Potty Training - let it begin
I'm always asking questions, doing research and talking to other Moms, searching for answers to the famous question "am I doing the right thing with my kid?". I'm learning that there is no one answer to that question - it all depends on your kid. Of course I look at the growth charts and see where Colton falls, I look at the updates on milestones to see if our little guy is hitting those close to the "norm". But as I grow in my role as a Mom, I'm find myself asking another question "what is normal anyway?".
I've been tossing around the idea of starting the Potty training journey for about a month. How early is too early to start? Of course there are many controversial talks over this topic - and I don't feel that one is more right than the other, it just depends on the parents and the child.
Yesterday, I was at my Mamaw Bishop's house and she showed me an article in The Asheville Citizen-Times about potty training. I found the article very interesting (especially since I've been struggling with when to "start" with Colton). I learned that in many parts of the world, toilet training begins very early (sometimes within weeks of birth). Without being punished or abused, babies learn basic toilet training skills before they can even walk. The part that blew my mind was that some of them never wear diapers. Here in the United States, we are very different when it comes to diapers because kids wear diapers for 2, 3 and sometimes even 4 years. This didn't use to be the case in America - in the past, kids were out of diapers by 18 months. So why the change? Marketing. Diapers are now convenient, flexible, disposable, sturdy and can hold wetness for 12 hours. So why would you want to take the time to sit your baby on a potty every two hours when they can wear a diaper for hours and hours with no "trouble"?
The pros to early potty training are that potty-trained children avoid diaper rash and diaper-related infections (i.e. yeast, giardia and rotavirus). Parents save money and time on diapering, and have more flexibility when searching for preschools. With these facts, it seems that an earlier potty training age is better but many parents worry that early training can be harmful to their baby. Some potty “experts” warn that early training causes behavioral problems or personality disorders, but I've witnessed first hand that this is not the case.
The cons to early potty training is that it requires a lot of time and dedication. Babies can not physically walk to the potty and have no way to communicate (verbally) that they need to use the potty so setting a routine for them takes time and consistency. Babies under 18 months really don't have control over their bladder, so accidents are going to happen. Instead of just throwing away a poopy diaper, once the "deed is done", you have to clean the baby and the potty - which is sometimes messy.
I feel like it's important for each parent to chose the method that best fits their family needs. Just because one Mom has her child potty trained by the time he/she is a year old doesn't mean that a Mom that doesn't is doing something "wrong".
I have chosen to start Colton on the infant potty training path. Today was our first day! :-) I'm lucky because Colton has a clear sign when he is getting ready to poop. He gets really still, gets a serious look on his face, holds his breath and grunts (making his face as red as a beat). He usually gives a couple of grunts before the action starts - so this gives me time to get his diaper off and sit him on his potty. I don't know if it was first timers luck or if he liked going on the potty, but we had major success on our first try (I'm not going to lie - it's disgusting). He seemed much more relaxed and happy pooping on his potty than he does in his diaper - so fingers crossed that we will have continued success at this.
For all the Moms out there going through potty training "hell" - I want you to know that I've just started the journey and I'm always open to advice and tips...
I've been tossing around the idea of starting the Potty training journey for about a month. How early is too early to start? Of course there are many controversial talks over this topic - and I don't feel that one is more right than the other, it just depends on the parents and the child.
Yesterday, I was at my Mamaw Bishop's house and she showed me an article in The Asheville Citizen-Times about potty training. I found the article very interesting (especially since I've been struggling with when to "start" with Colton). I learned that in many parts of the world, toilet training begins very early (sometimes within weeks of birth). Without being punished or abused, babies learn basic toilet training skills before they can even walk. The part that blew my mind was that some of them never wear diapers. Here in the United States, we are very different when it comes to diapers because kids wear diapers for 2, 3 and sometimes even 4 years. This didn't use to be the case in America - in the past, kids were out of diapers by 18 months. So why the change? Marketing. Diapers are now convenient, flexible, disposable, sturdy and can hold wetness for 12 hours. So why would you want to take the time to sit your baby on a potty every two hours when they can wear a diaper for hours and hours with no "trouble"?
The pros to early potty training are that potty-trained children avoid diaper rash and diaper-related infections (i.e. yeast, giardia and rotavirus). Parents save money and time on diapering, and have more flexibility when searching for preschools. With these facts, it seems that an earlier potty training age is better but many parents worry that early training can be harmful to their baby. Some potty “experts” warn that early training causes behavioral problems or personality disorders, but I've witnessed first hand that this is not the case.
The cons to early potty training is that it requires a lot of time and dedication. Babies can not physically walk to the potty and have no way to communicate (verbally) that they need to use the potty so setting a routine for them takes time and consistency. Babies under 18 months really don't have control over their bladder, so accidents are going to happen. Instead of just throwing away a poopy diaper, once the "deed is done", you have to clean the baby and the potty - which is sometimes messy.
I feel like it's important for each parent to chose the method that best fits their family needs. Just because one Mom has her child potty trained by the time he/she is a year old doesn't mean that a Mom that doesn't is doing something "wrong".I have chosen to start Colton on the infant potty training path. Today was our first day! :-) I'm lucky because Colton has a clear sign when he is getting ready to poop. He gets really still, gets a serious look on his face, holds his breath and grunts (making his face as red as a beat). He usually gives a couple of grunts before the action starts - so this gives me time to get his diaper off and sit him on his potty. I don't know if it was first timers luck or if he liked going on the potty, but we had major success on our first try (I'm not going to lie - it's disgusting). He seemed much more relaxed and happy pooping on his potty than he does in his diaper - so fingers crossed that we will have continued success at this.
For all the Moms out there going through potty training "hell" - I want you to know that I've just started the journey and I'm always open to advice and tips...
Comments
Post a Comment