Tips for Toilet Training

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Toilet Training Kids - Earlier and Easier.

The Early Choices^® System

FACT: One hundred years ago, a three-year-old in diapers was almost unheard of. A two-year-old in diapers was also not very common. Today we have 4 and 5 year olds in diapers. What changed? Diapers got too comfortable, and parents got used to it.

OPINION: We believe that children can and should be toilet training sooner, but not by putting pressure on the child. Use the right tools and newest methods, which we call the Early Choices^®System.

There are many approaches to toilet training a toddler, but we find that roughly five basic principles or assumptions generally apply in most situations. We will outline each assumption, and then provide a cohesive plan based on these assumptions.

The first assumption is that most parents are at least mildly anxious about teaching their child to be toilet trained. They want this learning experience to go smoothly for their child, and not be a source of anxiety and insecurity. While it is not particularly reassuring, this really is a normal emotional concern. Try to ‘relax and be patient’ is the best advice we can give. Really. Children are barometers for our emotional state even at this young age; they know when they are being ‘sold’ something, and can sense our anxiety a mile away. We will suggest a number of tips for you to try, to help make this a ‘fun’ experience for both you and your child. It is possible to be pro-active in this process without pressuring or transfering anxiety to your child.

The second assumption is that your toddler wears diapers and has done so for some time already. This has become a trusted and expected method for them to have elimination movements. Children will tolerate diapers in varying degrees, some wholeheartedly and others with great reluctance. The reluctant ones often want to get out of diapers as soon as possible, and alternately others would be happy to never leave diapers behind. Diapers are expensive, have a huge environmental footprint, and the goal is to get them out of the diaper stage sooner.

This leads to the third assumption, that timing varies with each child, particularly with the amazing comfort afforded by the latest diaper technology. Children are wearing diapers for longer now than in any previous time in history. There is no right or proper age to start toilet training, as all children are individuals. We suggest that by close observation of their behaviour, they will generally tell you when they are ready to be introduced to the toilet. It's really quite simple. Children will start to develop a recognition of the calls of nature, and develop a sense of privacy about filling their diapers. They can begin to squat down when things start to happen, or stand with legs apart, and often start looking for a bit more privacy - behind furniture, a separate room, a closet, and so on. The signs will vary with each child, but the idea is the same. Some toddlers identify these sensations quite quickly in life, and other take a bit longer. You, as observant parents and caregivers, just have to look for the signs. Alternately, if you think your child is taking a bit too long to show interest, and you are hoping to have this taken care of to start pre-school, for example, there are ways to encourage your child to help speed them along. Read on.

The fourth assumption is that children can be encouraged to achieve goals on their own through positive reinforcement, and reward systems. Children naturally want to succeed on their own, but they can also be encouraged and motivated to try new things. Straight bribery is not a recommended method. However, finding rewards that truly motivate is a key teaching tool for much more than just toilet training. We touch on more of this in our PLAN.

The fifth assumption is that children learn best by example, by watching mom and dad, or older siblings or playmates. This is a very effective and powerful teaching method. Children also learn very well through role playing and acting out the examples they have been exposed to.

Finally, we suggest that children transition from diapers directly to a full sized toilet, and this is where our Early Choices^® adult and baby toilet seat comes into play. To follow are simple steps to follow which apply the above assumptions into a cohesive plan:

Our PLAN

The Early Choices^® Method

1.	If at all possible, get the *Early Choices^®* toilet seat and install it before your child exhibits the signs recognizing the elimination functions as noted above. This places the product in your home and gets it in use by other family members. Remember, children learn well by example. This normalizes the seat as a regular part of the family bathroom, as opposed to a specialized baby seat that is different in appearance and function from what everyone else in your house uses.

2.	Begin role playing games with your child about pretending to go to the toilet. Be gentle, and let them know that when they are ready to be a Big Girl or Big Boy, the *Early Choices^®* child seat is ready for them to use. Some experts suggest that you get a doll that ‘wets’, and let the child pretend that they are teaching the doll to use the toilet. Be patient and don’t overdo it. Let the child take ownership of the child seat - it is their special seat - let them make it theirs. Put stickers on it as part of a reward system (see below). Many of our parents start as young a 9 months learning just the basicss about sitting and pretending.

3.	Once your child starts to recognize elimination activity, encourage them with practising their recognition skills. Gently talk about it. Let them establish their own patterns of elimination behaviour, and praise their recognition skills, whatever they are. It’s a judgement call, but at some point fairly soon in this process you will want to get them sitting on the child seat of the *Early Choices^®* product, and let them fill their diapers there. This is a learning and transition process. The child still has the security of their trusted diaper, but learns to sit on a safe and secure toilet seat designed just for them, just like mom and dad. Encourage the child to set the smaller child seat into position on their own (it is normally clipped into the lid out of the way) – this helps them feel in control, and as though they are working toward a goal. Praise all positive results and efforts. They may not be able to eliminate right away while sitting on the seat – that’s ok – reinforce the effort that they make. What you are teaching is independence and building confidence, as well as muscle memory and starting the toilet habit; the child eliminating into the toilet is almost a secondary result.

4.	At this point a reward system can be introduced. All positive behaviour (progress) should be rewarded with high praise, and maybe a treat of some kind, cheering, dancing, etc. Put reward stickers on the child seat of their favorite characters. Let your child hear you describe their progress to friends and other family members. And let them hear about the ‘party’ that your are planning when your child recognizes a nature call, gets to the bathroom in time (with your help), and successfully eliminates into the toilet. This day will come. And when it does - WooHooo. It’s Party time. Music, dancing, hats, cake. Make a big deal of it. Children readily recognize parties as a reward for growing up. We promised a real bed to our children, as opposed to their matress on the floor. It was a really great reward that also makes sense. Most of the hard work is over at this point. The key is repetition, praise, reward, repeat. Toilet training is a significant Right of Passage for youngsters - one they can be very proud of, and for parents, a happy sigh of relief.

While getting to this stage is a wonderful achievement for both child and parent, it is not the end of the story. Children that can successfully eliminate into a toilet think of themselves as having made a big step towards growing up. This is true, and is further reinforced when we tell them that they are now a Big Boy or Girl. The Early Choices^® seat allows your child to use the family toilet seat with comfort, safety and security as they transition into the adult seat. Alternative product choices are of course available, but there are several downsides to consider. Potty seats and temporary baby seats have the stigma of being ‘baby’ products – and the kids understand this very well. Once they are toilet trained, they often do not want to use the ‘baby’ products anymore, but they are not yet grown into an adult sized seat. As they quickly gain confidence, children only need minimal supervision on the Early Choices^® seat, and there is none of the clean-up involved with each and every use of the potty type seats. Nor is there the insecurity and the safety issues of the unsecured temporary type toilet training or potty seats.

We sincerely wish you the best success in toilet training your child.

Of course we are somewhat biased about promoting our Early Choices^® adult and baby toilet seat, but we honestly feel it is the most convenient, safest, durable, easy cleaning and hygienic toilet seat on the market – and it sets a new benchmark for both toilet training and regular toilet seats. Our research into the Early Choices^® System is based on years of market testing, hundreds of testimonials from happy customers, and the dedication of our own talented designers. The above toilet training plan, the Early Choices^® Method, however, will work with other products as well, and other life skills besides toilet training.

The Early Choices^® Seat is always ready for use, looks and functions like a regular seat, is easy to clean, and comes with a Lifetime Guarantee*. Eventually everyone gets toilet trained – learn on your own terms with a quality product from CONCĒVA.

DOWNLOAD THE SYSTEM HERE - FREE

( The EARLY CHOICES SYSTEM in a PDF document )

The Early Choices^® Adult & Baby Toilet Seat, The Early Choices^® Method, and The Early Choices^® System are proprietary trademarks of Concēva.

Tips for Toilet Training

Our PLAN

We sincerely wish you the best success in toilet training your child.

The Early Choices® Seat is always ready for use, looks and functions like a regular seat, is easy to clean, and comes with a Lifetime Guarantee*. Eventually everyone gets toilet trained – learn on your own terms with a quality product from CONCĒVA.

DOWNLOAD THE SYSTEM HERE - FREE

The Early Choices^® Seat is always ready for use, looks and functions like a regular seat, is easy to clean, and comes with a Lifetime Guarantee*. Eventually everyone gets toilet trained – learn on your own terms with a quality product from CONCĒVA.