Every mother has faced the task of training their children on How to do potty? For some it was easy but for most, it was one of the most difficult things to accomplish, which required a lot of patience and motivation. One of the most important things to understand is that you will have to get your child interested and motivated to do the job. In today’s post, we show you How To Potty Train Your Toddler.
I have two daughters and by the Grace of God both of them were properly potty trained by the age of 2 years. They started their preschool at the age of two and half years and did well without having any problems while going to the toilet.
There are many opinions about when is the right time to start potty training. Some say it is better to start early as children get used to the idea and adapt themselves better, while others say that it is better to start when the child is able to understand instructions as it will take them less time to learn.
Actually, it depends on you and your child to take the decision of starting potty training. Each child is unique and when you feel that your child is old enough to understand your instructions then you can get them started.
Before starting potty training ask them these basic questions –
- Is your child able to walk alone to the bathroom?
- Is your child able to pull down their pants and pull them up again easily?
- Can your child communicate clearly that they need to go to the toilet?.
- Can your child understand and follow some basic instructions.?
There will also be many other questions which can tell you whether your child is ready or not.
How To Potty Train Your Toddler
Some tips that can help you in potty training your child are listed below :
1. Ensure that the child’s routine is properly established
Your child has a daily schedule that includes the time of getting up, eating breakfast, playing, sleeping and even doing potty. You need to understand your child’s daily schedule and then start talking to them about the need of doing potty the right way.
Watching elders use the bathroom regularly will motivate them to imitate their actions. Children are great observers and they try to imitate their elders. Start by explaining to them the need for hygiene and other things, in a very simple and easy language.
2 . Get your child comfortable with potty
Till now your child was used to getting every possible help from you. Now you will have to show them simple and small things that they need to do independently.
You can bring a small potty and start by asking them to sit on the plastic potty with their clothes on. You can also get some of their favourite toys to sit on the potty for demonstration purpose. Remember if your child is averse to sit on the potty, do not force the child. Forcing the child will only have a negative impact. Slowly the child will start looking forward to the potty sessions.
3. Get the right potty or an adapter seat for the toilet
Experts say that it is good to get your child trained on the regular toilet. Once they are comfortable using the regular toilet, they will find it easy to use toilets outside their home. This will also help in having normal bowel movements.
Many children or toddlers are afraid of falling into the toilet and so there might be some anxiety involved here. It would be good to get an adapter seat which attaches the toilet seat securely to the regular toilet. You can also get a small stool on which the child can climb and easily sit on the potty. This will also help them stabilize their movements.
[content-egg module=Amazon template=grid]4. Start by getting the child out of the diaper first
You can teach your child to communicate to you when they want to use the toilet. In the night wake them up after every 3 to 4 hours and take them to the toilet for passing urine.
Though it is cumbersome, it is worth doing it. The child will learn to wake up and pass urine and not do it in the diaper or on the bed. After a couple of months of waking them up regularly, they will be able to wake up on their own to go to the toilet. Avoid giving them water before going to sleep and also encourage them to use the washroom before going to bed.
5. Motivate your child by giving them small gifts for doing potty right
Patience and motivation is a must in potty training your child. There will be many moments of giving up and children will not want to do it right just because they are not in a mood to do so. In such times patience and motivation is the key thing.
You need to motivate your child and at the same time give them some reward. These rewards should ideally be non-cash rewards like getting extra time to play in the garden, making their favourite dish like noodles etc., or watching their favourite cartoon show for a little longer. The child will think that they are achieving a significant milestone and will thus be encouraged to do their potty properly.
6. Try again if your child is unable to do it properly
We assure you that there will be many frustrating moments when you will not see any progress. In such times it is good to take a short break from potty training and resume it after a week or so. There also might be times when you and your child will not be ready. Do not scold or discipline the child but tell them to communicate to you accordingly.
Finally with loads of patience and motivation your child will be able to get potty trained. Do not get overstretched or worked up if your child is not getting it right. Remember no child is going to grow old and still use their diapers. There is a time for everything and they will surely outgrow these habits. All you need to do is to continue to motivate and support them in order for them to be able to achieve this significant milestone in their life.
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Tags: 0-3 years children, How To Potty Train Your Toddler, toddler parenting
