Parents initiate potty training based on a variety of philosophies. Some parents want to start as early as possible. They can be very strict and pushy. Some may be more lenient, waiting for more signs that their child is ready before buying a potty seat.
You must look for the signs of readiness before trying to toilet train your child. Most signs start to appear between 1 and 3 years of age, but this, of course, varies between children. It even varies between genders, as girls tend to potty train earlier (and easier) than boys. So you need to pay attention to the signs.
There are many signs to watch for to know that it is the right time to start potty training your child. Being a parent, you know better what combination of signs are the best signals for you.
The most practical ones are as follow:
Regular bowel movements occurring on a predictable schedule.
Expression of interest in using the toilet or potty seat.
Expression of discomfort when the diaper is soiled.
Interest in wearing underwear.
Interest in the bathroom.
Being able to maintain dryness for at least two hours during the day and after naps.
Not every sign of readiness needs to be present. If your child already shows some signs, he might be ready and willing to start using the potty. Give it a try. Even if he isn't totally ready to begin, you can still get him a potty chair and have him play, sit and get used to it. Put it in the living room and let him watch TV near it. Then, whenever your child shows signs of needing to urinate or have a bowel movement, ask him if he wants to use the potty. Then take him to the chair and slowly instruct him what he needs to do.
Once your child is ready to potty train, you can take him into the bathroom and explain what you are doing. If possible, have your child go to the bathroom with the same gender parent, so he or she child can learn the right way of toileting. Explain to your child the process of bowel movement in simple and acceptable terms. Choose words that are neither offensive nor embarrassing. Make it child-friendly. You can use "poop" to mean moving one’s bowel and "pee" to mean urinating. Describe all toilet functions in a positive way.
It's best to back off if your child resists using the toilet or if he is afraid of the potty seat. You should consider changing your child’s underwear into cotton fabric so that he or she will be more aware of being wet. Hugs, praise, or small rewards all help to reinforce the behavior. If a mistake happens, quickly clean up and encourage the child to keep on trying. Changing to another activity without making a fuss is recommended. Continue toilet training even if you go on outings. Before long, your child will be potty trained, and you will have survived the process!
Visit
Painless Potty Training for more information.
Are you potty training your child? Maybe you have some potty training tips you would like to share with your readers. If so join us every Tuesday for Potty Time Tuesdays and don't forget to leave your link!
Grab the Potty Time Tuesdays Code
Join the Healthy Moms Community
Parents initiate potty training based on a variety of philosophies. Some parents want to start as early as possible. They can be very strict and pushy. Some may be more lenient, waiting for more signs that their child is ready before buying a potty seat.
You must look for the signs of readiness before trying to toilet train your child. Most signs start to appear between 1 and 3 years of age, but this, of course, varies between children. It even varies between genders, as girls tend to potty train earlier (and easier) than boys. So you need to pay attention to the signs.
There are many signs to watch for to know that it is the right time to start potty training your child. Being a parent, you know better what combination of signs are the best signals for you.
The most practical ones are as follow:
Regular bowel movements occurring on a predictable schedule.
Expression of interest in using the toilet or potty seat.
Expression of discomfort when the diaper is soiled.
Interest in wearing underwear.
Interest in the bathroom.
Being able to maintain dryness for at least two hours during the day and after naps.
Not every sign of readiness needs to be present. If your child already shows some signs, he might be ready and willing to start using the potty. Give it a try. Even if he isn't totally ready to begin, you can still get him a potty chair and have him play, sit and get used to it. Put it in the living room and let him watch TV near it. Then, whenever your child shows signs of needing to urinate or have a bowel movement, ask him if he wants to use the potty. Then take him to the chair and slowly instruct him what he needs to do.
Once your child is ready to potty train, you can take him into the bathroom and explain what you are doing. If possible, have your child go to the bathroom with the same gender parent, so he or she child can learn the right way of toileting. Explain to your child the process of bowel movement in simple and acceptable terms. Choose words that are neither offensive nor embarrassing. Make it child-friendly. You can use "poop" to mean moving one’s bowel and "pee" to mean urinating. Describe all toilet functions in a positive way.
It's best to back off if your child resists using the toilet or if he is afraid of the potty seat. You should consider changing your child’s underwear into cotton fabric so that he or she will be more aware of being wet. Hugs, praise, or small rewards all help to reinforce the behavior. If a mistake happens, quickly clean up and encourage the child to keep on trying. Changing to another activity without making a fuss is recommended. Continue toilet training even if you go on outings. Before long, your child will be potty trained, and you will have survived the process!
Visit Painless Potty Training for more information.
Are you potty training your child? Maybe you have some potty training tips you would like to share with your readers. If so join us every Tuesday for Potty Time Tuesdays and don't forget to leave your link!
Grab the Potty Time Tuesdays Code
Join the Healthy Moms Community