Babies Tale

Toilet-Training Equipment

Successful toilet-training will be a combination of good timing [ the child must be ready] and the parents’ understanding of the complexity of the process [being able to break it down into a series of simple tasks] . For most children, the ideal time is around two years of age-a time when they can follow verbal instructions, have good muscle control, and take pride in doing things by themselves.

What you’ll need is really not much. Training pants aren’t necessary, because they shrink a lot when washed, making them hard to take off. They’re also bulky, like diapers-a child may forget that wetting her pants is no longer acceptable. Buy regular children’s underwear to mark the transition and instill some pride in your child about growing up.

You can buy either a potty that sits on the floor or a seat that adapts o the adult flush toilet. There are arguments for and against each. Generally, children who have older siblings are more motivated to use the adult toilet because they want to be grown up like their brothers and sisters; they often do very well with the adapter seat. Children who don’t have older siblings often experience a fear of heights on the adapter seat, and some have a real fear of all that flushing. The adapter seat is more portable and obviously doesn’t involve emptying, but if it fits poorly, it can slip or break, causing the child to fall off or in. Also, children tend to urinate off to the side, wetting the adult seat or the floor. No difference in ease of training has ever been found between adapter seats and potties, so the choice is yours.

Go on a preliminary shopping trip for the potty or seat. When you’ve whittled it down to two choices, bring your child with you to assist in the final selection. Have your child sit on the seats to see which is more comfortable. This will give her an investment in what’s about to take place.

If you’re looking at adapter seats, take them from the package to be sure the edges are smooth and round and not sharp. There should be a flexible front shield for boys, preferably of a rubber-like material that won’t hurt your son bumps against it. The catches holding the seat on should be rubberized or of some other non-scratch material to prevent damaging the adult seat. If your buying an adapter seat, you’ll also need to buy a footstool so your child can climb up to the seat.

Potties are portable and easy for children to use. Look for one with a seat top that can later be used as an adapter seat. Potties with plastic seats are superior to those with wooden ones, they’re easier to clean and fit children better. Find one with a wide base for increased stability. Also, rubber tips under the potty will prevent it from sliding as your child slides on to it. Make sure all edges are smoothly finished., and check to see if the splash guard is flexible. Potties with top loading chambers are best because they’re easier to empty without spills. In fact, children can eventually learn to empty these themselves.

Table and Chair

Get rid of the highchair as soon as you can, since all highchairs present a risk of falls. Besides, once your child is two, she will consider the highchair a prison Having a chair and table. of her own will allow a child to spread out her things for work, play, or eating, making it a very important piece f equipment..

Buy the largest table you can afford or have room for, definitely no smaller than twenty by thirty inches. Many suppliers make sturdy tables and matching chairs for children. Some even have adjustable legs. But you don’t have to buy something that’s sold as a child’s table. One mother covered a Parson’s table with oilcloth and then bought a few sturdy child-sized chairs to go with it. The chart that follows specifies heights for tables and chairs at different ages, but if you can afford only one set, and you can’t find one with adjustable legs, go with a table hat’s at least twenty-two to twenty-four inches high and a seat that’s about thirteen inches high. There should always be eight to ten inches of room between the chair seat and the table.

Shelves for Toys, Books, and Other Belongings

Buy sturdy shelves with no sharp edges. The shelves should be affixed low on the wall, so a child can’t pull things down on his head, it’s a good idea to store soft things, like stuffed animals on the highest shelves.

Toy Chests

Though toy chests are immensely practical [and useful for teaching a small child to put her belongings away], they are not without hazards. The two most prominent dangers are sharp edges that could injure your baby if she should fall against the toy chest, and a tight-fitting lid that could trap your baby inside, suffocating her. Though the possibility of the later may seem remote, it is a very real danger.

When choosing a toy chest, look for the following features:

1. Sturdy construction
2. Smooth surfaces, with no sharp corners or edges
3. A gap of at least a half-inch between the closed lid and the chest
4. A hydraulic closure that will prevent the lid from slamming onto your baby’s head

Be sure that the inside of the box has no latch or other locking mechanism that could trap your child inside. Ideally, the chest’s lid should be light enough for a baby to push it upward with little effort.

If you’re unable to find a commercially manufactured toy chest that suits your specifications, consider making one yourself, or having one custom made. Finally, don’t pass your own old toy chest [or anyone else’s] unless you know it is safe.

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