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Toilet training starts when a toddler is able to express his need to void. Usually, kids start to control their bladder and motion at the age of 2.5 or 3 years. A child may want to be clean and dry and is able to tell when he needs to let go. Sometimes, there are slip-ups when the child is distracted. Both parent and toddler needn't be discouraged with temporary slip-ups.
Night training for bladder control can start when you ask your toddler to void before sleep and first thing in the morning after waking up. All this while, he's still wearing his nappy. When you find that his nappy is dry in the morning, you know that he is ready to begin night bladder control. A child needs to be physically mature before he can control his neurological muscles. There is no point in forcing a child to be dry throughout the whole night if he is not physically developed enough to control his bladder.
Premature attempts at training for night bladder control will only lead to frustration. This may also adversely affect the child. He may feel humiliated or withdraw from further attempts to try as he becomes afraid of failure.
It is essential not to laugh or make discouraging comments if the bedsheet is found to be soiled the morning after. Give your child the reassurance that it is all right to make a mistake. That is why it is advisable to use a waterproof layer to protect your child's mattress, because you can't possibly clean the mattress. You can air the mattress once in a while by leaving it bare without a bedsheet or sun it out in the open.
As a parent, you can do many things to encourage your child. Praise is very important and helpful to encourage your child to learn and keep on trying even with the occasional mistakes. Tell him that he is getting to be a big boy now and it is time to learn to go without the nappy at night. Most children will be pleased to hear that they are " grown up " and will be eager to learn to control their bladders for the night.
Some toddlers feel discomfort sleeping with a nappy. This is the signal that they are ready to begin night bladder control training. A child may show initiative for night training by asking you permission to sleep without a nappy. Whatever be outcome of the training trials, don't pressure the toddler to achieve 100% success. It takes at least one month before bladder control can be achieved for the night.
Get the correct equipment before you can start. Buy a waterproof bed sheet to lay the bed underneath your child's normal bed sheet. It is uncomfortable and hot to sleep on plastic, so you need a regular bed sheet over the plastic one. Buy a few spare bed sheets for the child's bed. Be prepared to do his laundry for as long as necessary.
Initially, use trainer pants for the night. Check them every morning. When the pants are dry for successive mornings, you can try your toddler without the trainers.
Tell your child to wake up to go to the bathroom by himself. Get a nightlight for his bedside and also one for the bathroom. Most switches are out of reach for toddlers and they are naturally afraid to walk in the dark to go to the toilet.
If at first, there's plenty of failure, don't get discouraged. continue showing your moral support and encouragement for your child. This is very important as any negative feedback will discourage your child from trying. The child will be afraid to learn and it may be very late before he wants to try again. It is important to remember that toilet training for the daytime is very different from toilet training for the night. Tell your child that so that he has confidence in himself to learn.
Remember to praise success. Praise is motivation enough for any kid to persevere. Don't wake-up your kid in the middle of the night to go to the toilet. The child will not learn to control the bladder. It will take double the time to learn night bladder control.
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