Tips on Potty Training Your Toddler
According to my daughter’s physician, the average age for successfully potty training toddlers is between two and three years of age. Each child is unique in their own way; therefore you should watch for readiness signs in your child. It isn’t unheard of for children to become potty trained before 18 months. When children start to develop more in age, they may be able to give you signs or inform you that they have to go to the bathroom. For example, my daughter recently started squatting, as if she was already sitting on her potty. You may also wish to try and teach your children keywords, such as “potty,” “pee,” or other words to signal having to go to the bathroom.
If you feel that your toddler is ready to start the potty training adventure, you should look into purchasing a training potty chair. As a parent, you can decide whether you would like to purchase an adapter seat for your toilet or a stand alone potty chair.
An adapter seat for your toilet is basically a mini toilet seat. This adapter will actually sit right on top of your original seat. This adapter is convenient for travel; however, it can be difficult for the rest of the family. Although many seats are just placed on top of the toilet, it may become a hassle for other family members. The adapter seat may be easier when trying to train a boy. The potty training chairs sit low on the ground and may make aiming harder. Most parents will also need to purchase an infant safe stepstool, so their children can sit on the toilet. If you decide to purchase a step stool, never leave your child alone in the bathroom. It may also be a good idea to store the step stool, when not in use. When your child becomes more experienced and less likely to climb for play, you may be able to leave it out.
A potty chair is a mini stand alone toilet for children. A potty chair is the preferred method of training among most parents. With a standalone toilet at their height, your child is more likely to learn and use the potty without your help. Unlike your traditional toilet, these training chairs do not have a flush option; however, this could work to your advantage. Once you being cleaning out the toilet, you should show your child how to clean it and encourage them to help you. Keeping a little bit of water in the bottom of the potty chair may make cleanup easier. If you have more than one bathroom in your household, you may wish to purchase an additional chair for each room. Although many of these chairs have handles and are fairly easy to move, making your child wait while you go and get the chair can be discouraging.
Preparing and getting your child started should be a fun and exciting task that will often result in quality bonding time. Many children can take up to 8 months to become fully trained; therefore, do not become discouraged if your child does not pick it up right away.
One important step in preparing your child for potty training includes the introduction of training pants. With many different brands and varieties available, you may wish to experiment with different ones before finding the type of training pants perfect for your child. Once you start with pull ups or training pants, you should not switch back to diapers. Swapping back and forth may confuse your child.
I always kept our bathroom door shut and it is recommended that you do not do that. It seemed like whenever my daughter entered the room she would lift the seat and toss things in the toilet or bathtub (we actually lost a phone, cell phone, and two remotes)! I though that keeping her out of the bathroom was keeping her safe and protecting our possessions; however, I was preventing her from learning the basic functions of a bathroom. Many experts suggest that you allow your children to explore the bathroom to become familiar with the facilities; however, keep an eye on them.
It is also recommend that you take your children into the bathroom with you. Many children learn by example and the best example is by having them see how you use the toilet. Since boys and girls are different, it may be a good idea to have the father set the example for the son and visa versa. Many boys will learn to pee by sitting down and will generally be able to stand a few months later.
The best way to encourage your toddler to become excited about potty training is to properly praise and reward them. Rewards come in different shapes and sizes; however, they will get your child excited and make them feel proud. You could offer your child stickers, praise them, or celebrate with them. Potty training your toddler isn’t necessarily the easiest task; however, it is one that will involve quality time together and will eliminate you having to change endless amounts of dirty diapers. Good luck!
