Adapted from Laura Amies Instagram Live on @AndrexUK
I think bathroom habits toileting, personal care skills, for me, are the trickiest milestone of all. It can be a bit of a taboo topic and it is something that not everybody is comfortable talking about.
Clean is a feeling that leads to confidence, and that has a massive impact on how your child will feel about themselves and their development. As I'm always saying, emotional development is at the crux of everything so I'm really excited to be able to answer these important questions.
This article will cover:
How to teach a child to clean their own bottom?
Tips and Tricks to help children learn bow to clean their own bottom
Helping your child feel comfortable during toilet training
Role Modelling to help your children feel comfortable when using the toilet
Q+A: “I am worried about the mess, is that wrong? I would rather clean them myself.”
Q+A: “How should I teach girls to clean themselves? Is it different boys?”
Q+A: “My child hates using the toilet, how can I help?”
The importance of leading with fun when toilet training
Q+A: How do I get my child to use the toilet before they are absolutely desperate?
How do I tackle going to the toilet outside of the home?
Personal Care Bingo for nights away
Q+A: “How and when should I transition from the potty to the toilets?”
Constipation and Toilet training
Q+A: “How should I teach girls to clean themselves? Is it different boys?”
- Assess the situation depending on the child’s individual character and their development
- Approach if child is an observational or tactile learner
- Overall message is that we need to get clean
- Rule that we wipe from the front to the back
- Try to add visual image when trying to teach the child
Watch Laura Amies teach us how you should teach girls to clean themselves
Helping your child feel comfortable during toilet training
Laura suggests we try her tricks away from the toilet to start with, and include the child’s teddy/ favourite toys to build positive associations.
All tricks are:
- Age dependent
- Child dependent
Watch Laura Amies teach us a folding trick to help a child learn to wipe their own bottom
Q+A: “My child hates using the toilet, how can I help?”
- This issue can bring out anxiety in adults
- Taps into the emotional side of frustration
- It helps to lead with fun
- Remember the child trusts you more than anyone
- Try to smile, even if we don’t feel like it
Watch Laura Amies teach us how
How to teach a child to clean their own bottom?
Before we can really consider whether a child can clean their own bottom we need to consider if they have the skills necessary. It is not just about obviously getting clean. They need to be able to:
- have hand eye coordination.
- understand why this is such an important job that they must learn.
Trick one:
Watch Laura Amies as she shows how we can help children’s hand-eye coordination ahead of potty training
Trick two:
Watch Laura Amies as she shows how we can help children’s hand-eye coordination ahead of potty training
Q+A: “I am worried about the mess, is that wrong? I would rather clean them myself.”
- Its not wrong to think that
- There are going to be times when you are going to do that job
- But your child must understand that ultimately it is their responsibility
- The more practice your child has the better they will get at cleaning themselves
- Only use flushable wipes – Andrex Washlets are the best 😉
Watch as Laura Amies answers your questions about potty training children
The importance of leading with fun
- Try to use language that gives your child some control
- Build the understanding that the potty is safe and they can trust it
- Lead with fun!
Watch Laura Amies teach us importance of leading with fun
Role Modelling:
- Role model how you would clean using your child’s teddy
- When your child feels comfortable, they are much more likely to learn
- ‘My turn, your turn’ approach
- Tweak to suit your child’s age and their character
- Have fun with it!
Watch Laura Amies tell us how we can successfully use role modelling when potty training children
Q+A: How do I get my child to use the toilet before they are absolutely desperate?
- Routine is something everybody can fall back on
- Visual routine maps are very helpful
- Try to have regular toilet trips
- Lead with positive statements “It’s toilet time, thank you”
Watch Laura Amies teach us how
How do I tackle going to the toilet outside of the home?
- Be mindful of your language when in public toilets
- Be aware of the way we speak about toilets outside of the home
- Try to lessen the amount of germs we suggest
- Try to not use controlling language
- Most important thing is having them comfortable and capable
Watch Laura Amies teach us how
Personal Care Bingo for nights away
- Good opportunity for your child to start to take some responsibility
- Make a personal care bingo board
- Mix jobs they are already capable off with potty training jobs
- Always feel open to reaching out to the child’s teacher if there are some things they need a bit of extra support with
Watch Laura Amies describe how she uses personal care bingo to improve a child’s potty training routine at home and on nights away
Q+A: “How and when should I transition from the potty to the toilets?”
- Lead with your gut
- Make sure your child has got into a good routine on the potty
- Assess your child’s balance and coordination
- Approach is dependent on your child’s character
- Buy potty training appropriate toilet seats
Watch Laura Amies answer how to transition a child from the potty to the toilets
Constipation and Toilet Training
- Constipation is always a challenge during potty training
- Using Andrex’s toilet wipes really helped and the child took huge comfort in them
- It can be hard to keep the positivity going during this issue but is important to keep with it
Watch Laura Amies discuss the challenges of constipation during toilet training
