Tuesday, September 15, 2009

How to Coordinate Potty Training with your Child’s Teacher

It is very likely that you will be potty training your toddler while she is in preschool. There are some things you and her teachers can coordinate to help the process. Of course, be sure to let his teachers know when you begin potty training.

If your child is having a lot of accidents, it’s often effective to let her wear underwear, but then put a pull-up on top of the underwear. If she has an accident, the underwear will get wet, which she will feel. Pull-ups often absorb so much that the child doesn’t have the feeling of being wet, which is an important part of potty training. The reason you put a pull-up over the underwear is to protect her clothes and the classroom from getting wet. Teachers will appreciate that!

Remind the teachers to encourage your child to go to the potty periodically. Kids get so involved in play that they forget to go the bathroom until it’s often too late. The teachers will encourage the child to at least try to go, and will praise them for the attempt.

In our classroom children are allowed to go to the bathroom whenever they need to. While training, some kids go repeatedly. That is fine. Over time, the child will better understand when she really needs to go and that frequency will diminish.
Also be sure to inform the teachers of any kind of reward system you are doing at home. Giving a sticker when the child used the toilet is easy. It’s tougher if you give your child a treat, because a teacher can’t give just one child a treat when she has a whole class. Together you can coordinate a system that can work at home and at school.

Every child trains at his or her own pace, so be willing to be patient through the process. If many of the children in the class are trained, your child may be more eager to join their ranks.

Good luck!

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