Autonomy, Potties and More at Children’s Enchanted Learning Center Sure, potty training is a major milestone for all children. Did you know it could be one of the most stressful for Mom and Dad? That is why we here at Children’s Enchanted Learning Center want to support the family and ease the tension around training. Our staff is kind and gentle with the children as they may begin as early as 18 months or go past 2 years in their training. Each child is different and unique in their process. I know, with my own children that they were very different. My daughter learned with ease and it was an enjoyable process. On the other hand, my boys had their own schedule, likes and dislikes. I found this challenging and it took much longer than I had anticipated. I now know that studies show that girls are trained several months before boys. One thing that helped me was to smile every 60 seconds so my children could know that this was play and not stressful for Mommy.
Now, we as parents know, this is stressful. With the skills of self-empathy and empathy I was able to release some of this stress and remain in connection with my children. Next month, I will be writing about self-empathy and how to do it quickly enough to bring ease in stressful situations. For now, simply smile every 60 seconds so you are communicating in a nonverbal way that all is okay. It will bring ease to your young ones and relax them as they are going through this.
To help us assist you, we like to know the needs of each parent, as it relates to the potty training, so we can stay in congruence with your wishes throughout our day. Since this process is unique to each young one, a child who is doing well with toilet training may suddenly have difficulty for no obvious reason. This is a normal part of toilet training. It is best to work with us during this time instead of just quitting, the child will need consistency.
We’d like to keep your child’s toilet training a positive experience. If it becomes a struggle or a battle of wills, it is best to let us help you ease up for a while. Although you may be ready for toilet training, your child may not be and understanding the need for autonomy in your children creates ease for you as parents.
A child is considered toilet-trained when he or she knows that it is time to go to the bathroom and is able to climb onto and use the toilet with little help. Your child will likely need help with wiping after a bowel movement until age 4 or 5. He or she may also need extra help in unfamiliar bathrooms, such as public restrooms, until about age 5 or 6.
With all this information, you may feel overwhelmed. However, that is where we come in to help and support the training. I have confidence that my staff is attentive, trained and ready for whatever comes up with your child and excited to give them an enchanted experience with this milestone.