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Potty Training Basics
The average age a child is usually ready to begin potty training is 2 ½. Girls seem to be easier to train than boys. There’s so much information and potty training products on the market. Before you begin potty training you might want to read up on it and make sure your child is showing signs of readiness. Also, the best thing to do before you actually start training is to gradually introduce the potty to your child.
Have him watch an older sibling or family member on the potty. This will show your child there is nothing to be afraid of and also show them that this is a normal part of the day. You can have them flush the toilet for an older sibling after they are finished. Teach them the basics of hygiene such as washing your hands after using the potty.
While you’re in this transitional stage before you start potty training, teach your child simple words such as “pee pee”, “poo poo” or “poopy”. They will need to be able to effectively communicate with you during the course of their training so knowing the right words to use ahead of time, will make things much easier.
When you are ready to begin potty training, you will need to buy a potty seat. There are many different kinds you can choose from. Some potty seats fit right onto the top of your toilet while others are completely separate. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The ones that fit on top of your toilet are convenient because there’s no mess involved and all you have to do is flush when your child is finished.
But, sometimes kids get scared to be on it because it’s so high up and their feet can’t touch the ground. The other types of potty seats are messy since they have to be emptied and cleaned after each use. However, they make some that have music and other sounds to help relax your child. Plus their feet can touch the ground which helps them to feel more in control.
Finding the right potty seat for your child is mostly trial and error. Although the seats that sit on the floor are messy, my boys have had an easier time with those. Eventually once they are going regular on the potty, I have switched them over to the potty seats that fits onto the toilet by explaining that this is the “big boy” way to go potty.
I don’t recommend throwing all of your diapers away once you start potty training. Go at it slowly. Start by getting a feel of how comfortable your child is on the potty. You might try putting them on first thing in the morning. Once they get the hang of that, then you can add other times you wish to potty train them.
Don’t start using the training pants or pull-ups until they have mostly mastered the potty. Once they are ready to move onto using training pants or pull-ups you must be consistent with it and not go back to using diapers. If you go back to using diapers it will only confuse them.
Potty training is a big deal in your child’s life. They will have accidents along the way. Never scold or hit your child for having an accident. It’s all part of the learning process. Some children potty train well and then start to regress. Help them get back on track by continuing to praise them and offer incentives for when they do well.
What worked for my older son was having a chart with stickers. Each time he did well, he got a new sticker. Also, I let him pick out his own potty. The best advice I have is that being patient with your child is the best thing you can do set them up for potty training success.
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