Are you ready for the days of no diapers and wipes and ready to conquer the transition to the toilet with your little one? Before you jump the gun, there are some readiness cues and some potty training tips that might be worth checking out. Some parents get excited for the potty training phase, others may dread it and then there are some that have tried with little to no success. Whatever stage of the game you are in, you want to make sure your little one is good and ready to join in that game with you.
The last thing you want to do is push your toddler into something when they aren’t good and ready to be there. Every child hits milestones at different ages and while it is great that there is a targeted age as to when they should be potty-trained, don’t worry, your child is not going to head off to college in diapers. Your little one will get there, and we are going to help you with identifying readiness cues from your little one. Here are 5 signs and potty training tips to help you and your toddler conquer this transition together.
Readiness Signs For Potty Training
While there is no “right time” or the “perfect time” to potty-train your child, there are signs that your little one is getting ready to start. In addition to these signs your child also needs to be physically and cognitively ready to start on this adventure. There are going to be areas of development your child will need to hit before starting to potty train. Lets dive into these readiness cue and potty training tips to start you on your road to success.
1. Fewer wet diapers. You may notice your changing fewer diapers. Until your little one reaches about 20 months, expecting your child to have bladder control is not completely practical. If your little one is at the point to where they are staying dry for 2+ hours at a time, you could be in the window of opportunity to start physically getting ready for potty training.
2. Interest in the bathroom. You thought your privacy was out the window once you gave birth to your child. However, your little one will start showing a lot of interest when you use the bathroom by barging in, asking to join you or preparing a sneak attack when you least expect it. Your little one showing interest in what you’re doing is a good sign they are ready for potty training. Use this time to teach your child about using the bathroom and also how going to the bathroom is a private matter and everyone needs a little space for their business. Win Win!
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3. Voicing they have to go. Using consistent bathroom lingo with your toddler will be important to decide on with your partner. Whatever you do just keep it simple and avoid words you don’t want them using. Once the word choices have been established, and you start using them regularly, you may start to hear your child announce they have “pooped” or “pee-pee”. Other less subtle they may show you they are going to the bathroom is tucking into corners or behind objects to use the bathroom. Whatever sign they provide, this is another step closer to getting ready for potty training.
4. Wanting to be changed promptly from dirty diaper. Once your child starts to understand what their body feels like when they have to go to the bathroom, they will most likely also want to be changed promptly from that dirty diaper. You may also notice your little one tugging at their diapers more or even taking them off completely. This is a good indication that potty training tips might be your next best read to start getting ready for next steps.
5. Ability to pull pants down. There is a gross motor skill your child will need to be able to do with little to no assistance and that is pulling down his or her pants. If this is still a bit of a challenge, do not fret, just start practicing. You want them to be successful at this step so when they need to go to the bathroom pulling their pants down is easy, so they make it in time to the toilet.
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Potty training tips for success
Now that you have a better understanding of what to look for in your little one the next step is to think about how to make toilet training a success. These 5 simple potty training tips are here to get you started on this adventure with the caveat in mind that there are soooooo many tips and tricks for potty training, you just have to figure out what works best for you and your little.
1. Prepare for game time. Just as your kids have to be ready for potty training so must the parents. All the potty training tips in the world won’t help if all individuals are not ready. So play up the potty going positives and be as encouraging as possible without being too pushy. This is a big step and in order for it to stick and for everyone to feel successful in this adventure it must be a positive experience. Buy the small potty, buy the big kids undies or pull-ups, buy the star chart or any other rewards’ system you want to use and get ready to really play ball.
2. Dress For Success. We have all been there when we wait too long to use the bathroom and are wearing a romper or tight pants that are a struggle to pull down quickly. Thankfully we have a little more control than our toddlers, however, wearing easy to take on and off clothing is going to be a game changer in the success of your little ones potty training endeavours.
Dress your kiddos is loose fitting clothing, items that are easy to pull off, items that don’t have buttons and zippers or have multiple layers to remove. Then make sure to practice taking their bottoms on and off. Start this potty training tip when you notice their readiness signs. Start having them undress for bath time or when you change their diapers. There are a lot of opportunities throughout your day to practice, so start now!
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3. Schedule routine potty times. If you have learned anything about your toddler, the one crucial thing is that they love consistency and routines. Same goes for this potty time… keep your daily routines with potty times the same at home, daycare (as much as possible) and on the go. There are a lot of different timing methods to use, and if you are going for the more casual approach to potty training, inserting potty time into your daily routine might be the first potty training tip you try.
A simple routine could look like this, use the bathroom first thing in the morning after your little one wakes, after breakfast when they are in the bathroom brushing teeth, before and after any snacks and meals, before and after any outside activities or when leaving the house for errands and of course right before bed. At first, it might feel like a lot, but this is so your little one can get used to the process and learn to understand what it feels like to need to go.
4. Accidents happen. All the potty training tips in the world are not going to solve the inevitable in that accidents will happen. The worst thing you can do as a parent is scold your child or yell at them for the mess. This could make them regress and even worse become afraid of the bathroom. Instead, it is best to keep up the positive encouragement and applaud them for how far they have come with all the other times they have been successful as using the potty. Ten steps forward could mean a baby step back at times, and just know that is completely ok and part of the process.
5. Patience. Patience. Patience. Potty training can be a marathon, not a sprint so if you go into having your mind made up how this process will work, you might be setting yourself and your child up for failure. Even the most eager potty training child will have accidents, will forget to tell you they need to go, and will wet themselves in the middle of the night. Having patience as a parent will be your greatest strength during this whole process. Overreacting will only hurt you in the long run and all that you and your toddler have accomplished. Keep your cool!
Figuring out how to start potty training let alone when to start potty training can be a hard thing to figure out. Thankfully, your every growing and developing toddler will give you some readiness cues once they are emotionally and physically ready for potty training, and then it is up to mom and dad on when to pull the trigger to begin. Once you are ready, our potty training tips can help give you a starting point on the basic first steps. Best of luck on this next fun chapter in parenting, you got this!
WANT TO READ MORE?
Check out this article on Overcoming Potty Training Obstacles.
Photo Credits: Unsplash.com, pexels.com
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