Toilet training
Toilet Training
Toilet training can be easy for some and more difficult for others. At preschool we want to ensure that every adult is supported through their child’s toilet training and that every child is supported between home and preschool for this important transition from nappy to toilet.
At your child’s induction staff will discuss your child’s toileting needs, when you think your child may be close to leaving nappies behind, discuss this with your keyworker and they will ensure you and your child receive our specialised support and guidance.
Please be aware…if your child has three accidents in one day we will call you to pick them up, alternatively we can put them in a nappy for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, we do not have the staff or resources to change multiple children multiple times a day especially in cold and wet weather, it isn’t fair on the child or the adult. This policy outlines the importance of discussing plans to toilet train your child with your key worker before you embark, to ensure your child is ready to achieve this next step.
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All children are different, there’s no hard and fast rule for when they need to toilet train but doing it too early, when you might be ready but they aren’t, can make the whole process long and difficult and do more harm than good.
Like any other skill your child will learn, it will take time and practice. Pushing them before they are ready may lead to your child becoming distressed and anxious about going to the toilet and negatively impact their time at preschool, stopping them from learning and enjoying their time with us.
All children are different, there’s no hard and fast rule for when they need to toilet train but doing it too early, when you might be ready but they aren’t, can make the whole process long and difficult and do more harm than good.
Like any other skill your child will learn, it will take time and practice. Pushing them before they are ready may lead to your child becoming distressed and anxious about going to the toilet and negatively impact their time at preschool,stopping them from learning and enjoying their time with us.
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Signs that tell you that your child might be ready:
they get to know when they are weeing and will often tell you when they are doing it
they can tell you when they have had a poo or a wee
they go for more than an hour between wetting their nappy
they are starting to be able to remove and put back on their own clothing
they fidget or go quiet when they need to go to the toilet
they have the ability, whether verbal or nonverbal to communicate that they need the toilet
You need to see all of these signs to indicate you or child is ready, just one or two is not enough!
It’s also important to pick a time when there’s not lots of other things going on in your lives; a house move, new baby or starting at a new setting will no doubt make things stressful and confusing.
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If you think your child is ready to stop wearing nappies, please consider the following:
Children to feel fully settled and secure at preschool before beginning this journey so as not to affect their self-esteem or confidence and to ensure they feel comfortable enough with our staff to accept their support in their intimate care
Talk with your child’s key worker before starting, to see if they also think your child is ready, staff are trained to look for signs your child is ready and your child will behave differently at preschool than they do at home, they need to be ready both at home and in setting
Make sure they have loose layers under their water proofs, they need to be able to get trousers etc off easily
BE PATIENT - some children take to it like a duck to water, others need more support
BE POSITIVE - although it can be frustrating, when toilet training your child it’s really important that you don’t get cross or upset if they have an accident, this could lead to them having difficulty going to the toilet or becoming very anxious and negative about toilet training.
It is important to remember toilet training at preschool is NOT THE SAME as at home and here’s some reasons why…
staff are looking after many children at a time often with many children toilet training in the same session
unfortunately staff cannot take every child to the toilet every half hour unless they are assigned a SEND support worker
when in waterproofs it is impossible to tell if a child has wet themselves unless we physically check them which is why it is important your child can tell us if they have had an accident
children are often very busy engaging and moving around the setting and don’t want to stop for the toilet even though they will be reminded
children may not feel as comfortable to tell a member of staff that they need the toilet as they do their own parent
at preschool children come dressed in many layers which can be hard or slow to get off
they are in different surroundings with different toilets/potties
Preschool support
Staff will work with you to support you and your child when you embark upon toilet training, this should be a two-way communication between home and preschool. It is important to remember that toilet training should not be introduced at preschool until the child is confidently using the potty or toilet at home with minimal accidents.
staff will talk about toileting with children through chat and stories throughout their time with us, it is important to normalise using the toilet as early as possible
please make sure you send your child in with at least three full changes of clothing and multiple pants, any wet clothes will be sent back in a wet-bag, however, if your child does a poo that can’t be tipped out (!) or the pants are beyond saving they will be put in the bin, thank you for your understanding
please do not use pull ups or put pants over nappies, it doesn’t help your child, put pants on them so they can feel if they are wet it is part of the learning process
please ensure you dress your child in loose clothing that is easy to get down at speed, e.g. jogging bottoms - not jeans, waterproof dungarees should be done up on the outside of top layers of clothing
staff will encourage your child to go to the toilet regularly however, we are a very busy setting so they will tend to do this at regular optimal intervals e.g. when we stop for snack or group time, they cannot be expected to do it every half hour
please remember that even if your child has been doing really well at home, they have many more distractions at preschool so may struggle to start with
please be realistic, while at home, you have the opportunity to take your child to the toilet frequently, at preschool we do not work one to one with the children and are often helping to toilet train a number of children at once sometimes up to 10 in one session
don’t feel pressurised into toilet training, there is no hurry however, it really helps to start to familiarise your child with toilets and potties as soon as possible, have a toilet in the house, get your child to sit on it or the loo, talk about what it’s for, do all this way before they stop using nappies
please don’t be annoyed if they wet themselves, its all a learning process, your disappointment can have a really negative impact on your child’s wellbeing and progress another good reason not to start them until they are absolutely ready
if the child persistently has accidents at preschool, and in our opinion, is not ready for toilet training at preschool, we may advise you that you need to delay toilet training for a little while until the child is more ready
More advice can be found on ERIC the bladder and bowel charity website
For those children in nappies
Please provide nappies each session, preschool will supply wipes.
If your child requires barrier cream please let your key worker know and provide a named tub.
Staff will change your child’s nappy at regular intervals throughout their session and as they become more familiar with them they get to know their toileting routines. If a staff member notices that a child might have a wet/soiled nappy they will change them as soon as possible.
Preschool is committed to ensuring that all staff responsible for the intimate care of children undertake their duties in a professional manner at all times.
All children are treated with respect and care
Preschool will act on any concerns for a child’s wellbeing in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy
All staff will have an enhanced DBS check before they are allowed to tend to children’s intimate care
Intimate care should be carried out away from onlookers but with an open door for the safety of all
Potties and toilets are provided both indoors and out
All children are changed on low level change mat in an enclosed toilet area
Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible in their own care but are encouraged to ask for help to they need it
If it’s just not working for your child, then sometimes we might suggest reverting back to nappies, its not worth the distress for everyone involved, you may need to wait just a bit longer until your child is more ready
Procedure for nappy changing at preschool
Children in nappies are changed regularly
When children need changing, a member of staff will guide them to a changing area
Staff will talk with the child about what they are doing as they do it
Staff will put on gloves to tend to children
Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible
Dirty nappies are put into bags, provided by preschool, then into the bin
The changing mat is sprayed and wiped with antibacterial cleaner after every use
If clothes need to be changed then the child’s own spare clothes are to be used first, as provided by parents, if none are available then preschool can provide spares
Any wet/soiled clothing is put in a wet-bag, provided by preschool, and into the child’s box to take home, these should be returned clean by parents as soon as possible
All toilets and potties are cleaned daily
July 25