Potty training tips for nannies
Potty training is a key transition that many parents and nannies we work with find difficult. We were lucky to catch up with Judith Hough and Diane Titterton , the authors of ‘How to Potty Train’ to find our more about their national ‘Dry like me campaign’. Here are a few of their favourite tips that may come in handy!
Consistency is the key!
Consistency is key when potty training, especially when it comes to the time to remove the nappy. It is therefore important that everyone involved is happy and committed to the process. Decide whether to use a potty or to go straight to the toilet with toddler seat. Other things to consider are the language used by both the adults and the child around toileting.
Reward charts
We often recommend using reward charts when potty training, but it’s important that rewards are given and the choice of rewards can be subjective. Some people favour chocolate buttons, while others would prefer a treat that involves a trip to the park or extra reading time together.
‘Poo nappies’
One of the most common questions we get asked relates to children wanting a nappy back on to poo in. In this case, you can introduce ‘poo nappies’ which are left in the bathroom – you can tell the child that the ‘The poo fairy’ has left them as it sometimes make negations easier. The child is told that when he/she wants to do a poo he/she can have their ‘poo nappy’ on – the nappy is put on in the bathroom and the child stays there until the have done their poo – the nappy is then taken off and the poo put in the toilet and the child is then involved with flushing it away etc. It is important that the nappy is put on/taken off with the child standing so that way they can help with pulling pants up and down and also start to learn about wiping bottoms etc…
It has to be to the child’s advantage to do it this way rather than in his/her pants so you can say things like the poo fairy has left some special stickers and every time he/she does a poo in the nappy in the bathroom he/she can have one of the stickers. Once he/she is happily going into the bathroom to do a poo in the nappy then you move the goal posts and say that the poo fairy said he/she can still have a nappy on but he/she must also now sit on the toilet /potty – once he/she is doing this you are almost there and just need to work on removing the nappy completely. Some mums progress by just putting the nappy on the potty/toilet and sitting the child on the nappy on the potty/toilet then one day they just ‘forget’ to put the nappy there and sit the child straight on the potty/toilet. Others cut a bigger and bigger hole in the nappy.
We have lots more tips and advice on potty training on our website, and our book, ‘How to Potty Train,’ breaks the whole process down into stages from recognising the signs of readiness to training at night time.
WIN A ‘SMART WAY TO POTTY TRAIN’ PACK TO GET OUT OF NAPPIES AND INTO PROPER PANTS
Share your potty training tips on our facebook page by the 28th July 2015 to win a ‘Smart Way to Potty Train Pack’ from Dry Like Me. Worth £25 each, they include the helpful book, ‘How to Potty Train’, by Judith Hough and Diane Titterton, four boxes of award-winning Dry Like Me potty training pads and a lovely sticker reward chart.
For more information on Dry Like Me potty training pads, as well as lots of tips and advice go to www.drylikeme.com or www.facebook.com/drylikemeuk.