Potty Training Tips
Potty training can be very stressful for the parent and the child. These tips should help relieve that stress. Making sure your child is ready to start potty training is the most important thing.
Some signs that they may be ready to use the toliet include:
– staying dry for several hours
– regular bowel movements
– asks to be changed when wet or dirty
– shows interest in the toilet
Some may even learn to say they went or need to go pee-pee. Your child will let you know when they are ready. Don’t push. Talk to your child about your plan. Have them pick out underwear they will like to wear. Start slow and be patient.
Get your child a toliet you can put on the floor so he/she will be able to reach the floor while sitting. When they are finished going potty, let them help dump it in the big toliet and flush. If it isn’t possible to get a floor potty, get a smaller seat you can put on your toliet. You want your child to feel secure. If they feel like they are going to fall into the toliet or on the floor, they will be anxious and will not be able to concentrate on the task at hand.
At the beginning of training, if you can, let your child run around the house naked. Watch for signs (like sitting very still with a blank look on their face, straining or fidgeting like they need to pee). If they have an accident, they are probably not going to like the way it feels running down their leg. If naked doesn’t work for you, dress them in loose fitting clothing and undies that will be easy to take off in a hurry. If you notice any of the signs, take them to the bathroom and put
them on the toliet. It is a good idea to put them on the toliet every 2-3 hours and have them try to go, even if they don’t display the signs. Before naptime and bedtime are a must, also.
It would be best if your child would wear a pull-up or diaper to bed until they have some
success with the training. You may want to limit drinks before nap or bedtime, too.
When your child uses the toliet with success, cheer and praise them. You can give treats, surprises, or use stickers. They could also enjoy calling grandma or grandpa to tell them they used the toliet. They will be so proud! Find some motivation to make going potty fun and exciting.
With girls you want to teach them to wipe from front to back so they don’t get an infection. To make it more fun for boys, you can put Cheerios or Fruit Loops in the toliet and have them aim and sink them. Read a book about potty training to your child and get them interested.
