Do Preschool Teachers Help With Potty Training?

Potty training brings out a child’s new personality. There’s no right time to start potty training your child; hence it may extend to preschool ages.

There is no need to panic if the child hasn’t learned to use the bathroom independently when enrolling them in preschool.

You can take your child to a preschool that offers potty training services. The preschool teachers are responsible for training the child to use the bathroom independently, and they have all the services in place.

They also offer reliable services during the training process like pamper changing rooms.

How do preschool teachers help with potty training?

a) Making the child comfortable

Schools do offer the individual comfort and needs suitable for your child. Some institutions have potties, others have toilets instead, while others have both. For institutions with both, the teacher asks the child which one they are more comfortable using.

Most of the schools with toilets have toilet seats to make the child comfortable and stable. Moreover, if the bathrooms are too high for the kids, they have stools or something the children can climb to access the toilets.

Pre-school teachers ensure that the child is comfortable with the system in school and can use the toilet or potty without any difficulties.

They often accompany the children to help them out as they teach them how to handle school bathrooms independently.

b) Dealing with accidents

An accident is not deliberate. A potty-trained child can have occasions when they unexpectedly go in their underwear. Pre-school teachers take accidents as a natural part of the process.

They do not reprimand the child; instead, they quickly clean up and have the child put on other fresh clothes and move on as nothing happened.

They also remind the child that they should rush to the potty the next time they need to use the bathroom.

In case the accidents are frequent, the staff tries to establish if something is triggering it.

At times, the child is unwell, or sudden changes at homes such as a new baby in the family, a recent vacation that may have taken the child back to the diaper world, or any other challenge.

With this establishment, the teacher can work towards retraining the child once more to using the potty. If the child is dry at some point, they’ll be dry again.

c) Offer prizes and praises

Different schools have different strategies to award children after using the bathroom, for example, using stickers after the child goes to the bathroom.

You can also applaud them in the classroom in front of other kids or when their parents come to pick them up to keep them motivated.

Children love to feel appreciated; hence, reinforcement with positive words of appreciation such as “Good job” will encourage the child to try the great act again.

d) A workable schedule

Different preschools have varying schedules and methodologies for the bathroom process.

Some institutions do a toilet routine of four times daily, while others take kids to the potty every 30 minutes. Others make it flexible for the children to choose their time.

The biggest problem with preschool is getting the children to stick to the schedule.

Teachers can establish a schedule that works for the children to allow them to have some potty time.

e) Advising parents on the child’s clothing

In preschool, the teachers try and train the child out of diapers. They encourage parents to dress the child in underwear instead of diapers during the process.

For the first two weeks, the teacher can recommend a pull-up diaper on top of the underwear.

After that, let the child carry extra underwear if they are wet as it is easy to tell that they are wet. An extra pair of clothing is also required every day for a child undergoing the training.

Having the child with no diapers and carrying extra clothing will train the child to clean up after a mess and want to remain dry, for wet underwear can be pretty uncomfortable.

f) Encouraging and teaching the child

Some kids are afraid of using the bathroom as they believe they are losing a part of their bodies.

The child might also have other fears that the teacher may help them overcome.

Pre-school teachers often remind and offer the children a chance to visit the washroom, give them a lot of encouragement, and explain that it is normal to use the bathroom.

After a successful bathroom visit, the teachers cheer and celebrate the child.

When the child cooperates,

Convincing a toddler to sit on the potty is a tedious task. Some children are afraid, others get annoyed, while others have no interest.  

• Begin by teaching the child to pull their pants down and up in the bathroom.

• Train them on the bathroom process and the logical order of what goes first.

• Show them how to pull the toilet paper and flush the toilet after use.

• You can also offer the kids potty books to help the kids get used to the process.

• Remember to applaud and appreciate the child when they use the toilet instead.

• Have regular toilet breaks where all the kids can use the bathroom; thus, they may feel like the other kids while they go inside.

Getting a preschooler to say they need potty? – 5 points

Training a child to use the potty is the first step. However, it would help if you still got the child to understand their body and know when to use the potty.

After the toddler understands their body, they can comfortably say if they need to use the bathroom.

Also, emotional and moral support counts for the toddler to be comfortable enough to express their needs. This article explains several ways to train your toddler to say when they need to use the potty.

1. Offer them a lot of drinks

Having a healthy bladder makes potty training very easy. Give your toddler a lot of water, 6-8 cups every day to drink, and try to avoid drinks with caffeine or sugary fluids.

The bladder needs to get accurately full for emptying for its efficient work.

Training your toddler’s bladder enables them to understand when they get the urge to use the potty and vocalize this need.

2. Ensure they aren’t constipated

A regular toddler should be pooing approximately four to five times a week or more. The poo should be soft and easy to release.

If the toddler is pooing fewer times or they have a runny liquid poo, wait for the constipation period to pass before you can start potty training.

Constipation prevents the child from understanding and controlling their bowel movements. If the child has a healthy bowel movement, they can say when they need to use the potty.

3. Establish a routine and adhere to it

You can introduce potty time after every few hours. Avoid asking the child frequently if they need to use the potty. Sometimes children are unable to tell if they need to go to the potty or not.

Instead, establish a structured routine where you’ll mention it’s potty time and accompany them for moral support for the first few times.

Eventually, they’ll learn to control and analyze their bodies so they can say when they need to use the potty by themselves.

4. Praise & more praise

Using a potty is a big deal for a toddler. Try to show excitement and be celebratory by offering rewards for a successful potty time.

Praise and encouragement will make the child desire to use the potty more often and ensure that you note it. They will therefore be more comfortable saying when they need to use the potty.

5. Patience

Patience is the cornerstone of potty training. Accidents are bound to happen, and with that, you have to be a supportive as you can.

You can encourage your child to use the potty next time and help and show them how to clean up.

Reminding them that accidents are normal and showing support and help will make the child more comfortable saying the next time they need to use the bathroom.

Conclusion, Pre-school teachers play a vital role in potty training. Hence, parent should reinforce and support the teachers to have successful training.