Laying the Foundations for Independence in Toileting

Create an environment to help your child become aware of his bodily functions

  • Put your child in cloth nappies from birth. When your child wears cloth nappies he is helped to become aware when he is wet much quicker than if he is wearing disposable nappies which have been specifically manufactured to make your child feel dry for long periods of time, even when he has wet them.
  • When your child wears cloth nappies he is exposed to the feeling of wanting to eliminate followed by the feeling of being wet. This soon helps the two sensations to be linked in the child’s mind. The biological feedback sent to his bladder helps him to gain control over his bladder much faster.

Link your child to his bodily functions

  • Change wet nappies as soon as you detect them and as you do talk about what you are doing so your child starts to gradually become aware that the wetness of the nappy has come from his body.

Allow time

  • After a while your child will start to become aware of when he is wet.