Do you think your child is ready for potty training? More importantly, are you ready for the potty training process? Are you wondering how to potty train your child without losing your mind? With a little bit of research and planning, potty training can be a rewarding experience for parents and children alike. Here are a few potty training tips to help both you and your little one make the process a positive experience.
Signs For Potty Training Readiness
Each child will reach milestones at their own pace, including potty training. With an average age range of readiness from 18 months to almost three years old, it can be difficult to know when your kiddo is ready to start potty training. The first question parents should ask is if their child is even ready to use the potty on their own. Here are some quick guideline questions to help you better gauge your child’s readiness along with how to potty train your child:
- Is your child showing interest in mimicking others’ behavior? For instance, does your little one like to follow you to the bathroom or even like to flush the potty when you’re done? Potty training tip: the more comfortable your child is with the loud noises of a toilet flushing, the easier trips to public restrooms can be.
- Do you catch your child pulling at their dirty diaper or do they come running to you to change them from a wet diaper?
- Can your child walk and sit on the potty with little assistance from you? If they can, that’s great! Next up, can they pull up and down their pants all by themselves? Potty training tip: getting dressed in the morning is a great time to let them practice putting their pants on and build their confidence.
- If your child is still napping, do you find that their diaper is dry when they wake up? It is usually recommended a child keep their diaper dry longer than two hours before trying to potty train. Waking up dry from longer naps would be a good sign they are getting closer to being ready.
- Is your little one able to use words to describe their needs? Potty training tip: now is a great time to agree on all the vocabulary words you will use during potty training. For example, do you want to say “let’s go potty” or would you rather say “let’s go to the bathroom”?
Parent Readiness
There are tons of potty training tips to help your child, but one of the most important ones is to check your readiness as a parent. Now might be a good time to think about your home and lifestyle. For example, are you planning on moving soon? If so, it might not be the best time to introduce potty training due to the household stress and all the new changes coming.
A new baby joining the family, school starting the next week, or even big travel plans might be a sign to hold off until life is a little calmer. Potty training requires consistency and patience from parents and caregivers, and remember there is no rush! Potty training tips for success are to check your calendar and pick a time that best suits your family.
Read More: Potty Training Products
What’s Next
Working together can make potty training a fun and memorable experience for all! You have taken the time to watch for clues from your child and now it’s showtime! But wait, what do you need to do?
The first of many potty training tips is to prepare your home. Your family will need to decide if you’ll be using a step for your little one to sit on the big potty with a child seat on top or if it would be better to use a small potty chair on the floor. Also, consider what will be the main bathroom(s) you want your child to use. Be sure to have a change of clothes close by as well.
Don’t forget to look at the areas your child plays in during the day. If you have an area rug in the playroom, now may be a good time to roll it away for now. Think of different obstacles your little one may face when making their mad dash to the bathroom and remove them from their path. Potty training tip: place a shower curtain on couch cushions, covered by a towel, if the family is watching a movie. This helps prevent more cleaning if an accident would occur.
Using a timer to help keep your child focused on taking breaks is another potty training tip. Many parents start with setting a timer for every two hours but let your child be your guide, two hours may be too long in the beginning. Before and after naps and about twenty minutes after meal or snack times is also a good time to take a break to potty.
Potty training tips for success also include considering your child’s personality. Would a sticker chart or even a penny added to their piggy bank every time they are successful help motivate them to stay engaged in the potty training process? Other families just keep things simple with words of affirmation to help encourage their child. As far as potty training tips go, find what works for you and your kid, there is no right or wrong. Don’t forget though, consistency will be a huge part of your child’s success.
Read More: 6 Popular Potty Training Methods
Are We Done With Diapers Now?
You are so close to saying goodbye to diapers but have patience, potty training is not always a quick experience. Over the course of the next few months, with lots of consistency, you will see your child keeping their new underwear dry, with accidents being few and far between. Keep in mind, if you started earlier with your child, it may take them a little longer to be fully potty trained during the day.
Helpful potty training tips are not just things you can purchase or do but also things you can observe. For example, stay tuned to your child’s reactions to potty training. Are they excited each time that they make it to the bathroom? Or do you find your child growing increasingly agitated and showing no interest in learning how to potty train? It is always okay to take a break and realize it is just not the right time to push potty training. Also, realize kids will become potty trained during the daytime typically before they are able to stay dry through the night. That’s completely normal.
Your attitude will make a big impact on your child. Remember to stay calm when accidents occur and they will occur. Using a phrase such as “you’ll make it next time” helps keep emotions neutral and reassuring for your child.
Read More: Overcoming Potty Training Obstacles
Potty Training Tips For Success
There are so many great potty training tips that will help you and your child through this process. In the beginning, it is best to start introducing your child to the bathroom weeks before you plan to officially start potty training. Let them flush the potty and practice washing their hands. If they start to mimic you, that’s great! Easing them into the potty training process by setting an example is a great way to start.
Make a special shopping trip with your little one to pick out their very first pack of underwear. If they happen to have a favorite character, you can always say “Tinkerbell doesn’t like to get wet so let’s work hard on keeping her dry.” Keep in mind though, accidents will happen. An extra packet of underwear will be helpful or be prepared to wash extra loads of laundry.
While you’re out, there are some great potty training books for kids and parents alike. It might benefit your child to see pictures and stories to help put all the potty training pieces together. Keeping your trips away from the house to a minimum is a good idea. All these potty training tips will help you and your child be successful at potty training.
Out of all of them, the best potty training tips are to stay positive, calm, and have lots of patience. Over time, your little one will recognize their body’s physical signs and master the art of making it to the bathroom in time. If you ever have concerns though, don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s pediatrician for guidance. When you say goodbye to your last diaper, a celebration will be in order!
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Are you in the throes of potty training and running into problems? We can help you with Overcoming Potty Training Obstacles.
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Sources: aap.org, mayoclinic.org
