Care Routines

Toilet Training

Our support and participation in the toilet training process is invaluable because we are often are among the first to recognise when a child is developmentally ready to toilet train, and can communicate with families to provide appropriate and continuous toilet training methods and messages.

It is important to ensure all adults involved with the child including parents, grandparents and nursery staff are following the same toilet training plan. This will ensure the child understands what is happening and won’t be confused.

It is important to remember that every child is different and will develop at their own pace. Some children with long-term illnesses or disabilities find it more difficult to learn to use a potty or toilet. This can be challenging but it’s important not to avoid potty training for too long.

Below is the link to the East Lothian Toilet Training Guide that you can download and share with families for support.  For further advice and staff training you should contact your local Health Visiting team. 

Supporting potty learning in early years settings, and an introduction to the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 

Care Inspectorate recently hosted a webinar to explore the role that Early Learning and Childcare providers can play in empowering and supporting parents with the best advice so that they can effectively potty train their children. The webinar also provided an introduction to the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 and what it means for ELC services.  Watch the webinar here.

Supporting Toilet Training 

Communication in the Setting

A toileting policy is the best way of making sure staff know the procedures they should be following. Sharing this policy and encouraging open, regular communication between parents and the setting helps to remove any ambiguity. 

Readiness

Knowing when a child is ready to toilet train means knowing how our bowel and bladder works and how to keep them healthy are all vital for supporting children.

Consistency

A consistent approach to training at home and in the setting, including language used and deciding when to go nappy free make things easier for the child. It is helpful to have best practice resources about toilet training that the setting can share with families, like the one above.

Using Pastoral Notes to keep all practitioners up to date with the bespoke support offered for each child.  This will help with consistency of care, and the development of next steps.

Tips for Toilet Training in Nursery

• Constipation is very common in young children and can make toilet training really challenging. Being able to spot the signs of a problem and signpost parents for help and support (their GP or health visitor) can make a big difference.

• Think about the toilet environment – children need to feel relaxed to go! Make them a pleasant place to be - ensure they are clean and tidy, smell nice, the children can have privacy.  You could sing, blow bubbles to relax and comfort the child.

• Use toilet seats and footstools to help children feel secure and get into a good squat position (feet supported, knees higher than hips).

• Encourage boys to sit down to wee so that they empty their bladder fully. This also provides opportunities to poo that can be missed when standing.

• Avoid encouraging children to empty their bladders too often – this can get very boring for them and doesn’t allow their bladder to fill properly or learn to hold more. On average children should be able to go 1.5 – 2 hours between wees.

• Work with the body’s natural, prime pooing time e.g. 20 – 30 minutes after eating. Encourage a sit on the toilet after lunch and not before!

• Make sure children have a drink at regular intervals throughout the day. This will help them to recognise their bladder signals as well as keeping their stools soft.

• Always reward effort and not just success!

Dental Hygiene

Toothbrushing in settings can now take place after you have consulted with your Childsmile Representative

East Lothian settings should follow the Childsmile approach to dental care, this is a Scotland-wide initiative to help improve the health of our children's teeth, through the distribution of free dental packs and a supervised toothbrushing programme.   As part of the initiative every 3 and 4 year old child attending nursery, local authority, voluntary or private, is offered free, daily, supervised toothbrushing.  Each nursery setting will have an identified Childsmile nurse who will visit regularly and who can be contacted for advice, support and to reorder supplies.

The programme promotes a holistic approach to healthy living, teaching children an important life skill. It benefits nurseries and schools by contributing towards the health and wellbeing element of Curriculum for Excellence. In nursery each child will receive,

•  free daily supervised toothbrushing within their setting

• free dental packs, which contain a toothbrush, toothpaste of at least 1000 parts per million (ppm)fluoride and oral health messages to take home

• oral health education 

Families may request further information on the Childsmile initiative which can be here.

Handwashing

The Care Inspectorate publication Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings (Day Care and Childminding Settings) reminds us that washing hands thoroughly, at the right time, using appropriate facilities and products will help prevent the spread of common infections such as colds, flu, thread worms and stomach bugs.

 Children need to understand why it is important to wash their hands and be taught how to wash, rinse and dry their hands correctly. Scotland’s National Hand Hygiene Campaign has a pack designed specifically for children between the ages of three and six. The contents of the pack are available to view and to download for use at http:// www.washyourhandsofthem.com/the-campaign/childrens-pack.aspx . 

Good hand hygiene practice in the setting:

 • Use warm water

 • Never share water in a communal bowl when washing hands

 • Use liquid soap (there is no need to use soaps advertised as antibacterial or antiseptic) 

• Dry hands thoroughly using paper towels (childminders may use kitchen roll or a designated hand towel, which should be washed every day or more often if visibly dirty). A designated, lined bin that the children can operate easily should be provided for disposal of hand towels

 • When away from the childcare facility, and if there is no running water available, hand wipes may be used (children and staff should wash their hands at the first available opportunity) 

• All visible cuts and abrasions should be covered with a water proof dressing

 • Alcohol hand rub should be available for use by staff (hands should be washed with liquid soap and water if visibly soiled). The wearing of wrist jewellery (including watches), false nails and nail products are not recommended for staff performing hand hygiene. 

Children and adults should wash their hands: 

• Before and after eating or handling food or drink 

• After using the toilet, potty or changing a nappy 

• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing 

• After touching animals/pets or animal/pet waste, equipment or bedding

 • After contact with contaminated surfaces (e.g. food-contaminated surfaces, rubbish bins, cleaning cloths)

. • When returning from outside play or breaks e.g. playing with sand