Toilet Training and Toilet Position for Children at the Right Time
What should be the toilet training age?
Toilet training: It is the child's gaining the ability to go to the toilet on his own without the need for help and reminders from another person. The period between 1.5 and 2.5 years of age of the child is the most suitable period for this job. If the child can stay dry for up to 2 hours, feel uncomfortable when his bottom is dirty, and can show signs with facial, facial expressions and posture beforehand, sit safely on the toilet or on the seat, and wake up dry from occasional naps, it means he is ready for toilet training.
Three to 6 months of toilet training is expected to yield effective results, but night wetting may persist. Even though he gets the habit of using the toilet during the day, it is seen that night wetting continues until the age of 5-6. Generally, after the age of 6, it is expected that the child will remain dry both day and night and have acquired toilet habits.
The age of starting toilet training coincides with the period of revealing the individuality and independence of the child. In this period, stubbornness, compulsive and oppressive attitudes may cause the child not to learn this skill, which is under his control.
Education given before or after this period may cause adjustment and behavioral disorders in children in the future and may make it difficult for them to receive this education. Although there are conflicting reports in the literature, starting toilet training too early can lead to inadequate bladder control and thus urinary tract infection, inappropriate defecation problems in the child; Starting too late can cause urge urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and negative self-confidence and independence skills.
What should be the correct urination position in the toilet?
Many children cannot fully empty their bladder and bowels due to wrong toilet position and wrong urination habits, so they encounter various urological and intestinal problems. Wrong toilet position causes the pelvic floor muscles, on the one hand, and the urethral and anal sphincter muscles, which control urination and defecation, to not fully relax, causing the child to accumulate residual urine in the urinary bladder called the bladder and inability to defecate completely. Both problems ultimately cause frequent urinary tract infections and constipation in children and adults. It is ideal for your child to pee in a sitting position. When you sit on the toilet, your feet should touch the floor first. Supports such as steps or stools can be used for children whose feet do not touch the ground. The child's back should be straight, with a roughly 90-degree angle between the back and thighs. In this position, since the abdominal muscles are sufficiently contracted, the bladder is under additional pressure and empties the urine completely. As a result, there is no more urine left in the bladder.
Since normal voiding physiology will be partially prevented in any position other than this position, permanent damage to the bladder and kidneys of the child may occur over time.
What are the things to pay attention to during voiding with the correct voiding position in the child?
- Urination should not be delayed, and urine should not be kept until the last moment. Urinating should be done before the feeling of urgency. This is especially important for children who are immersed in games and computers and delay urination. Otherwise, there may be urinary incontinence in the form of overflow. Another importance of this issue is that it causes a pathology called lazy bladder over time, especially in girls. These children urinate only 1-2 times a day, their bladder capacity can reach 2-3 times more volume than they should be for their age. Since they cannot fully empty their bladders after voiding, this may even cause kidney failure over time. This issue should be emphasized, and children should be encouraged to go to the toilet at certain intervals, even if they do not urinate.
- Girls, especially those who are overweight, should lower their underwear to the knees at the time of urination, while boys should sit down after unzipping or unbuttoning, and pee after both sexes open their thighs to the sides
- The child should be told that he should not rush to pee, that he needs time to urinate properly and relax. To help with this, you can suggest that your child sing or recite rhythmic numbers at the time of urination. In this way, your child will relax the pelvic floor muscles more easily
- The child should not push too much while peeing, should not stop peeing suddenly and wait patiently until the pee is gone
- Children should be taught not to get up immediately after voiding and to stay in this position for a little longer. This is very important so that no urine remains in the bladder. For this, your child should be taught to control themselves after each urination after counting rhythmically to 20, to pee again, if any, and then to get up from the toilet bowl
- Cleaning of the relevant areas after voiding and defecation is very important in terms of urinary tract infection. Girls should be taught that this cleaning should be done from front to back
- It should be given to the child from an early age that hands must be washed after using the toilet.
- When the child's laundry gets wet, it should be replaced with a clean one. It should be taught that the child should be aware of the wetness of his underwear and be uncomfortable with it.