches, sinks and toilets. From the moment a child enters our classroom they are encouraged to sit on the toilet with every diaper change. I encourage you to do the same at home. If you’re not already practicing this you could try to start changing diapers exclusively in the bathroom and offer the toilet each time you do. It also helps to establish a routine around toileting. For example, offering the toilet upon waking, before a meal, before bath time or bedtime in the evening. One of the biggest things to know about toilet training is that it is a process. There will be accidents or misses. The only way a toddler can begin to understand the process of toilet learning is to experience the wetness that occurs. I recommend using thick cotton underpants at the beginning. As always, I am always available to talk further, and I also have a great book titled, “Toilet Awareness” that I am happy to loan out if anyone is interested.

Sincerely,

Erin

Image Credit: Montessorirocks.org

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