Coincidentally, like my oldest daughter, the youngest is leaving diapers with 2 years and 9 months of age. It is merely a coincidence, since the right time to leave diapers depends on the physical and psychological maturation of each child.
I am one of those who think that it is not necessary to force them to leave the diaper because they have already turned 2 years old and play, because other children their age have done it or because summer is ideal to do so. It does not depend on external issues but on whether or not the child is prepared to leave the diaper.
We talked at the time about how to recognize when the child is ready to leave the diaper. We can consider this when we observe that the child has acquired the ability to control sphincters. I do not think it is a training, but a maturation process that suddenly manifests itself as walking or beginning to speak.
A good day will come when the child will tell us that he feels uncomfortable with a dirty diaper or let us know when he is peeing. Leaving the diaper is a process in which we must accompany you, not impose it because it suits us.
When we see that he is ready, that he knows how to use the potty or the toilet alone and that he is able to get on and off his pants by himself we can follow certain routines to Help you make the process of leaving diapers more bearable.
- Start by removing the diaper for a few hours, for example in the afternoon, when you are calm at home and always with the potty at hand. If necessary, you plant it in the middle of the room.
- To get used to the use of the potty or the toilet (in this we must also give you the option to use what you prefer), let's accompany you. A story can be a good idea for the child to learn to sit and wait for the pee to leave. Many sit for a second and since nothing comes out, they immediately stand up and leave. It is important that they acquire the habit of sitting and waiting for the pee to leave.
- To remove the diaper for more hours, choose a weekend that you will stay at home. Prepare a few changes of clothes and above all, have a lot of patience and understanding.
- Just wake up take him pee and so every hour until you see that he alone manages to let you know. The warning is a great advance because it indicates that he has managed to identify the feeling that he wants to pee or poop.
- Do not overwhelm him with going to the toilet every so often because he will end up seeing it as something negative. If he doesn't want to sit down, let him let you know by himself or if he ever escapes anything, nothing happens either. Give him freedom to decide when he wants to go.
- Make your homework as easy as possible. Put on comfortable clothes to remove and put on, put a stool so you can climb on the toilet by yourself and use an adapter for the toilet lid to make you feel more secure.
- Keep in mind that the pee will escape a few times, especially when distracted by eating or playing. Never scold him.
- If you see that the little one does not advance with the passing of the days and always wets his clothes, it is that he was probably not ready to leave the diapers at that time. We may have been wrong to remove it early. Don't be afraid to go back and put diapers back on. The child will use them until he feels safe leaving them.
- It uses positive stimuli such as buying some panties or some new underpants that make it look like a brand new one. There are also a lot of very nice children's books that talk about it and will help you in the process.
- Keep in mind emotional factors that can affect the child to leave the diaper at that time such as a divorce, a move, the birth of a brother or a significant change in their usual pace of life.
