Potty Training Method Two (2)
Last week we started discussing potty training. We will discuss seven popular potty training methods with nannies. On Friday, we described the Child-Orientated Potty Training Method. Saturday we listed some children's books to read to children as they prepare to use they potty. Today, we will describe potty training as discussed by Dr. Jim Sears.
Dr. Jim Sears shared his potty training tips for working moms on television series, The Doctors. The first thing caregivers need to do is to watch for signs of readiness. Dr. Sears mentions that the child must be physiologically ready to potty train and have the motor skills, cognitive skills, and social skills to potty train.
Physiological Readiness for Potty Training Include:
1. Child's awareness of the need to go demonstrated by squatting, grunting, or hiding when the child feels need to eliminate.
2. The child has no bowel movements through the night.
3. The diaper is dry for longer periods of time including after long naps and/or in the morning.
4. The child can urinate a lot at one time rather than a little bit through out the day.
5. There is some regularity of bowel movements.
Motor Skills Needed for Potty Training Include:
1. Being able to dress and undress herself.
2. Being able to pull his underpants up and down.
3. Being able to pull her pants up and down.
The Cognitive Skills Needed for Potty Training Include:
1. Child is able to understand your explanations and follow commands.
2. Child is able to plan, has a good memory, and able to problem solve.
Emotional and Social Awareness for Potty Training:
1. Child saying comments like “I can do it!”
2. Child desires parents and caregiver approval.
3. Child imitates others.
Dr. Sears also recommends using potty chairs, potty training pants, and potty training dolls.
He explains most of the potty training problems such as potty training resistance, potty training regression, potty fear, and pooping in pants are caused by caregivers that put too much pressure on the child.
Too much pressure on a child can cause bowel movement resistance, which then leads to constipation, which then leads to painful bowel movements.
Dr. Sears says never punish a child that has a potty accident. Since potty training is a developmental milestone like walking. Caregivers would never punish a child for falling when learning to walk, similarly you should never punish a child for having toilet training accidents. He does mention that there is a difference between punishment and consequences for behavior.
In the one-day method of potty training based on Azrin and Foxx's potty training which we will discuss later this week, consequences are used for undesired behaviors and Dr. Sears explains this is not punishment -- it is simply a consequence for certain behaviors.
Stop by tomorrow to learn about Dr. Spock's method for potty training.
Do you have potty training tips for nannies?