Contents:
- Medical Video: Chest Physiotherapy, by Susan Hamilton, MS, RN, for OPENPediatrics
- Exercise using the toilet (toilet training) for 4 years old children
- Use an adult toilet
- Exercise sitting on the toilet
- Pretend to play
- Teach your child to be responsible
- More often go to the toilet
- Take off the diaper
- Pay attention to what the child is doing
- What if the child has constipation?
Medical Video: Chest Physiotherapy, by Susan Hamilton, MS, RN, for OPENPediatrics
Controlling the desire to defecate or urinate is part of the development that must be mastered by children. The child is said to have passed mastering this if he is able to control the urge to defecate or urinate, go to his own bathroom, open his pants to pee, and put on his pants again. You can start using the toilet since the age of 2 years or 3 years, but there are some children aged 4 years and above who still cannot do it. Then, how do you train it?
Children who cannot hold themselves to defecate or urinate usually have to use diapers or can make your laundry pile up. If you don't want that to happen, you must provide education in the form of training to use the toilet (toilet training), although it's not easy, you have to be patient because children need time to adapt and get used to something.
Exercise using the toilet (toilet training) for 4 years old children
Reporting from Parents, mentally the brain of children aged 18 to 22 months can receive a message when the bladder feels full. However, to teach her to use the toilet, you must tell the child how it feels when you want to urinate or have a bowel movement appear. Following are the steps to exercise using a toilet for children.
Use an adult toilet
At the age of 4, children can use adult toilets. To be more comfortable, the child can adjust the removable toilet seat. For the first time, you must teach your child by practicing how to use the toilet, both verbally and with movement. Thus the child is easier to follow what you do.
Exercise sitting on the toilet
In order for children to get used to sitting on the toilet, you can ask the child to sit on the toilet for 5 or 10 minutes. This habit makes the child find the position of the child who is comfortable on the toilet.
Pretend to play
You can encourage children to use the toilet with the game. Every child uses a toilet, you give points, for example in the form of a star. The more stars there are, the more chance children get prizes. Thus the child will be encouraged to use the toilet more often. However, you still have to monitor the child when using the toilet and every time the child is successful, give praise.
Teach your child to be responsible
Maybe one day, your child makes mistakes such as wet the bed or defecate in his pants. Give responsibility to the child to clean himself and use new pants or diapers independently so that the child prefers to go to the toilet rather than having to clean himself later.
More often go to the toilet
In order for children to get used to, try to apply the child to the toilet every time you wake up, after eating, before bathing, and when going to sleep. Increasing the time to use the toilet speeds up children to get used to it. Routinely using the toilet also prevents children from constipation.
Take off the diaper
In some children aged 4 years there are still those who use diapers. Over time you may release diapers that are always used by children. Then, emphasize that children should not pee or urinate in their pants because they don't wear diapers.
Pay attention to what the child is doing
You need to pay attention to what your child does when using the toilet. When you look independent, you can tell him to use his own toilet. Then, you pay attention further and keep watching. It would be better if the child expressed his desire to urinate or defecate on his own. This is the child's stability that he wants to be independent.
If your child has entered the right-hand garden, teach them to talk to the teacher if they want to urinate or defecate. Thus, the child is no longer afraid or confused how to convey his desire to go to the toilet to the teacher.
What if the child has constipation?
Constipation can occur in children, either because of food or because children refrain from defecating. It usually occurs when children do not want to use the toilet in certain places, for example school toilets because they are not accustomed or can also because they are depressed because they attend training using the toilet. For that, you need to pay attention to the following things, such as:
- Children spend a long time in the toilet.
- The child complains of pain when removing the stool.
- The child sweats and grips tightly on the edge of the toilet trying to wipe off the stool.
If your child has constipation, you can give laxatives, namely drugs to increase the frequency and make it easier for the child to defecate. Laxatives can activate nerves in the large intestine and muscles contract so as to encourage hardened stool to come out. Stool discharge will empty the intestines as normal.
You can get a laxative based on a doctor's prescription, as well as the dosage. However, you need to note that this drug works within 6 to 12 hours and will provide a sleepy effect on the child.
Generally children do not experience side effects, but in some cases can cause abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and dehydration. For that, keep an eye on your child to stay hydrated during the use of this drug. Avoid long-term use of drugs. If your child missed medication, don't give a double dose, just give the regular dose as recommended by the doctor.
