Some experts claim that we complicate the toilet training process when we require children to learn on several different kinds of equipment in succession. We start them on the potty chair, then move them to the adapter seat, and finally we move them to the adult toilet -- making three tasks for them to learn.
There is much to be said for using one, two, or all three of these methods. I suspect that the choice will depend on your child’s size, age, and preference; your preference; and the size and the number of your bathrooms. Whatever method you settle on will probably work just fine for you and your child.
Potty Chairs
Proponents of the potty chair say it allows a child to be more independent, since a parent doesn’t need to lift the child to the toilet. It also allows a child to place his or her feet squarely on the floor when bearing down to eliminate, and the child can also use the support of the chair’s arms. Because a potty chair is obviously the child's own, he or she will take pride in possessing it.
Many parents like the flexibility of the potty chair, moving it to various rooms in the house to suit their convenience, and using it for travel as well. (Others claim that a potty chair should remain in the bathroom, so its purpose becomes solely associated with the bathroom.)
If you have a potty in the bathroom, you and your child can go to the toilet at the same time.
One disadvantage is that a boy will not be able to urinate standing up -it will be too difficult, and there will be too much splashing. Another consideration is that it needs to be cleaned out by you or the child. In the beginning, cleaning out the pot will be fun. With experience, it loses its appeal for a child -- and probably for you, too.
If the potty chair appeals to you, you should get one before you start training, so it becomes a familiar piece of equipment for your child. In fact, you may even let your child shop for the chair with you. You can narrow the choice down to two or three styles, and let you child choose from among those. This can make the child all the more anxious to try it.
Personalizing a potty chair or adapter will also make it more unique and interesting. You can do this by adding a few stickers or decals of your child’s choosing. Or, use press-type letters and spell out your child's name.
Let your child know that it's okay -- for now -- to sit on the potty with clothes on to get used to it, but when he or she is ready, it will be used like "Mommy and Daddy use the toilet." Avoid using the seat at other times so as not to confuse the issue.
Choosing a Potty Chair
If you opt for a potty chair, you will probably choose a miniature version of an adult toilet, a molded one-piece style chair a child straddles, or a plastic molded stool-type chair. Many potty chairs today convert to adult toilet seat adapters as well.
• Before purchasing a potty chair, check to see how the pot is removed. If the pot is hard to get out or has to be tipped, don’t buy it.
• If you want a urine deflector, look for a removable one to be made of flexible plastic. Potties with deflectors seem to be easier to find than those without them, but if your child is hurt by one when trying to seat himself, he may refuse to use the seat.
• Buy a floor model that won’t slide around and is stable.
• Consider buying more than one potty chair, especially if you have more than one bathroom or a two-story house. The extra one can always be used for car travel or left at Grandma’s.
• Be aware that if you get a potty chair with a tray, lifting it up will be one more step your child will have to master.
• Look into the possibility of buying an adult camping portable potty for a child who’s larger than other toddlers.
Cleanup Responsibility
• Make cleaning the potty chair chamber easier by keeping an inch or so of water in the bottom of the pot.
• Place a few sheets of toilet paper on the bottom for a quicker cleanup of bowel movements.
• NEVER put any bleach in the bottom of a clean chamber pot. Urine contains ammonia and if a child urinates into the bleach it will cause a chemical reaction producing toxic fumes. Using bleach to disinfect the pot in the cleaning process, however, will not be problematic.
• Consider having your child be responsible for cleanup. Not every parent is comfortable with this, nor will every child adapt to it. Keep in mind that it’s not really developmentally appropriate for a very young child.
• Fascination with feces is not unique to your toddler. To prevent a child from playing with it, take the potty chamber out or reach after use. You may need to wait a bit before flushing it if your child is insistent. This stage usually does not last long. Whew!
Choosing an Adult Toilet Adapter Seat:
Many of today’s toilet top adapters come from the multiuse floor models. But they can be purchased singly also. They come as seats, molded rings (some of which fold up) and as stepladder adapters, all to reduce the opening of adult toilet seats for small size bottoms.
Adapters are lightweight and portable and have the additional advantage of direct flushing, so there is no extra cleanup necessary. However, adapter seats can be a nuisance for the rest of the family if there is only one bathroom and the adapter I in the way and must constantly be removed and replaced in innovative ways. Some styles have tried to overcome that complaint.
Many of these seats come with vinyl straps implying that a child is left alone on the seat and needs extra safety protection. In the early stages of training, a child should not be left alone. No child should be strapped in place and then left! That is likely to feel like punishment to a child. Stay with your child. If you haven’t gotten he desired results within three to five minutes, you aren’t going to. As children take on the responsibility of using the toilet with an adapter, they will be on and off by themselves in no time, and the strap is unnecessary.
You may wish to consider buying an inflatable or folding adapter seat for use when traveling or shopping, regardless of the method you opt for at home.
Direct Use of the Toilet:
It is perfectly acceptable to have your child learn to use the toilet without any special equipment. Obviously, the longer you wait to train your child, the bigger he or she will be and the more likely able to sit on an adult seat without any aid except possibly yours.
Remember the adult toilet can seem like an abyss to a child. But certain techniques can make a child feel more secure.
• Teach a boy to urinate sitting down backward on the toilet, straddling it, and pointing his penis downward. If he is distracted while standing, he might forget to aim.
• Teach a little girl to sit sideways or backward on the big toilet. A little girl should also "sink" her bottom low enough so urine does not go through the seat ring and bowl rim. In the beginning, removing underwear and pants will lessen chance of them getting wet.
• Hold your child securely on the seat's edge yourself.
