Q "My daughter is supposed to start pre-school in
September and has to be fully potty trained by then. She
refuses to have anything to do with the potty and I don’t
know what to do at this point, do you have any suggestions?"
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A This time of year always is a time when parents panic with
the potty training/school issue. I am assuming that your child
is physically and emotionally ready to take this step as she
will be starting pre-school in September.
Learn to spot the signs when your child needs to use the
toilet, keep track of the time she usually wants to go and be
ready! Obviously hiding in corners is a good indication! Ask
her repeatedly if she wants to go, children need reminding
constantly. Get her to sit on the toilet even if she says she
doesn’t want to go, she needs to learn what her body is
telling her. A good video I came across is Sesame Street’s,
“Elmo’s Potty Time”, they use language that she will
understand and talk about the different sensations your body
has when wanting to use the loo!
If she is refusing to go on the potty it has become a battle
between the two of you and you now have to be the general!
Be tough but make sure you also give her praise for effort as
well as achievement. The trick is to make her think that it is
her decision to use the potty keep mentioning that she is a
big girl now who will be going to school in September. If she
is excited about starting pre-school then tell her plainly that
she will not be able to go unless she takes this step.
Although it may make your summer a bit less fun, do not let
her do some of the things she likes to do unless she is
making an effort to use the toilet. I was at a pool recently
where a three year old wanted to go to the bathroom so
instead of taking him away from the pool, the parent put a
diaper on him so he could resume swimming. Common sense
tells me use this time to take him out of the pool and don’t
let him back in until he goes to the toilet where he is
supposed too!
At the school I worked in we told a little boy on the Friday
that he wouldn’t be able to come back to school until he was
potty trained. Sure enough he was back on Monday having
made the decision himself that using the potty outweighed
not going to school! You have about five more weeks so start
now and be consistent!