How to stop using diapers

Diapers are an integral part of a baby’s life, with almost all parents using them today. While these are extremely convenient in the initial stages of development, diapers can prove to be quite a bane for parents later on as it becomes very difficult to get the toddler to kick this habit.

As a mother of a three year old, I truly empathize with all those Malaysian mothers who are battling on their own for a diaper-free movement. I must tell you that this is a very difficult task but not impossible and requires mostly a lot of patience and time.

The first question that most mothers or rather parents ask is, “What is the right age to stop using diapers?” I am sure that like me, you too must have asked around and have been at the receiving end of a confusing medley of answers. While some believe that it is essential to start early, say just after the baby can sit or maybe even before that, depending on the society in which the baby is growing, others feel that it should not be done until the baby can understand and is ready for the change.

If you were to ask me, then I would agree with the second group as it would save you the hassles of getting into the potty training battle with your child. It is very important that your child is ready for the transition. Like the children all over the world, Malaysian toddlers too are prone to view everything as a power struggle and if you were to force something on them that they do not like, they act like a little rebel. The key here is not to make an issue out of the entire thing as it can backfire and you will have a worse situation at hand.

Most children show indications of being ready and express it either verbally or non-verbally and it is essential to understand such signs and respond accordingly. It is essential that you make your baby understand the need to use the toilet for all their elimination needs and make it sound as if it were a grown up thing to do. This can help in some cases but one piece of caution is never to overuse it. I say this from experience, as I used this line with my daughter who after using the potty as a novelty for a few days went back to her diapers as she did not want to grow up. This leads us to the second most important requirement in trying to get your child off diapers.

All Malaysian parents should understand that this is a time-consuming process, with many regressions that can often be frustrating. Most parents complain that their child who had been off diapers for several weeks went back to using them, leaving them frustrated. The first point here is not to get frustrated but continue trying to train your child.

Secondly, ask yourself and be true in your answer, as to why this regression occurred. Many times, the answer is because there are diapers in the house. Many parents feel the need to have a few diapers at home for stepping out or regression days and this is probably the root cause of your child’s attachment.

I know it is difficult but the best way to stop your child from using diapers is to throw away all the diapers at home and make your home diaper-free. It may result in many accidents for a few days, which may cause more work for you but in the long run, your child would have learnt not to use the diapers. Always remember that it is important never to confuse your child and using diapers at night or for outings can confuse them.

Lastly, never use training pants to train your child as these will lead to more confusion and will not stop them from using diapers. A proper and well-structured potty or toilet training along with lots of praise and encouragement is the only way to get your child to stop using diapers. So, here’s wishing good luck to all the Malaysian parents!