Potty training comes naturally to some children and their parents, some find it quite a struggle. It's easy to say that it will happen and things will just click one day but if you are a parent of a child that doesn't seem to 'get it' then it can be a challenge.
When you decide it's time to potty train you have to be prepared that it may not happen overnight. It can take days, weeks and even months for some children. It's best to clear your schedule and make sure you have the time and energy to see it through. The first few days/ weeks can be the worst so some choose to do it while they have time off work or when the siblings are in school. This means that your child and the potty are your only focus.
The fact that you have decided to potty train could be for a number of reasons. The child's age, the child is showing signs they are ready (knowing when they have had a wee or poo in their nappy) or it could be that other children of a similar age amongst friends or family are potty training. Unfortunately none of these may mean your child is ready you just have to go with what's best for you, take the leap and see where you end up.
Using the potty is a huge milestone so you may want to use a reward system that works for you and your child. We used cars with little J as he was never bothered about stickers whilst other children love reward sticker charts.
There are lots of different potties available, some with characters on, some are musical and others are just brightly coloured. Choose a potty you know your child will like or even better if they can pick it themselves.
Talk to your child about the potty and what it's for. There are lots of children's books on potty training that are fun with great illustrations. Visuals really work for some children.
Be supportive at all times. Accidents will happen. Try not to get upset or angry no matter how frustrated you are. It can really knock a child's confidence. If you react angrily when they have an accident they may start to hold it in and that could be really bad for them.
Make the decision of whether you will go for pull ups or underwear. In my opinion I always think underwear is best. You have taken the plunge to potty train and get rid of the nappy so why put a pull up on? To me I don't understand how a child would know the difference between a nappy and a pull up. They look and feel the same. Having said that I know lots of children that have had great success wearing pull-ups but my tip is to stick to underwear. They can feel if they have had an accident, and I can guarantee they won't like that feeling of wee dripping down their leg. You never know it might make them think twice next time.
Knowing your childs toilet routine for a poo is really important. Some children go at the same time every day or they will go to a certain spot in the house. If they have a routine you can then be ready to guide them to the potty just before to prevent accidents.
When potty training children seem to get the hang of going for a wee easier than a poo. It's important to make sure they are still doing their poo because if they are not they can become severely blocked and it could become a medical issue. If your child isn't ready to poo on the potty you need to make the decision of putting a nappy back on them, on or around the time they usually go. They just might not be ready for this stage and that is normal.
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Michelle
