Potty Training Policy
Potty training is a big step in a child's development. Children generally achieve this between ages 2 to 3 years old. Some signs are:
* Your child announces when a wet or soiled diaper has occurred and/or requests to have it changed. This shows
awareness of bodily function and also that the child dislikes the feel of a wet or soiled diaper.
* Your child can express and understand one-word statements, including such words as "wet", "dry", "potty" or
"go".
* Your child shows an interest in the toilet or potty seat by asking to use it or wanting to watch mommy or daddy
use it.
* Your child has a tendency to wet or soil their diapers about the same time period each day, and often remains
dry for longer periods (2 hours or more) during some parts of the day.
* Your child shows facial expressions when wetting or soiling their diaper and may even hide in a corner or behind
a piece of furniture or squat when soiling a diaper. This again shows awareness of bodily functions.
* Your child is able to undress without assistance to some degree. This shows the child has some physical
coordination needed to do the work of toileting.
* Your child is cooperative and shows an interest in pleasing parents and caregivers.
If there are major changes in the child's life such as an arrival of a new sibling, loss of a parent, a new care provider, moving to a new house, changes in a parent's work schedule, etc., it is best to wait a few months until things have stabilized again before starting the potty training process. Starting to potty train during a turbulent time in the child's and/or parent's life only sets the stage for failure and frustration for everyone.
We will assist in potty training with the understanding that it will only be successful if we work together. Your child will not learn if they do not do it while in our care and at home. If there's a method working at home, please let us know and we will try to adopt it for your child. We use a low key approach with lots of praise. Please realize that this should be your child's accomplishment and not yours or ours. Children shouldn't be compared to how others are doing.
Clothing should be easy to manage to encourage self-help skills. Buckles, belts, onesies and suspenders when in a hurry to use the bathroom may create a problem and we ask that you do not dress your child in these types of clothing. We require that each potty training child have at least 4-5 changes of clothing. Sending a bag daily for the extra supplies works best and then we are able to quickly grab the bag when changes are required. Best practices state that we should have the least amount of contact with the soiled clothing, so these items will not be rinsed out or laundered and will be sent home in a plastic bag. Please replace any soiled clothing sent home with a clean set the next day.