Toileting

Download our at home toileting guide:

We are dedicated to supporting our families while they work on getting their little ones to be more independent in the bathroom. To that end, we would like to share how we do toilet work at the school so that you can translate it to your home. We have put together an infographic, some resources, and ideas for you to encourage toileting at home the Montessori way.

Some of the things we do at school:

• We have dedicated times to use the toilet, including every time the class washes hands for snack or lunch and right before nap time. At home, this can be incorporated similarly by adding toilet breaks to your daily routine (upon waking, before lunch, before and after nap, before leaving the house, etc).

• For our friends who are new to toileting, we have them try the toilet every 30 minutes to an hour. For our friends who need an external source telling them what will happen next (instead of an adult), we have found that using timers can help reduce struggles. We use timers on our phones or hour glasses set at the desired interval (usually 2 to 5 minutes), then they know it’s time to give the toilet a try.

In the bathroom:

1. Take diapers off and clean the child while they are standing up as opposed to laying down. We do this because laying down is not a part of a normal bathroom routine and it helps the child feel more independent.

2. The child should use the toilet or at least tries, even if they have already gone in their diaper or wet themselves.

3. The child wipes themselves (we double check those who are still learning) and flushes the toilet on their own.

4. We encourage the child to change themselves if their clothes are soiled. If dressing independently is too challenging, we help by using one hand while the child uses both of their hands.

5. The child then washes their hands. We talk them through proper handwashing techniques and have them wash for a minimum of 20 seconds.

*It is super important for our toilet learning friends to have consistency for success in the bathroom*

Some handy references for more detailed tips for toileting at home that we believe to translate well to the classroom:

• The Montessori Notebook: A Montessori approach to toilet training

• The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies

If you need anything from us please let us know! We are here to support you through this journey!

Peace,

The Blossom Family