How to potty train a child according to Komarovsky?

Many parents are unsure of the best time and method to begin their child’s potty training journey because it can seem like a significant developmental milestone. Numerous approaches and suggestions are available, but renowned pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky provides a reasonable and well-rounded strategy that many families find useful.

Every child is unique, and pushing too soon can cause stress for both the child and the parents, according to Dr. Komarovsky. Instead of pushing a child into something they’re not ready for, his approach focuses on observing readiness cues and letting the child take the lead.

We’ll look at some of Dr. Komarovsky’s main potty training guidelines in this article and see how you can apply them with tolerance and compassion. You can help your child and your family through this crucial transition more easily by heeding his advice.

Important factors

A well-known pediatrician points out that a newborn baby has no control over urinating or defecating. Parents should gradually condition these processes, which are governed by unconditional reflexes. According to Komarovsky, in order to succeed in this task, the following considerations should be made:

1. How developed is the child"s brain (its cortex).
2. How developed are the organs responsible for both urination and defecation. We are talking about the rectus abdominis muscles, rectum and bladder, as well as their sphincters.
3. How actively do relatives want to teach the child to use the potty.

After assessing these variables, the well-known physician comes to the conclusion that adults who begin training earlier tend to put in more effort. At the same time, a child will learn to use a potty more quickly and painlessly the better his physiological development.

Early training or development of a reflex?

Komarovsky states that many involved and patient parents can accomplish a certain level of success in their child’s mastery of the science of potty training before the child’s first birthday. The fact that babies as young as nine, eight, or even seven months old learn to urinate and use the restroom after hearing their parents say "pee-pee" and "a-a" does not surprise a well-known physician.

Parents can teach their children to use the potty by making these sounds repeatedly; however, Komarovsky points out that this is not exactly what every adult wants from a child learning to use the potty.

The reflex appears to be "parents’ words – full bladder – potty," but "full bladder – potty" would be a more accurate statement. This means that an adult’s verbal cues should not cause someone to urinate; rather, a physiological phenomenon—a full bladder—should.

Komarovsky observes that urination issues typically arise in the second year of life in the majority of these early training cases. After using the potty for a while and becoming proficient at it, a child will all of a sudden, and the parents are unsure of why, refuse to use it. The baby is just starting to gain natural control over his excretory system, and he no longer wants to associate his physiological needs with his parents’ "pee-pee." This has confused relatives.

Komarovsky believes that both saving diapers and introducing a child to the potty at a young age are perfectly acceptable and not at all shameful. He merely observes that up until a certain age, all successes in mastering the science of potty training are fleeting and fraught with numerous errors.

Potty training is best approached by Dr. Komarovsky with an emphasis on understanding, patience, and letting the child take the lead. He stresses that parents should refrain from pressuring or hurrying their child and instead wait until they are emotionally and physically ready, which is typically between 18 and 24 months. His approach promotes independence and self-assurance in the child’s potty skills by providing gentle guidance, positive reinforcement, and a stress-free environment.

At what age can a child control urination?

Komarovsky alerts parents to the fact that a child’s brain begins to control their excretory processes around the age of 2.5 to 3 years old. While the doctor acknowledges that some people may achieve success in controlling their urination much earlier, most parents shouldn’t anticipate consistent success in "communication" with the potty until the child is two years old.

Standards established by specialists

Komarovsky counsels parents to concentrate on the following physiological norms when potty training their children:

1. The child begins to control excretory processes after a year, and the active “maturation” of the nervous system and organs of the excretory system occurs in the second year of life.
2. The emergence of stable control over urination and defecation in children is noted on average at the age of 22-30 months.
3. The formation of stable conditioned reflexes in early childhood ends by the age of 3.

A well-known pediatrician highlights that the ideal age range for introducing kids to the potty is between one and three years old, based on such norms.

Watch Dr. Komarovsky’s program to find out when it makes sense to get a child used to using the potty.

Signs of a child"s readiness for potty training

Before beginning the learning process, Komarovsky suggests that you observe in your infant the following signs that validate his physiological and psychological readiness to learn how to use a potty:

• The child should be able to show his parents his “I want to go to the toilet” with a word, sound or gesture.
• The child should already have a defecation regimen that can be called stable.
• The baby should be in a dry diaper for more than an hour and a half.
• The child should know the parts of the body, as well as the names of clothing items.
• The child should also understand what the words "pooped" and "peed" mean.
• If the diaper is wet/soiled, the child should show his negative emotions about this.
• The child should strive or be able to take off clothes on his own.
• The child should also want or be able to go to the toilet and leave it on his own.

If a child is potty trained with patience and understanding, the process can go well. Every child develops at their own pace, and parents should respect that timing, says Dr. Komarovsky.

You can gently and stress-free introduce your child to using the potty by heeding Komarovsky’s advice. Parents and kids can have an easier time with training if they pay attention to signs of readiness and foster a positive environment.

Recall that encouragement and consistency are essential. Your child will eventually pick up this new ability, feeling assured and pleased with their development.

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