Make potty training fun

 

Naomi Mutesi is at crossroads. Mutesi is wondering when is the right time to start potty training her 12-month-old son Alpha Musinguzi. “Musinguzi still soils his diapers and wets his bed. Every time I put him on a potty, he screams. I really do not know what to do,” Mutesi ponders.

 

Like Mutesi, many parents are in a similar dilemma. According to Jane Nalubega, a clinical psychologist at Child Health Advocacy International, potty training is a nightmare for many parents. Nalubega adds that this explains why some parents keep their babies in diapers for so long. 

 

 

Dr. Justus Byarugaba, a neural paediatrician at Children’s Medical Centre in Bugolobi, says potty training success hinges on physical and emotional readiness. 

 

Byarugaba advises parents to not rush potty training; “If you start potty training too early, it may cause stress for the child and ultimately prolong the toilet training process,” he affirms.

 

In regard, he says poorly managed toilet training may lead to behavioural disorders. “The child may dislike the potty and end up holding back the stool, which may result in chronic constipation,” he explains. 

 

Nalubega says using a potty is one of the basic skills every child needs to learn. “A child may be ready to begin toilet training from about eight months, and training may go on as long as five years.”

 

 

According to Byaruhanga, toilet training helps children gain control of their body functions. The training helps the child become independent later in life, he says. 

 

However, Nalubega warns that less toilet training or too much training may lead to a personality disorder referred to as obsessive personality disorder. This may lead to a child being too clean or too messy.  

 

 

Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, a senior paediatrician at Mulago Hospital, says particular signs of readiness may include; feeling uncomfortable in wet or dirty diapers, demanding to use the toilet, fairly predictable bowel movements about the same time every day and being able to follow simple instructions such as, “let us go and pee”. 

 

Others include the child pulling up, or down the pants, seeming interested in the potty, staying dry longer during the day and waking up from naps with a dry diaper. 

 

Squirming, squatting or holding the genitals are also common signs parents should not ignore. 

 

Kitaka advises parents to make potty training a fun  experience. “Do not rush. Let the babies learn at their pace. This will reduce stress,” she urges. 

 

Kitaka advises parents to exercise patience and remain consistent because any source of stress can lead to toilet regression. 

 

Common causes of stress include; the birth of a new sibling, moving house, marital stress between the parents and illnesses, for example, a bladder infection.

 

Kitaka says failure to use  the toilet independently by the age of four or five might signal  a delay in development. Such cases require medical check-up to rule out any physical problems, she cautions. 

 

On the other hand, Nalubega says it is normal for a child to need help until the age of four or five, for instance, wiping after a bowel movement, or a reminder to wash his hands.

 

 

Dr Angelina Kakooza, a paediatrician at Mulago Hospital, advises parents to put the potty away for some days if the baby refuses to use it. 

 

“Choose a potty the baby is comfortable with and keep it in a strategic position for him to see and reach. Let the child personalise it by pasting stickers, or writing a name on it,” Kakooza advises. 

 

She cautions parents not to expect the baby to immediately make a connection between sitting on the potty and using it. 

“First, have the baby sit on the potty for a few minutes at regular intervals. If he passes urine or stool while sitting on the potty, he will be able to make a connection,” Kakooza says. 

 

Byarugaba advises parents to ensure the child eats lots of fruits and vegetables to keep the stool soft and to avoid pain when passing stool. 

 

“Painful bowel movement will frighten the child. He may associate this painful experience with the potty, and may refuse to use the potty,” he adds.