Child care and toilet training.

[Doing my best]

Before I start, I know that I have to speak to the director and all centres are different, but just want an idea from those who work in child care, or have some advice..

My DD has just turned 2 an 1/2. She has no real interest in going to the toilet. She knows the concept, she will wear knickers, but just refuses to do anything in the toilet (or a potty). I am not at all worried about it at this age.. But, they moved her from the juniors room to pre-kindy, and have been trying to get her to use the toilet (cause there is no change room attached to this room). I was happy to supply knickers and changes of clothes as long as she wasn't getting stressed over it.

Last week, she was in tears when I tried to get her to go to her room leader. When I asked her why, she said she didn't want to do wees in the toilet, she wanted to do them in her nappy. The next day it started before we left home, so it makes me think they are forcing her, or maybe she has realised how to tell me white lies already .

Does she really have to be toilet trained to be in the pre-kindy room? Are pull ups likely to help?

I am happy for them to try, even though I don't think she is ready and am not doing it at home, till she shows more interest. But I am not going to accept her being stressed over it.

[Loula]

When i first opened this thread i was thinking i was going to read how you want to TT but CC doesnt think she is ready lol

I tell my parents try not to stress about TT it WILL happen, seems to me that she has had a bad experiance maybe?

Taking in knickers and hoping for the best will not help either, accident create unwanted attention and can be very upsetting for the child.

It really is all about how the CC deal with TT what is their policy (you are able to see this and get a copy) you need to find out from the staff what their expectations are with regards to children and going to the toilet, what their routine is and what they offer for children learningthis new skill, do they (and i hope they do) offer and individual approach? how long to they allow for TT, how do they respond to accidents.

Where i work now is FANTASTIC, so loveing, but after 12 years in teh field i have seen some horror staff, for example, telling children off for having an accident!!!WTF???? hate this, also telling parents to keep going with the training when clearly the child is destressed with the reaction they are recieving, this will only make the process longer.

I say two weeks is enough time for TT, if you are still pushing after that then really you did not assess the childs situation and was not ready.

I have begged parents in teh past to start TT as i could see their child was ready but they were not...................................two days later fully TT child, they were amazed.

Remember TT is totally different in CC than at home, one child may be ready in one environment but not in the other (does that make sense???)

Def talk with the staff ask them what their feeling are, and no way should a child be expected to be TT before pre kindy! Gosh some KIndergardens need to lighten up and pull their heads in, all children develop at different rates one of the first things being taught to you when you study early education, and with the framework being about being, belonging, and becoming thats what we are trying to achieve a holistic approach, not a dictatship!

there is my beef! oops

[Loula]

And another not i always discuss with parents TT before doing it at CC, although some children are so willing, you often see them sitting on the loo with their pants down with a nappy on .....again this is discussed that we are allowing this to happen but we do/ or do not feel they are ready blah blah

some parents are amazed that their child does that as they show no signs at home, but its just about letting then get the feal for the toilet and the social development of being with the other children and following them, but no pressure!!

[Floweryfields]

Our 2 1/2year room has both facilites for nappies and toilets - so it is not a requirement to be toilet trained before moving in there. However our next age group doesn't have the facilities, so they do have to be trained before moving up to that room. It is a legal thing for hygeine reasons - and supervision reasons - as a staff member would have to leave the room to change a nappy in another area. I can't understand why they would have moved a child up before they were trained knowing the facilites aren't available.
It can be a difficult thing - I too thought you were going to say the opposite - we often have parents who expect us to do all the training, yet don't follow through at home at all - makes things very difficult.
We try to make toileting a positive experience, otherwise what has happened with your DD is the result.

[Loula]

Our 2 1/2year room has both facilites for nappies and toilets - so it is not a requirement to be toilet trained before moving in there. However our next age group doesn't have the facilities, so they do have to be trained before moving up to that room. It is a legal thing for hygeine reasons - and supervision reasons - as a staff member would have to leave the room to change a nappy in another area. I can't understand why they would have moved a child up before they were trained knowing the facilites aren't available.
It can be a difficult thing - I too thought you were going to say the opposite - we often have parents who expect us to do all the training, yet don't follow through at home at all - makes things very difficult.
We try to make toileting a positive experience, otherwise what has happened with your DD is the result.

It is illigal to discriminate against a child. this can be taken further, this is my gripe against some kinders, i understand that their are OHS issues around this but come on...........to me it is just bloody lazy and unfair.we can find many excuses for not doing stuff

[Floweryfields]

It is illigal to discriminate against a child. this can be taken further, this is my gripe against some kinders, i understand that their are OHS issues around this but come on...........to me it is just bloody lazy and unfair.we can find many excuses for not doing stuff

Are you aware of the trouble that we get into from the dept. if we have children in nappies in rooms without the facilities? It has nothing to do with being bloody lazy or unfair in my centre thank you and I don't appreciate that type of comment.

[Loula]

sorry if i touched a nerve, please dont take it personnel, im not staying its a staffing issue, it the providers, as a community we should be providing the facilities to include all children that is what i am getting at! I know there are OHS issues with this at services where the facilities are not available, and so not possibel but a parent could and has every right to take this on. how hard is it to put in a small area with steps, space permitted. IMO it would take away stress and pressure put on families and children grants are available from teh dept for funding this upgrade. and again this is not common as many kinders will say that it is a preference that the child be TT, and parents go with that.

Never had trouble from the Dept for having children in rooms with out nappy facilities, just need to show how you manange this! we are an inclusive pratice for many children with additional needs

[Loula]

I m just saying this puts a lot of stress on families and then you get parents sending children in that are not TT with knickers and you spend forever changing them, then you have staffing issues. Ratios are about productive supervoision and not number to number, its about how staff are uterlised. and how you show this if there is an insident