Potty Policy

[TXhomedaycare]

I have a 3 yo dcb who regularly poops on himself (2 or 3 times a week). His mom said he is potty trained and he was doing well for a week or so but now that he poops during the day and not at home this has become an issue I no longer am willing to deal with ( I had to give him a bath today). I just reviewed my handbook and I have nothing about potty training in it . I do not potty train so I just need wording for how I handle children that are not potty trained and how I handle kids who regularly have accidents and most likely need to be in a diaper or pull-up. I don't like pull-ups but I would prefer kids wear them until they are fully trained at home. Also what is your policy on soiled underwear? This particular parent wants me to save them no matter what and she will decide whether to get rid of them or not. I usually try and clean them in the toilet and put them in a bag and set them outside until parents come for pick up but I would prefer to just throw them away because some of them are beyond savable. I also had another dcp that wanted me to take her child to the restroom every 15 minutes and I told her no that her child is not potty trained so I assume everyone has a policy on how often they do a potty run?? Thanks

[MarinaVanessa]

Here's my potty training policy:

Assistance with toilet training will be provided with the understanding that it is exactly that, assistance. I will assist with toilet training however it is the parent's responsibility to start, continue and complete the process.

Each child is an individual and develops at his/her own rate. There is no set age at which toilet training should begin. The right time depends on the physical and emotional readiness of each child.

The most important issue is that the child is ready before beginning to train. This is usually between the ages of 18 months and three years. If training is started before the child is developmentally ready, training will be more difficult and may take longer.

A child must be able to control the muscles that regulate the bowel and the bladder before beginning to train. Having the ability to get to the potty and then undress quickly are also important.

Home VS Daycare
It is important to remember that behavior and habits of children at home and at daycare are often two very different things. It is not uncommon for a child to be completely trained at home but have no progress or success while at daycare. This is totally normal behavior.

Signs of Readiness
A few things that could indicate your child is ready to begin training are:
 Can express and understand one-word statements such words as: "wet", "dry", "potty", and "go"
 Staying dry for at least 2 hours at a time
 Having regular solid bowel movements
 Being able to follow simple, two-step instructions
 Being uncomfortable with dirty diapers and wanting them to be changed
 Understands the association between dry pants and using the potty
 Asking to use the toilet/potty chair
 Asking to wear regular underwear
 Be able to get on and off the toilet him/herself
 Can dress and undress simply clothing items
 Enjoys washing his/her hands, likes to be clean

Your child must be able to do most of the above, while in my care before I will begin potty training at child care.
 
Training Underpants
When children reach the stage in which they are wearing training underpants, a protective cover is required. This can either be a pair of plastic underpants over the training underwear or a Pull-up.

For sanitary reasons and the health of our floor crawlers, do NOT bring your child in regular panties or underwear without protective covers until it has been cleared with the provider.

Children can wear underwear without protection after two full weeks of being accident free AT child care. If an accident occurs, the two week period will begin again. Soiled clothing either wet with urine or soiled with excrement will be placed in a plastic bag, tied up and returned to the parent at the end of the day.

Required Clothing
During toilet training, the child should be dressed in 'user friendly' clothing as much as possible.
The best items are shorts and pants with full elastic waists.

Absolutely NO
 Tight or restrictive clothing
 Pants with snaps, buttons or zippers
 Belts
 Tights
 Overalls
These items are often difficult for children to remove when 'in a hurry' and can be time consuming for the provider to manage in a timely manner

[Leigh]

Soiled underwear goes straight into a bag-I don't clean it out. Poop and everything goes into the bag. I seal the bag and set it outside for the parent to take with them.

This child is not potty trained. You don't have to have a written policy in place before dealing with this-just tell mom that he's not potty trained and that he needs a diaper (or pull up) at your home until he has had NO accidents for 3 weeks at your home (I use this kind of randomly, as I've heard many times that it takes 21 days to create a habit). Tell mom that you can't and won't bathe the child anymore and that you can't have the sanitation hazard anymore, and tell her that MONDAY, he comes in a diaper/pull up and that YOU will let HER know when he may come in underwear again.

[JackandJill]

I agree, child is not potty trained. Due to sanitary reasons, I would have child in pull ups until he is accident free for at least 2 weeks.

I wouldn't be spending time cleaning underwear. If she wants to decide if it gets thrown out, she would get the whole mess sent home in a bag.

I would also not be bathing anyone. If it was a rare occasion, fine, but if he is doing it 2-3 times a week, nope. Obviously, I would clean him up, but Mom would have to come pick up or bath here him herself.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

Is he pooping around the same time so you can send him in to the potty to poop? I do tell my kids- I want you to sit and poop- because some of them will if they sit there for a second!

I bag up pooped in underwear and send it home as is. I will only clean up with wipes. I would not be bathing a 3 year old boy! (too much liability there!)

If he was doing well and is now pooping in his pants I would request that he be cleared by the doctor to be sure nothing is wrong. I had a dcg that I just went through that with and something was wrong. So, I would do that first!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I agree, child is not potty trained. Due to sanitary reasons, I would have child in pull ups until he is accident free for at least 2 weeks.

I wouldn't be spending time cleaning underwear. If she wants to decide if it gets thrown out, she would get the whole mess sent home in a bag.

I would also not be bathing anyone. If it was a rare occasion, fine, but if he is doing it 2-3 times a week, nope. Obviously, I would clean him up, but Mom would have to come pick up or bath here him herself.

All of this.

[Controlled Chaos]

I agree with what everyone has said above. I would like to to add, Handbooks and policies are great but we shouldn't feel trapped by them. If something happens (like a child pooping in underwear constantly) you are allowed to tell a parent that this is unacceptable and require them to put the child in a diaper/pull up. I hope this little one figures it out soon.

*I had a few dck who pooped at the same time everyday. They were 2.5 but mostly potty trained. I would say "Its Tony's potty break time!" Let him pick a few books and go sit. I would sometimes let them pick an alarm sound for my phone so they knew when they could get up after trying. But I DO help with potty training. If you don't then I wouldn't mess with it at all.

[Poptarts22]

How?

How do you manage to bathe a child while watching the other children in your care?

[TXhomedaycare]

Is he pooping around the same time so you can send him in to the potty to poop? I do tell my kids- I want you to sit and poop- because some of them will if they sit there for a second!

I bag up pooped in underwear and send it home as is. I will only clean up with wipes. I would not be bathing a 3 year old boy! (too much liability there!)

If he was doing well and is now pooping in his pants I would request that he be cleared by the doctor to be sure nothing is wrong. I had a dcg that I just went through that with and something was wrong. So, I would do that first!

He has never pooped at the same time. I washed him because he pooped during lunch and when I made him stand up and go to the restroom the poop fell out his boxer underwear and he stepped in it twice and it was stuck all over his private area. I have never bathed a child before but I would have used an entire roll of paper towels or box of wipes and I know he still would have smelled terrible (he is large for his age and eats everything so I usually have to open windows when he poops).

[TXhomedaycare]

How do you manage to bathe a child while watching the other children in your care?

They had just finished lunch so everyone was in the quiet reading area (I had 4 other kids that day) I hosed him down in the shower and washed him with my sons baby wash. I think the other kids were like we better sit down and be quiet ::