Every day care operator is familiar with the dreaded words 'I've had an accident' or 'I didn't make it to the toilet'. Toileting accidents are part and parcel of the preschool experience as valiant little ones embark on the whole potty training procedure and seasoned toileters lapse.
These leakages occur for a variety of reasons including untrained bladders/bowels not sending the message to the brain fast enough, kids being just too busy playing and learning to want to go to the pesky bathroom and simply because a child is having a bad day (happens to us all).
Whatever the reason, the child must be comforted with encouraging words, smiles must be returned to teary faces and the big clean up and sanitisation must be performed by the trusty day care worker.
So, what simple steps can we take to minimize toileting accidents and ease the clean up process. It is vital to offer regular reminders to visit the potty which used in conjunction with an awareness of the child's developmental level and a knowledge of their routines can be very effective.
Even if they child doesn't actually 'go' you are getting them into the habit of regular toilet visits. And every attempt should be gently congratulated. Be aware of the 'busy bees' who are so excited about their activities in the class room that they hold it, and hold it until!!!! A quick clean up can be achieved by having the potty accident emergency pack to hand near each bathroom and this vital item should contain gloves, sanitizer, large absorbent tissues and disposable shoe covers. Ensure you can easily access the child's spare clothes bag (a reserve stash of three sets of clothes should be a requirement for each potty training child) and have a plastic bag in the emergency pack for any soiled items). Make sure and sanitize the base of any shoes that may have trodden in any unsavoury substances.
All the above steps can help to ease everyone through these little dramas. You don't want to get caught out by these potentially stressful and inevitable accidents. You can sail through each episode if you are well prepared.
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