82 t e a c h i n g e v e r y d a y a c t i v i t i e s
Using the toilet or latrine (toilet training)
‘Toilet training’ means helping a child stay clean and dry. A child is
toilet trained when:
• she knows when she needs to use the toilet and has learned to wait
so she does not dirty her clothing or the floor.
• she goes to the toilet by herself, asks for help cleaning herself, dresses
herself, and gets rid of the waste (if necessary).
The age when children become toilet trained varies from child to child. It
also varies from place to place, depending on local customs. With help,
many children can stay dry by age 2 or 2½. Blind children may take a
little longer to become toilet trained than children who see.
When your child can stay dry for about 2 hours, she can begin to
recognize the feeling of needing to go to the toilet. This is the time to
begin toilet training.
To prepare your child to learn toilet skills
When changing her diaper (nappy),
always use the same words to describe the
difference between wet and dry diapers.
Let her feel the diapers so she can tell the
difference.
This diaper
is wet. I’ll
put on a
dry one.
Here’s the door
to the latrine,
Silvia.
Take your child to the toilet
with you and describe what is
happening. Use the same words
each time. Make sure everyone
in the family uses the same
words.
Use the same route to go to the latrine, so
your child will learn the way.
helping children who are blind